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Regan SL, Sugimoto C, Dawson HE, Williams MT, Vorhees CV. Latrophilin-3 heterozygous versus homozygous mutations in Sprague Dawley rats: Effects on egocentric and allocentric memory and locomotor activity. Genes Brain Behav 2022; 21:e12817. [PMID: 35985692 PMCID: PMC9744505 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Latrophilin-3 (LPHN3) is a brain specific G-protein coupled receptor associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive deficits. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate a constitutive knockout (KO) rat of Lphn3 by deleting exon 3, based on human data that LPHN3 variants are associated with some cases of ADHD. Lphn3 KO rats are hyperactive with an attenuated response to ADHD medication and have cognitive deficits. Here, we tested KO, heterozygous (HET), and wildtype (WT) rats to determine if there was a gene-dosage effect. We tested the rats in home-cage activity starting at postnatal day (P)35 and P50, followed by tests of egocentric learning (Cincinnati water maze [CWM]), spatial learning (Morris water maze [MWM]), working memory (radial water maze [RWM]), incidental learning (novel object recognition [NOR]), acoustic startle response (ASR) habituation, tactile startle response (TSR) habituation, prepulse modification of acoustic startle, shuttle-box passive avoidance, conditioned freezing, and a mirror image version of the CWM. KO and HET rats were hyperactive. KO and HET rats had egocentric (CWM) and spatial deficits (MWM), increased startle response, and KO rats showed less conditioned freezing on contextual and cued memory; there were no effects on working memory (RWM) or passive avoidance. The selective gene-dosage effect in Lphn3 HET rats indicates that Lphn3 exhibits dominate expression on functions where it is most abundantly expressed (striatum, hippocampus) but not on behaviors mediated by regions of low expression. The data add further evidence to the impact of this synaptic protein on brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Regan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of NeurologyCincinnati Children's Research FoundationCincinnatiOhioUSA,Department of Human GeneticsUniversity of Michigan Medical CenterAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Chiho Sugimoto
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of NeurologyCincinnati Children's Research FoundationCincinnatiOhioUSA,Department of PhysiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Hannah E. Dawson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of NeurologyCincinnati Children's Research FoundationCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Michael T. Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of NeurologyCincinnati Children's Research FoundationCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Charles V. Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of NeurologyCincinnati Children's Research FoundationCincinnatiOhioUSA
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Missaire M, Fraize N, Comte JC, Truchet B, Parmentier R, Salin PA, Malleret G. Working and Reference Memory Tasks Trigger Opposed Long-Term Synaptic Changes in the Rat Dentate Gyrus. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2980-2992. [PMID: 33506269 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term storage of information into memory is supposed to rely on long-term synaptic plasticity processes. The detection of such synaptic changes after training in long-term/reference memory (RM) tasks has yet been scarce, variable and only studied on a short time scale. Short-term or working memory (WM) is largely known to depend on persistent neuronal activity or short-term plasticity. However, processing information into WM could also involve long-term synaptic changes that could be responsible for the erasure/forgetting of items previously stored in WM and acting as proactive interference. In order to study long-term synaptic changes associated with RM or WM, we trained chronically implanted rats in 3 different radial maze tasks: a classical RM task and 2 WM tasks involving different levels of proactive interference. Synaptic responses in the dentate gyrus were recorded during 2 × 24 h in freely moving rats after training. We found that consolidation of long-term information leads first to a delayed synaptic potentiation, occurring 9 h after RM training that is replaced by a synaptic depression once the RM rule is fully acquired. In contrast, optimal information processing into WM triggers a synaptic depression immediately after training and lasting 3 h that could act as a mechanism for interference erasure/forgetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mégane Missaire
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France
| | - Nicolas Fraize
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Comte
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon F-69000, France
| | - Bruno Truchet
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille F-13331, France
| | - Régis Parmentier
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon F-69000, France
| | - Paul-Antoine Salin
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon F-69000, France
| | - Gaël Malleret
- FORGETTING 'Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics' Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), University Lyon 1, Lyon F-69008, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon F-69000, France
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Bernaud VE, Hiroi R, Poisson ML, Castaneda AJ, Kirshner ZZ, Gibbs RB, Bimonte-Nelson HA. Age Impacts the Burden That Reference Memory Imparts on an Increasing Working Memory Load and Modifies Relationships With Cholinergic Activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:610078. [PMID: 33643006 PMCID: PMC7902531 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.610078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent aging research often utilizes spatial mazes, such as the water radial-arm-maze (WRAM), to evaluate cognition. The WRAM can simultaneously measure spatial working and reference memory, wherein these two memory types are often represented as orthogonal. There is evidence, however, that these two memory forms yield interference at a high working memory load. The current study systematically evaluated whether the presence of a reference memory component impacts handling of an increasing working memory load. Young and aged female rats were tested to assess whether aging impacts this relationship. Cholinergic projections from the basal forebrain to the hippocampus and cortex can affect cognitive outcomes, and are negatively impacted by aging. To evaluate whether age-related changes in working and reference memory profiles are associated with cholinergic functioning, we assessed choline acetyltransferase activity in these behaviorally-tested rats. Results showed that young rats outperformed aged rats on a task testing solely working memory. The addition of a reference memory component deteriorated the ability to handle an increasing working memory load, such that young rats performed similar to their aged counterparts. Aged rats also had challenges when reference memory was present, but in a different context. Specifically, aged rats had difficulty remembering which reference memory arms they had entered within a session, compared to young rats. Further, aged rats that excelled in reference memory also excelled in working memory when working memory demand was high, a relationship not seen in young rats. Relationships between cholinergic activity and maze performance differed by age in direction and brain region, reflecting the complex role that the cholinergic system plays in memory and attentional processes across the female lifespan. Overall, the addition of a reference memory requirement detrimentally impacted the ability to handle working memory information across young and aged timepoints, especially when the working memory challenge was high; these age-related deficits manifested differently with the addition of a reference memory component. This interplay between working and reference memory provides insight into the multiple domains necessary to solve complex cognitive tasks, potentially improving the understanding of complexities of age- and disease- related memory failures and optimizing their respective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Bernaud
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Ryoko Hiroi
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Mallori L Poisson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Arthur J Castaneda
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Ziv Z Kirshner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Robert B Gibbs
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Fernández-Quezada D, Moran-Torres D, Luquin S, Ruvalcaba-Delgadillo Y, García-Estrada J, Jáuregui-Huerta F. Male/female Differences in Radial Arm Water Maze Execution After Chronic Exposure to Noise. Noise Health 2020; 21:25-34. [PMID: 32098928 PMCID: PMC7050231 DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_23_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Noise is one of the main sources of discomfort in modern societies. It affects physiology, behavior, and cognition of exposed subjects. Although the effects of noise on cognition are well known, gender role in noise-cognition relationship remains controversial. Aim: We analyzed the effects of noise on the ability of male and female rats to execute the Radial Arm Water Maze (RAWM) paradigm. Materials and Methods: Male and female Wistar rats were exposed to noise for 3 weeks, and the cognitive effects were assessed at the end of the exposure. RAWM execution included a three-day training phase and a reversal-learning phase conducted on the fourth day. Escape latency, reference memory errors, and working memory errors were quantified and compared between exposed and non-exposed subjects. Results: We found that male rats were in general more affected by noise. Execution during the three-day learning phase evidenced that male exposed rats employed significantly more time to acquire the task than the non-exposed. On the other hand, the exposed females solved the paradigm in latencies similar to control rats. Both, males and females diminished their capacity to execute on the fourth day when re-learning abilities were tested. Conclusion: We conclude that male rats might be less tolerable to noise compared to female ones and that spatial learning may be a cognitive function comparably more vulnerable to noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Fernández-Quezada
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Diana Moran-Torres
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Sonia Luquin
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Yaveth Ruvalcaba-Delgadillo
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Joaquín García-Estrada
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Fernando Jáuregui-Huerta
- Laboratorio de Microscopía de Alta Resolución, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
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Smith G, Rani A, Kumar A, Barter J, Foster TC. Hippocampal Subregion Transcriptomic Profiles Reflect Strategy Selection during Cognitive Aging. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4888-99. [PMID: 32376783 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2944-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related cognitive impairments are associated with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to defined neural systems; however, studies examining multiple regions of the hippocampus fail to find links between behavior and transcription in the dentate gyrus (DG). We hypothesized that use of a task requiring intact DG function would emphasize molecular signals in the DG associated with a decline in performance. We used a water maze beacon discrimination task to characterize young and middle-age male F344 rats, followed by a spatial reference memory probe trial test. Middle-age rats showed increased variability in discriminating two identical beacons. Use of an allocentric strategy and formation of a spatial reference memory were not different between age groups; however, older animals compensated for impaired beacon discrimination through greater reliance on spatial reference memory. mRNA sequencing of hippocampal subregions indicated DEGs in the DG of middle-age rats, linked to synaptic function and neurogenesis, correlated with beacon discrimination performance, suggesting that senescence of the DG underlies the impairment. Few genes correlated with spatial memory across age groups, with a greater number in region CA1. Age-related CA1 DEGs, correlated with spatial memory, were linked to regulation of neural activity. These results indicate that the beacon task is sensitive to impairment in middle age, and distinct gene profiles are observed in neural circuits that underlie beacon discrimination performance and allocentric memory. The use of different strategies in older animals and associated transcriptional profiles could provide an animal model for examining cognitive reserve and neural compensation of aging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hippocampal subregions are thought to differentially contribute to memory. We took advantage of age-related variability in performance on a water maze beacon task and next-generation sequencing to test the hypothesis that aging of the dentate gyrus is linked to impaired beacon discrimination and compensatory use of allocentric memory. The dentate gyrus expressed synaptic function and neurogenesis genes correlated with beacon discrimination in middle-age animals. Spatial reference memory was associated with CA1 transcriptional correlates linked to regulation of neural activity and use of an allocentric strategy. This is the first study examining transcriptomes of multiple hippocampal subregions to link age-related impairments associated with discrimination of feature overlap and alternate response strategies to gene expression in specific hippocampal subregions.
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6
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Williams MT, Amos-Kroohs RM, Vorhees CV. Prolonged methamphetamine exposure during a critical period in neonatal Sprague Dawley rats does not exacerbate egocentric and allocentric learning deficits but increases reference memory impairments. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:163-174. [PMID: 32043612 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Children exposed to methamphetamine (MA) in utero have cognitive deficits. MA administration in rats for 5-10 days between postnatal days (P)6 and 20 produces cognitive deficits. The purpose of this study was to determine if extending MA administration by 5 days within P6-20 would exacerbate allocentric (Morris water maze) and egocentric (Cincinnati water maze) learning deficits. Sprague Dawley female and male offspring (split-litter design) were administered saline (SAL) or MA (10 mg/kg) four times daily from P6 to 20 to create four groups: (a) SAL from P6 to 20, (b) MA from P6 to 20 (MA6-20), (c) MA from P6 to 15 (MA6-15), or (d) MA from P11 to 20 (MA11-20); the latter groups received saline on days they did not receive MA. Egocentric, allocentric, and conditioned freezing tests began on P60. The MA6-15 and MA6-20 groups showed egocentric deficits, all MA groups had allocentric deficits but no differences in conditioned freezing compared with SAL controls. The MA6-15 and MA6-20 groups had similar deficits in learning and memory that were larger than in the MA11-20 group. Learning in both mazes was sex dependent, but no interactions with MA were found. The data demonstrate that extending the exposure period of MA beyond the sensitive periods (P6-15 and P11-20) did not exacerbate the cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Neurology (MLC 7044), Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Robyn M Amos-Kroohs
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Neurology (MLC 7044), Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Neurology (MLC 7044), Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Peyton L, Oliveros A, Tufvesson-Alm M, Schwieler L, Starski P, Engberg G, Erhardt S, Choi DS. Lipopolysaccharide Increases Cortical Kynurenic Acid and Deficits in Reference Memory in Mice. Int J Tryptophan Res 2019; 12:1178646919891169. [PMID: 31896932 PMCID: PMC6920585 DOI: 10.1177/1178646919891169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a glial-derived metabolite of tryptophan metabolism, is an
antagonist of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and the
glycine-binding site of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)
receptors. Kynurenic acid levels are increased in both the brain and
cerebrospinal fluid of several psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, and Alzheimer disease. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines
have been found to be elevated in the blood of schizophrenic patients suggesting
inflammation may play a role in psychiatric illness. As both pro-inflammatory
cytokines and KYNA can be elevated in the brain by peripheral lipopolysaccharide
(LPS) injection, we therefore sought to characterize the role of
neuroinflammation on learning and memory using a well-described dual-LPS
injection model. Mice were injected with an initial injection (0.25 mg/kg LPS,
0.50 mg/kg, or saline) of LPS and then administrated a second injection 16 hours
later. Our results indicate both 0.25 and 0.50 mg/kg dual-LPS treatment
increased l-kynurenine and KYNA levels in the medial pre-frontal cortex
(mPFC). Mice exhibited impaired acquisition of CS+ (conditioned stimulus)
Pavlovian conditioning. Notably, mice showed impairment in reference memory
while working memory was normal in an 8-arm maze. Taken together, our findings
suggest that neuroinflammation induced by peripheral LPS administration
contributes to cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Peyton
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alfredo Oliveros
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Lilly Schwieler
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Phillip Starski
- Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Göran Engberg
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sopie Erhardt
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA.,Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
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Berihu BA, Asfeha GG, Welderufael AL, Debeb YG, Zelelow YB, Beyene HA. Toxic effect of khat ( Catha edulis) on memory: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurosci Rural Pract 2019; 8:30-37. [PMID: 28149078 PMCID: PMC5225718 DOI: 10.4103/0976-3147.193524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People use khat (Catha edulis) for its pleasant stimulant effect of physical activity, consciousness, motor, and mental functions. Although there are reports assessing the effect of khat on memory, there was no study based on formal systematic review and meta-analysis. OBJECTIVE We have therefore conducted this meta-analysis to determine the level of evidence for the effect of khat (C. edulis Forsk) on memory discrepancy. METHODS MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Academic Search Complete, SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched to retrieve the papers for this review. Keywords utilized across database search were khat, cat, chat, long-term memory, short-term memory, memory deficit, randomized control trial, and cross-sectional survey. The search was limited to studies in humans and rodents; published in English language. RESULT Finding of various studies included in our meta-analysis showed that the effect of acute, and subchronic exposure to khat showed that short-term memory appears to be affected depending on the duration of exposure. However, does not have any effect on long-term memory. CONCLUSION Although a number of studies regarding the current topic are limited, the evidenced showed that khat (C. edulis) induced memory discrepancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birhane Alem Berihu
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Gebrekidan Gebregzabher Asfeha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Abadi Leul Welderufael
- Department of Pediatrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Yared Godefa Debeb
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Yibrah Berhe Zelelow
- Department of Pediatrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Hafte Assefa Beyene
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
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Brose RD, Savonenko A, Devenney B, Smith KD, Reeves RH. Hydroxyurea Improves Spatial Memory and Cognitive Plasticity in Mice and Has a Mild Effect on These Parameters in a Down Syndrome Mouse Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:96. [PMID: 31139073 PMCID: PMC6527804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), a genetic disorder caused by partial or complete triplication of chromosome 21, is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. DS mouse models and cell lines display defects in cellular adaptive stress responses including autophagy, unfolded protein response, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. We tested the ability of hydroxyurea (HU), an FDA-approved pharmacological agent that activates adaptive cellular stress response pathways, to improve the cognitive function of Ts65Dn mice. The chronic HU treatment started at a stage when early mild cognitive deficits are present in this model (∼3 months of age) and continued until a stage of advanced cognitive deficits in untreated mice (∼5–6 months of age). The HU effects on cognitive performance were analyzed using a battery of water maze tasks designed to detect changes in different types of memory with sensitivity wide enough to detect deficits as well as improvements in spatial memory. The most common characteristic of cognitive deficits observed in trisomic mice at 5–6 months of age was their inability to rapidly acquire new information for long-term storage, a feature akin to episodic-like memory. On the background of severe cognitive impairments in untreated trisomic mice, HU-treatment produced mild but significant benefits in Ts65Dn by improving memory acquisition and short-term retention of spatial information. In control mice, HU treatment facilitated memory retention in constant (reference memory) as well as time-variant conditions (episodic-like memory) implicating a robust nootropic effect. This was the first proof-of-concept study of HU treatment in a DS model, and indicates that further studies are warranted to assess a window to optimize timing and dosage of the treatment in this pre-clinical phase. Findings of this study indicate that HU has potential for improving memory retention and cognitive flexibility that can be harnessed for the amelioration of cognitive deficits in normal aging and in cognitive decline (dementia) related to DS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Deering Brose
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Departments of Pathology and Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Benjamin Devenney
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kirby D Smith
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger H Reeves
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Milczarek MM, Vann SD, Sengpiel F. Spatial Memory Engram in the Mouse Retrosplenial Cortex. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1975-1980.e6. [PMID: 29887312 PMCID: PMC6013279 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Memory relies on lasting adaptations of neuronal properties elicited by stimulus-driven plastic changes [1]. The strengthening (and weakening) of synapses results in the establishment of functional ensembles. It is presumed that such ensembles (or engrams) are activated during memory acquisition and re-activated upon memory retrieval. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) has emerged as a key brain area supporting memory [2], including episodic and topographical memory in humans [3, 4, 5], as well as spatial memory in rodents [6, 7]. Dysgranular RSC is densely connected with dorsal stream visual areas [8] and contains place-like and head-direction cells, making it a prime candidate for integrating navigational information [9]. While previous reports [6, 10] describe the recruitment of RSC ensembles during navigational tasks, such ensembles have never been tracked long enough to provide evidence of stable engrams and have not been related to the retention of long-term memory. Here, we used in vivo 2-photon imaging to analyze patterns of activity of over 6,000 neurons within dysgranular RSC. Eight mice were trained on a spatial memory task. Learning was accompanied by the gradual emergence of a context-specific pattern of neuronal activity over a 3-week period, which was re-instated upon retrieval more than 3 weeks later. The stability of this memory engram was predictive of the degree of forgetting; more stable engrams were associated with better performance. This provides direct evidence for the interdependence of spatial memory consolidation and RSC engram formation. Our results demonstrate the participation of RSC in spatial memory storage at the level of neuronal ensembles. Longitudinal C-fos imaging reveals retrosplenial spatial memory engrams in mice Engrams become progressively more stable with learning and are maintained over weeks The degree of memory retention is related to the stability of the engrams
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Abstract
The prefrontal cortex participates in a variety of higher cognitive functions. The concept of working memory is now widely used to understand prefrontal functions. Neurophysiological studies have revealed that stimulus-selective delay-period activity is a neural correlate of the mechanism for temporarily maintaining information in working memory processes. The central executive, which is the master component of Baddeley's working memory model and is thought to be a function of the prefrontal cortex, controls the performance of other components by allocating a limited capacity of memory resource to each component based on its demand. Recent neurophysiological studies have attempted to reveal how prefrontal neurons achieve the functions of the central executive. For example, the neural mechanisms of memory control have been examined using the interference effect in a dual-task paradigm. It has been shown that this interference effect is caused by the competitive and overloaded recruitment of overlapping neural populations in the prefrontal cortex by two concurrent tasks and that the information-processing capacity of a single neuron is limited to a fixed level, can be flexibly allocated or reallocated between two concurrent tasks based on their needs, and enhances behavioral performance when its allocation to one task is increased. Further, a metamemory task requiring spatial information has been used to understand the neural mechanism for monitoring its own operations, and it has been shown that monitoring the quality of spatial information represented by prefrontal activity is an important factor in the subject's choice and that the strength of spatially selective delay-period activity reflects confidence in decision-making. Although further studies are needed to elucidate how the prefrontal cortex controls memory resource and supervises other systems, some important mechanisms related to the central executive have been identified.
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Fraize N, Carponcy J, Joseph MA, Comte JC, Luppi PH, Libourel PA, Salin PA, Malleret G, Parmentier R. Levels of Interference in Long and Short-Term Memory Differentially Modulate Non-REM and REM Sleep. Sleep 2016; 39:2173-2188. [PMID: 27748246 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.6322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES It is commonly accepted that sleep is beneficial to memory processes, but it is still unclear if this benefit originates from improved memory consolidation or enhanced information processing. It has thus been proposed that sleep may also promote forgetting of undesirable and non-essential memories, a process required for optimization of cognitive resources. We tested the hypothesis that non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) promotes forgetting of irrelevant information, more specifically when processing information in working memory (WM), while REM sleep (REMS) facilitates the consolidation of important information. METHODS We recorded sleep patterns of rats trained in a radial maze in three different tasks engaging either the long-term or short-term storage of information, as well as a gradual level of interference. RESULTS We observed a transient increase in REMS amount on the day the animal learned the rule of a long-term/reference memory task (RM), and, in contrast, a positive correlation between the performance of rats trained in a WM task involving an important processing of interference and the amount of NREMS or slow wave activity. Various oscillatory events were also differentially modulated by the type of training involved. Notably, NREMS spindles and REMS rapid theta increase with RM training, while sharp-wave ripples increase with all types of training. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that REMS, but also rapid oscillations occurring during NREMS would be specifically implicated in the long-term memory in RM, whereas NREMS and slow oscillations could be involved in the forgetting of irrelevant information required for WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fraize
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Julien Carponcy
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Mickaël Antoine Joseph
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Comte
- Biphoton Internal Facility, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre-Hervé Luppi
- Pathophysiology of the Neural Networks of the Sleep/Wake Cycle, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Paul-Antoine Libourel
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Pathophysiology of the Neural Networks of the Sleep/Wake Cycle, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Paul-Antoine Salin
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Biphoton Internal Facility, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Gaël Malleret
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Régis Parmentier
- Forgetting and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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13
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Roberts WA, Macpherson K, Strang C. Context controls access to working and reference memory in the pigeon (Columba livia). J Exp Anal Behav 2016; 105:184-93. [PMID: 26781056 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between working and reference memory systems was examined under conditions in which salient contextual cues were presented during memory retrieval. Ambient colored lights (red or green) bathed the operant chamber during the presentation of comparison stimuli in delayed matching-to-sample training (working memory) and during the presentation of the comparison stimuli as S+ and S- cues in discrimination training (reference memory). Strong competition between memory systems appeared when the same contextual cue appeared during working and reference memory training. When different contextual cues were used, however, working memory was completely protected from reference memory interference.
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Abstract
Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is now considered a chronic disease, few studies have investigated the long-term behavioral deficits elicited by a well-established rodent model of injury. Here we evaluate behavioral measures, commonly used in TBI research, to determine which tests are useful for studying long-term effects of brain injury in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were handled and pre-trained to neurological, balance, and motor coordination tests prior to receiving parasagittal fluid-percussion injury (FPI), sham injury, or maintenance as naïve cohorts. Rats underwent neuroscore, beam-balance, and beam-walk tests for 3 days after injury. Subsequently, in separate groups at 3, 6, or 12 months, they were re-tested on the same tasks followed by a working memory version of the Morris water maze. On post-injury days (PIDs) 1-3, significant effects of injury on neuroscore, beam-balance, and beam-walk were observed. Differences in the beam-walk task were not detectable at any of the later time-points. However, deficits persisted in beam-balance out to 3 months and neuroscore out to 6 months. Working memory deficits persisted out to 12 months, at which time a reference memory deficit was also evident. These data suggest that balance and motor coordination recovered more quickly than neurological deficits. Furthermore, while deficits in working memory remained stable over the 12-month period, the late onset of the reference memory deficit points to the progressive nature of the injury, or an age/TBI interaction. In conclusion, standard behavioral tests are useful measures of persistent behavioral deficits after parasagittal FPI and provide evidence that TBI is a chronic condition that can change over time and worsen with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy L Sell
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Kathia Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Douglas S DeWitt
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Donald S Prough
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
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15
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Abstract
CONCLUSION Moderate hearing loss in young mice caused decreases in cognition associated with spatial working and recognition memories in 6 months. These results provide evidence for a causal relationship between hearing loss and cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVES Hypothesized mechanisms to connect sensory and cognitive functions include the sensory-deprivation, information-degradation, and common-cause hypotheses. This study intended to investigate the effect of hearing loss on cognitive function, as estimated by radial arm maze (RAM) and novel object recognition (NOR) tasks in mice through age- and hearing-matched longitudinal work during a 6-month period. METHODS Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice aged 1 month with normal ABR thresholds were used. Twelve mice in the hearing loss (HL) group were exposed to white noise at 110 dB SPL for 60 min every day for 20 days. At post-noise 6 months, all mice underwent RAM and one-trial NOR test. RAM performance measures and NOR discrimination index were compared between two groups. RESULTS At 6 months after noise exposure, all mice in the experimental group had moderate hearing loss. Most of the RAM performances improved gradually within each group across five trials, probably due to learning effect. The HL group showed lower performance scores than the control group in several trial points in the RAM task. The contact time with the novel object was shorter in the HL group than in the control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Young Park
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
| | - Min Jung Kim
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
| | - Huerxidan Sikandaner
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
| | - Dong-Kee Kim
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
| | - Sang Won Yeo
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
| | - Shi Nae Park
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea
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van der Staay FJ, Schoonderwoerd AJ, Stadhouders B, Nordquist RE. Overnight Social Isolation in Pigs Decreases Salivary Cortisol but Does Not Impair Spatial Learning and Memory or Performance in a Decision-Making Task. Front Vet Sci 2016; 2:81. [PMID: 26793715 PMCID: PMC4707236 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2015.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigs in modern farming practice may be exposed to a number of stressors, including social stressors such as mixing or isolation. This may potentially affect both cognitive abilities and stress physiology of the animals. We tested the hypothesis that overnight social isolation in pigs impairs performance in a cognitive holeboard (HB) task (Experiment 1) and the Pig Gambling Task (PGT) (Experiment 2), a decision-making task inspired by the Iowa Gambling Task. In addition, we tested the effect of overnight social isolation on salivary cortisol levels. A within-subjects approach was used in which performance in the two behavioral tasks and cortisol levels were first determined during normal social housing, followed by performance and cortisol levels after experiencing stress induced by overnight social isolation. A total of 19 female pigs with a birth weight closest to their respective litter average was selected from 10 different litters and placed in two pens after weaning. Following habituation, pigs were trained in the HB task, starting at 10 weeks of age. Then, the pigs were isolated overnight, five individuals per night, at 15, 16, and 17 weeks of age. Between these three isolations, social housing and training in the HB continued. Starting 6 weeks after the end of the HB experiment, at approximately 23 weeks of age, the pigs were trained in the PGT. The effects of overnight social isolation on performance in this task were assessed once, when the pigs were 25 weeks old. Salivary cortisol was measured from samples collected 15 min after the start of isolation and at the end of the isolation period and compared to baseline values collected before the start of social isolation. Our results did not confirm the hypothesis that isolation impaired HB performance and decision-making in the PGT. Unexpectedly, overnight social isolation decreased cortisol levels below baseline values, an effect that was not associated with changes in performance of the behavioral tasks. We hypothesized that the housing and testing conditions may have prepared the animals to cope efficiently with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Bo Stadhouders
- Applied Biology, HAS University of Applied Sciences , Den Bosch , Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Rammsayer TH, Verner M. Larger visual stimuli are perceived to last longer from time to time: The internal clock is not affected by nontemporal visual stimulus size. J Vis 2015; 15:15.3.5. [PMID: 25758710 DOI: 10.1167/15.3.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Performance on interval timing is often explained by the assumption of an internal clock based on neural counting. According to this account, a neural pacemaker generates pulses, and the number of pulses relating to a physical time interval is recorded by a counter. Thus, the number of accumulated pulses is the internal representation of this interval. Several studies demonstrated that large visual stimuli are perceived to last longer than smaller ones presented for the same duration. The present study was designed to investigate whether nontemporal visual stimulus size directly affects the internal clock. For this purpose, a temporal reproduction task was applied. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions with stimulus size being experimentally varied within either the target or the reproduction interval. A direct effect of nontemporal stimulus size on the pacemaker-counter system should become evident irrespective of whether stimulus size was experimentally varied within the target or the reproduction interval. An effect of nontemporal stimulus size on reproduced duration only occurred when stimulus size was varied during the target interval. This finding clearly argues against the notion that nontemporal visual stimulus size directly affects the internal clock. Furthermore, our findings ruled out a decisional bias as a possible cause of the observed differential effect of stimulus size on reproduced duration. Rather the effect of stimulus size appeared to originate from the memory stage of temporal information processing at which the timing signal from the pacemaker-counter component is encoded in reference memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H Rammsayer
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Center for Cognition, Learning, and Memory, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Verner
- Institute for Educational Evaluation, Associated Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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18
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysfunction in prefrontal cortex (PFC) GABA transmission has been proposed to contribute to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, yet how this system regulates different cognitive and mnemonic functions remains unclear. METHODS We assessed the effects of pharmacological reduction of GABAA signaling in the medial PFC of rats on spatial reference/working memory using different versions of the radial-arm maze task. We used a massed-trials procedure to probe how PFC GABA regulates susceptibility to proactive interference. Male rats were well-trained to retrieve food from the same 4 arms of an 8-arm maze, receiving 5 trials/day (1-2 min intervals). RESULTS Infusions of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (12.5-50 ng) markedly increased working and reference memory errors and response latencies. Similar treatments also impaired short-term memory on an 8-baited arm task. These effects did not appear to be due to increased susceptibility to proactive interference. In contrast, PFC inactivation via infusion of GABA agonists baclofen/muscimol did not affect reference/working memory. In comparison to the pronounced effects on the 8-arm maze tasks, PFC GABAA antagonism only causes a slight and transient decrease in accuracy on a 2-arm spatial discrimination. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that prefrontal GABA hypofunction severely disrupts spatial reference and short-term memory and that disinhibition of the PFC can, in some instances, perturb memory processes not normally dependent on the frontal lobes. Moreover, these impairments closely resemble those observed in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that perturbation in PFC GABA signaling may contribute to these types of cognitive deficits associated with the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan L Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada (Drs Auger and Floresco)
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada (Drs Auger and Floresco).
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19
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Guidi M, Kumar A, Rani A, Foster TC. Assessing the emergence and reliability of cognitive decline over the life span in Fisher 344 rats using the spatial water maze. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:2. [PMID: 24478698 PMCID: PMC3896816 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial water maze is routinely used to investigate hippocampal-dependent spatial memory and the biological mechanisms that underlie variability in cognitive decline during aging. The utility of the task for repeated testing in order to examine the trajectory of cognitive decline and to prescreen animals prior to therapeutic interventions maybe limited due to carryover effects of repeated training. The current study examines the role of carryover effects, as well as the reliability of individual differences, in determining age-related impairment on episodic and reference memory versions of the water maze task. Results indicate that impaired acquisition of episodic spatial information emerges in middle-age and the propensity for impairment increases with advancing age. While learning was variable across animals, acquisition deficits for episodic information were reliable across training sessions in middle-age and aged rats. A significant impairment in the 24~h retention of episodic spatial information was observed in aged animals. When animals were trained to the same location (i.e., reference memory), an impairment was limited to the rate of acquisition in aged animals. However, with continued training, all aged animals were able to acquire a reference memory and no age differences were observed in the 24~h retention of a spatial reference memory. Together, the results point to a progressive impairment in episodic spatial memory with advancing age and suggest that tests of episodic spatial memory are reliable and more sensitive than reference memory for detecting cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Guidi
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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Binder S, Rawohl J, Born J, Marshall L. Transcranial slow oscillation stimulation during NREM sleep enhances acquisition of the radial maze task and modulates cortical network activity in rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 7:220. [PMID: 24409131 PMCID: PMC3884143 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Slow wave sleep, hallmarked by the occurrence of slow oscillations (SO), plays an important role for the consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memories. Transcranial stimulation by weak electric currents oscillating at the endogenous SO frequency (SO-tDCS) during post-learning sleep was previously shown by us to boost SO activity and improve the consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory in human subjects. Here, we aimed at replicating and extending these results to a rodent model. Rats were trained for 12 days at the beginning of their inactive phase in the reference memory version of the radial arm maze. In a between subjects design, animals received SO-tDCS over prefrontal cortex (PFC) or sham stimulation within a time frame of 1 h during subsequent non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Applied over multiple daily sessions SO-tDCS impacted cortical network activity as measured by EEG and behavior: at the EEG level, SO-tDCS enhanced post-stimulation upper delta (2–4 Hz) activity whereby the first stimulations of each day were preferentially affected. Furthermore, commencing on day 8, SO-tDCS acutely decreased theta activity indicating long-term effects on cortical networks. Behaviorally, working memory for baited maze arms was enhanced up to day 4, indicating enhanced consolidation of task-inherent rules, while reference memory errors did not differ between groups. Taken together, we could show here for the first time an effect of SO-tDCS during NREM sleep on cognitive functions and on cortical activity in a rodent model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Binder
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany
| | - Julia Rawohl
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jan Born
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany ; Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Marshall
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany ; Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany
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21
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Sebastian V, Diallo A, Ling DSF, Serrano PA. Robust training attenuates TBI-induced deficits in reference and working memory on the radial 8-arm maze. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:38. [PMID: 23653600 PMCID: PMC3642509 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, it is estimated that nearly 10 million people sustain severe brain injuries leading to hospitalization and/or death every year. Amongst survivors, traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in a wide variety of physical, emotional and cognitive deficits. The most common cognitive deficit associated with TBI is memory loss, involving impairments in spatial reference and working memory. However, the majority of research thus far has characterized the deficits associated with TBI on either reference or working memory systems separately, without investigating how they interact within a single task. Thus, we examined the effects of TBI on short-term working and long-term reference memory using the radial 8-arm maze (RAM) with a sequence of four baited and four unbaited arms. Subjects were given 10 daily trials for 6 days followed by a memory retrieval test 2 weeks after training. Multiple training trials not only provide robust training, but also test the subjects' ability to frequently update short-term memory while learning the reference rules of the task. Our results show that TBI significantly impaired short-term working memory function on previously acquired spatial information but has little effect on long-term reference memory. Additionally, TBI significantly increased working memory errors during acquisition and reference memory errors during retention testing 2 weeks later. With a longer recovery period after TBI, the robust RAM training mitigated the reference memory deficit in retention but not the short-term working memory deficit during acquisition. These results identify the resiliency and vulnerabilities of short-term working and long-term reference memory to TBI in the context of robust training. The data highlight the role of cognitive training and other behavioral remediation strategies implicated in attenuating deficits associated with TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Douglas S. F. Ling
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Peter A. Serrano
- Department of Psychology, Hunter CollegeNew York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center of CUNYNew York, NY, USA
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22
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Spieker EA, Astur RS, West JT, Griego JA, Rowland LM. Spatial memory deficits in a virtual reality eight-arm radial maze in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2012; 135:84-9. [PMID: 22154760 PMCID: PMC3288352 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 10/23/2011] [Accepted: 11/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Learning and memory impairments are present in schizophrenia (SZ) throughout the illness course and predict psychosocial function. Abnormalities in prefrontal and hippocampal function are thought to contribute to SZ deficits. The radial arm maze (RAM) is a test of spatial learning and memory in rodents that relies on intact prefrontal and hippocampal function. The goal of the present study was to investigate spatial learning in SZ using a virtual RAM. Thirty-three subjects with SZ and thirty-nine healthy controls (HC) performed ten trials of a virtual RAM task. Subjects attempted to learn to retrieve four rewards each located in separate arms. As expected, subjects with SZ used more time and traveled more distance to retrieve rewards, made more reference (RM) and working memory (WM) errors, and retrieved fewer rewards than HC. It is important to note that the SZ group did learn but did not reach the level of HC. Whereas RM errors decreased across trials in the SZ group, WM errors did not. There were no significant relationships between psychiatric symptom severity and maze performance. To our knowledge, use of a virtual 8-arm radial maze task in SZ to assess spatial learning is novel. Impaired virtual RAM performance in SZ is consistent with studies that examined RAM performance in animal models of SZ. Results provide further support for compromised prefrontal and hippocampal function underlying WM and RM deficits in SZ. The virtual RAM task could help bridge preclinical and clinical research for testing novel drug treatments of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena A. Spieker
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228
| | - Robert S. Astur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Jeffrey T. West
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228
| | - Jacqueline A. Griego
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, 49076 Osnabruck, Germany
| | - Laura M. Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228
,Corresponding Author: Laura M. Rowland, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, , Phone: 410-402-6803, Fax: 410-402-6077
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Spritzer MD, Daviau ED, Coneeny MK, Engelman SM, Prince WT, Rodriguez-Wisdom KN. Effects of testosterone on spatial learning and memory in adult male rats. Horm Behav 2011; 59:484-96. [PMID: 21295035 PMCID: PMC3081396 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2010] [Revised: 01/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
A male advantage over females for spatial tasks has been well documented in both humans and rodents, but it remains unclear how the activational effects of testosterone influence spatial ability in males. In a series of experiments, we tested how injections of testosterone influenced the spatial working and reference memory of castrated male rats. In the eight-arm radial maze, testosterone injections (0.500 mg/rat) reduced the number of working memory errors during the early blocks of testing but had no effect on the number of reference memory errors relative to the castrated control group. In a reference memory version of the Morris water maze, injections of a wide range of testosterone doses (0.0625-1.000 mg/rat) reduced path lengths to the hidden platform, indicative of improved spatial learning. This improved learning was independent of testosterone dose, with all treatment groups showing better performance than the castrated control males. Furthermore, this effect was only observed when rats were given testosterone injections starting 7 days prior to water maze testing and not when injections were given only on the testing days. We also observed that certain doses of testosterone (0.250 and 1.000 mg/rat) increased perseverative behavior in a reversal-learning task. Finally, testosterone did not have a clear effect on spatial working memory in the Morris water maze, although intermediate doses seemed to optimize performance. Overall, the results indicate that testosterone can have positive activational effects on spatial learning and memory, but the duration of testosterone replacement and the nature of the spatial task modify these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Spritzer
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA.
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Talboom JS, Engler-Chiurazzi EB, Whiteaker P, Simard AR, Lukas R, Acosta JI, Prokai L, Bimonte-Nelson HA. A component of Premarin(®) enhances multiple cognitive functions and influences nicotinic receptor expression. Horm Behav 2010; 58:917-28. [PMID: 20849857 PMCID: PMC2982882 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2010] [Revised: 09/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In women, ovarian hormone loss at menopause has been related to cognitive decline, and some studies suggest that estrogen-containing hormone therapy (HT) can mitigate these effects. Recently, the Women's Health Initiative study found that conjugated equine estrogens, the most commonly prescribed HT, do not benefit cognition. Isolated components of conjugated equine estrogens (tradename Premarin(®)) have been evaluated in vitro, with delta(8,9)-dehydroestrone (∆(8)E1) and equilin showing the strongest neuroprotective profiles. It has not been evaluated whether ∆(8)E1 or equilin impact cognition or the cholinergic system, which is affected by other estrogens and known to modulate cognition. Here, in middle-aged, ovariectomized rats, we evaluated the effects of ∆(8)E1 and equilin treatments on a cognitive battery and cholinergic nicotinic receptors (nAChR). Specifically, we used (125)I-labeled epibatidine binding to assay brain nicotinic receptor containing 4α and 2β subunits (α4β2-nAChR), since this nicotinic receptor subtype has been shown previously to be sensitive to other estrogens. ∆(8)E1 enhanced spatial working, recent and reference memory. ∆(8)E1 also decreased hippocampal and entorhinal cortex α4β2-nAChR expression, which was related to spatial reference memory performance. Equilin treatment did not affect spatial memory or rat α4β2-nAChR expression, and neither estrogen impacted (86)Rb(+) efflux, indicating lack of direct action on human α4β2 nAChR function. Both estrogens influenced vaginal smear profiles, uterine weights, and serum luteinizing hormone levels, analogous to classic estrogens. The findings indicate that specific isolated Premarin(®) components differ in their ability to affect cognition and nAChR expression. Taken with the works of others showing ∆(8)E1-induced benefits on several dimensions of health-related concerns associated with menopause, this body of research identifies ∆(8)E1 as a new avenue to be investigated as a potential component of HT that may benefit brain health and function during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S. Talboom
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006
| | - Elizabeth B. Engler-Chiurazzi
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006
| | - Paul Whiteaker
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013
| | - Alain R. Simard
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013
| | - Ronald Lukas
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006
| | - Jazmin I. Acosta
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006
| | - Laszlo Prokai
- University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
| | - Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006
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25
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Acosta JI, Mayer L, Talboom JS, Zay C, Scheldrup M, Castillo J, Demers LM, Enders CK, Bimonte-Nelson HA. Premarin improves memory, prevents scopolamine-induced amnesia and increases number of basal forebrain choline acetyltransferase positive cells in middle-aged surgically menopausal rats. Horm Behav 2009; 55:454-64. [PMID: 19101559 PMCID: PMC2775815 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2008] [Revised: 11/15/2008] [Accepted: 11/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) is the most commonly prescribed estrogen therapy, and is the estrogen used in the Women's Health Initiative study. While in-vitro studies suggest that CEE is neuroprotective, no study has evaluated CEE's effects on a cognitive battery and brain immunohistochemistry in an animal model. The current experiment tested whether CEE impacted: I) spatial learning, reference memory, working memory and long-term retention, as well as ability to handle mnemonic delay and interference challenges; and, II) the cholinergic system, via pharmacological challenge during memory testing and ChAT-immunoreactive cell counts in the basal forebrain. Middle-aged ovariectomized (Ovx) rats received chronic cyclic injections of either Oil (vehicle), CEE-Low (10 microg), CEE-Medium (20 microg) or CEE-High (30 microg) treatment. Relative to the Oil group, all three CEE groups showed less overnight forgetting on the spatial reference memory task, and the CEE-High group had enhanced platform localization during the probe trial. All CEE groups exhibited enhanced learning on the spatial working memory task, and CEE dose-dependently protected against scopolamine-induced amnesia with every rat receiving the highest CEE dose maintaining zero errors after scopolamine challenge. CEE also increased number of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in the vertical diagonal band of the basal forebrain. Neither the ability to remember after a delay nor interference, nor long-term retention, was influenced by the CEE regimen used in this study. These findings are similar to those reported previously for 17 beta-estradiol, and suggest that CEE can provide cognitive benefits on spatial learning, reference and working memory, possibly through cholinergic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazmin I. Acosta
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
| | - Loretta Mayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
| | | | - Cynthia Zay
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
| | | | | | - Laurence M. Demers
- Department of Pathology, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - Craig K. Enders
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
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Mizuno M, Yamada K, Olariu A, Nawa H, Nabeshima T. Involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in spatial memory formation and maintenance in a radial arm maze test in rats. J Neurosci 2000; 20:7116-21. [PMID: 10995859 PMCID: PMC6772840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates both short-term synaptic functions and activity-dependent synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation. In the present study, we investigated the role of BDNF in the spatial reference and working memory in a radial arm maze test. The radial arm maze training resulted in a significant increase in the BDNF mRNA expression in the hippocampus, although the expression in the frontal cortex did not change. When spatial learning was inhibited by treatment with 7-nitroindazole, an inhibitor of brain nitric oxide synthase, the increase in the hippocampal BDNF mRNA did not occur. To clarify the causal relation between BDNF mRNA expression and spatial memory formation, we examined the effects of antisense BDNF treatment on spatial learning and memory. A continuous intracerebroventricular infusion of antisense BDNF oligonucleotide resulted in an impairment of spatial learning, although the sense oligonucleotide had no effect. Treatment with antisense, but not sense, BDNF oligonucleotide was associated with a significant reduction of BDNF mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Furthermore, treatment with antisense BDNF oligonucleotide in rats, which had previously acquired spatial memory by an extensive training, impaired both reference and working memory. There were no differences in locomotor activity, food consumption, and body weight between the antisense and sense oligonucleotide-treated rats. These results suggest that BDNF plays an important role not only in the formation, but also in the retention and/or recall, of spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mizuno
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
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Yamada K, Tanaka T, Mamiya T, Shiotani T, Kameyama T, Nabeshima T. Improvement by nefiracetam of beta-amyloid-(1-42)-induced learning and memory impairments in rats. Br J Pharmacol 1999; 126:235-44. [PMID: 10051141 PMCID: PMC1565810 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0702309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/1998] [Revised: 10/05/1998] [Accepted: 10/20/1998] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
1. We have previously demonstrated that continuous i.c.v. infusion of amyloid beta-peptide (A beta), the major constituent of senile plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, results in learning and memory deficits in rats. 2. In the present study, we investigated the effects of nefiracetam [N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl) acetamide, DM-9384] on A beta-(1-42)-induced learning and memory deficits in rats. 3. In the A beta-(1-42)-infused rats, spontaneous alternation behaviour in a Y-maze task, spatial reference and working memory in a water maze task, and retention of passive avoidance learning were significantly impaired as compared with A beta-(40-1)-infused control rats. 4. Nefiracetam, at a dose range of 1-10 mg kg(-1), improved learning and memory deficits in the A beta-(1-42)-infused rats when it was administered p.o. 1 h before the behavioural tests. 5. Nefiracetam at a dose of 3 mg kg(-1) p.o. increased the activity of choline acetyltransferase in the hippocampus of A beta-(1-42)-infused rats. 6. Nefiracetam increased dopamine turnover in the cerebral cortex and striatum of A beta-(1-42)-infused rats, but failed to affect the noradrenaline, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content. 7. These results suggest that nefiracetam may be useful for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Tomoko Tanaka
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya 468-0077, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Mamiya
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Tadashi Shiotani
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kameyama
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya 468-0077, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
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