Cognitive processes, particularly learning and memory, are crucial brain mechanisms mediating the successful adaptation of individuals to constantly changing environmental conditions. Impairments in memory performance during neurodegenerative disorders or dementias affect life quality of patients as well as their relatives and careers, and thus have a severe socio-economic impact. The last decades have viewed learning and memory as predominantly protein-mediated process at the synapses of brain neurons. However, recent developments propose a principally new, lipid-based mechanism that regulates cognition. Thereby, crucial members of cell membranes, the sphingolipids, emerged to play an outstanding role in learning and memory. The most abundant brain sphingolipids, ceramides and gangliosides, dynamically shape the composition of protein carrying cellular membranes. This, in turn, regulates protein signaling through the membranes and overall neuronal plasticity. An imbalance in sphingolipid composition and disrupted dynamics significantly affect normal functioning of cells and results in the development of multiple psychiatric and neurological disorders with cognitive impairments. Ceramides and gangliosides interact with a plethora of molecular pathways determining de novo learning and memory, as well as pathogenic pathways of neurodegenerative disorders and dementias of various origins. Considering sphingolipids as a trigger mechanism for learning and memory under physiological and pathological conditions, a principally new class of lipid-based preventive and therapeutic approaches to target cognitive impairments and dementias is emerging.

认知过程，特别是学习和记忆，是调节个体成功适应不断变化的环境条件的关键大脑机制。神经退行性疾病或痴呆期间的记忆能力受损会影响患者及其亲属和职业的生活质量，从而产生严重的社会经济影响。在过去的几十年里，学习和记忆主要是大脑神经元突触中蛋白质介导的过程。然而，最近的发展提出了一种主要是新的、基于脂质的机制来调节认知。因此，细胞膜的关键成员鞘脂出现在学习和记忆中发挥着突出的作用。最丰富的脑鞘脂、神经酰胺和神经节苷脂，动态塑造携带细胞膜的蛋白质的组成。反过来，这通过膜和整体神经元可塑性调节蛋白质信号传导。鞘脂成分的不平衡和动力的破坏会显着影响细胞的正常功能，并导致多种具有认知障碍的精神和神经系统疾病的发展。神经酰胺和神经节苷脂与大量决定从头学习和记忆的分子途径以及神经退行性疾病和各种起源的痴呆的致病途径相互作用。将鞘脂视为生理和病理条件下学习和记忆的触发机制，