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Haj-Khlifa A, Aziz F, Tastift MA, Sellami S, Rais H, Hammoud M, Fdil N, Kissani N, Gamrani H, Bouyatas MM. Ameliorative effect of Ononis natrix against chronic lead poisoning in mice: neurobehavioral, biochemical, and histological study. Biol Trace Elem Res 2024:10.1007/s12011-024-04142-3. [PMID: 38472511 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-024-04142-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is one of the most common heavy metals with toxicological effects on many tissues in humans as well as animals. In order to counteract the toxic effects of this metal, the administration of synthetic or natural antioxidants is thus required. The aim of this study was to examine the beneficial effect of the aqueous extract of Ononis natrix (AEON) against lead acetate-induced damage from a behavioral, biochemical, and histological point of view. Forty-eight male mice were divided into four equal groups: Ctr (control); Pb (lead acetate 1g/l); Pb + On 100 mg/kg (lead acetate 1 g/l + AEON 100 mg/kg); Pb + On 500 mg/kg (lead acetate 1 g/l + AEON 500 mg/kg). AEON was administered orally from day 21 after the start of lead exposure up to the end of the experiment. The results revealed that lead induced behavioral disorders, increased serum levels of liver markers (AST, ALT, and bilirubin), as well as kidney markers (urea and creatinine). At the same time, levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased significantly. Moreover, Pb caused structural changes in the liver and kidneys of Pb-exposed mice. However, AEON administration significantly improved all lead-induced brain, liver, and kidney dysfunctions. Our results suggest that AEON could be a source of molecules with therapeutic potential against brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities caused by lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Haj-Khlifa
- Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Environment Unit (ENPE), Departement of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia,, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences and Environment, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Faissal Aziz
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity, and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 2390, 40000, Marrakech, BP, Morocco
| | - Maroua Ait Tastift
- Laboratory of Agri-Food, Biotechnology, and Valorization of Plant Resources, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants Unit, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Avenue Prince Moulay Abdellah, 40000, Marrakech, BP 2390, Morocco
| | | | - Hanane Rais
- Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech, Morocco
- Laboratory of Immunohistochemistry, Anatomic Pathology Department, University Hospital Center (CHU) Mohammed VI, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Miloud Hammoud
- Metabolics Platform, Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Cadi Ayyad University, Sidi Abbad, 40000, Marrakech, BP, Morocco
| | - Naima Fdil
- Metabolics Platform, Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Cadi Ayyad University, Sidi Abbad, 40000, Marrakech, BP, Morocco
| | - Najib Kissani
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences and Environment, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Halima Gamrani
- Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Environment Unit (ENPE), Departement of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia,, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences and Environment, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
| | - Moulay Mustapha Bouyatas
- Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Environment Unit (ENPE), Departement of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia,, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Department of Biology, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Safi, Cadi Ayyad University, Safi, Morocco.
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences and Environment, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Boch L, Morvan T, Neige T, Kobakhidze N, Panzer E, Cosquer B, de Vasconcelos AP, Stephan A, Cassel JC. Inhibition of the ventral midline thalamus does not alter encoding, short-term holding or retrieval of spatial information in rats performing a water-escape working memory task. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113979. [PMID: 35760217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a function operating in three successive phases: encoding (sample trial), holding (delay), and retrieval (test trial) of information. Studies point to a possible implication of the thalamic reuniens nucleus (Re) in spatial WM (SWM). In which of the aforementioned 3 phases the Re has a function is largely unknown. Recently, in a delayed SWM water-escape task, we found that performance during the retrieval trial correlated positively with c-Fos expression in the Re nucleus, suggesting participation in retrieval. Here, we used the same task and muscimol (Musc) inhibition or DREADD(hM4Di)-mediated inhibition of the Re during information encoding, right thereafter (thereby affecting the holding phase), or during the retrieval trial. A 6-hour delay separated encoding from retrieval. Concerning SWM, Musc in the Re nucleus did not alter performance, be it during or after encoding, or during evaluation. CNO administered before encoding in DREADD-expressing rats was also ineffective, although CNO-induced inhibition disrupted set shifting performance, as found previously (Quet et al., Brain Struct Function 225, 2020), thereby validating DREADD efficiency. These findings are the first that do not support an implication of the Re nucleus in SWM. As most previous studies used T-maze alternation tasks, which carry high proactive interference risks, an important question to resolve now is whether these nuclei are required in (T-maze alternation) tasks using very short information-holding delays (seconds to minutes), and less so in other short-term spatial memory tasks with longer information holding intervals (hours) and therefore reduced interference risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurine Boch
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas Morvan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibaut Neige
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Nina Kobakhidze
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Elodie Panzer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stephan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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Zorzo C, Arias JL, Méndez M. Functional neuroanatomy of allocentric remote spatial memory in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104609. [PMID: 35278596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Successful spatial cognition involves learning, consolidation, storage, and later retrieval of a spatial memory trace. The functional contributions of specific brain areas and their interactions during retrieval of past spatial events are unclear. This systematic review collects studies about allocentric remote spatial retrieval assessed at least two weeks post-acquisition in rodents. Results including non-invasive interventions, brain lesion and inactivation experiments, pharmacological treatments, chemical agent administration, and genetic manipulations revealed that there is a normal forgetting when time-periods are close to or exceed one month. Moreover, changes in the morphology and functionality of neocortical areas, hippocampus, and other subcortical structures, such as the thalamus, have been extensively observed as a result of spatial memory retrieval. In conclusion, apart from an increasingly neocortical recruitment in remote spatial retrieval, the hippocampus seems to participate in the retrieval of fine spatial details. These results help to better understand the timing of memory maintenance and normal forgetting, outlining the underlying brain areas implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Zorzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
| | - Marta Méndez
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
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Ventral midline thalamus activation is correlated with memory performance in a delayed spatial matching-to-sample task: A c-Fos imaging approach in the rat. Behav Brain Res 2022; 418:113670. [PMID: 34798168 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei of the ventral midline thalamus are bi-directionally connected with the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. They participate in a variety of cognitive functions, including information holding for seconds to minutes in working memory tasks. What about longer delays? To address this question, we used a spatial working memory task in which rats had to reach a platform submerged in water. The platform location was changed every 2-trial session and rats had to use allothetic cues to find it. Control rats received training in a typical response-memory task. We interposed a 6 h interval between instruction (locate platform) and evaluation (return to platform) trials in both tasks. After the last session, rats were killed for c-Fos imaging. A home-cage group was used as additional control of baseline levels of c-Fos expression. C-Fos expression was increased to comparable levels in the Re (not Rh) of both spatial memory and response-memory rats as compared to their home cage counterparts. However, in spatial memory rats, not in their response-memory controls, task performance was correlated with c-Fos expression in the Re: the higher this expression, the better the performance. Furthermore, we noticed an activation of hippocampal region CA1 and of the anteroventral nucleus of the rostral thalamus. This activation was specific to spatial memory. The data point to a possible performance-determinant participation of the Re nucleus in the delayed engagement of spatial information encoded in a temporary memory.
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Trisomy of Human Chromosome 21 Orthologs Mapping to Mouse Chromosome 10 Cause Age and Sex-Specific Learning Differences: Relevance to Down Syndrome. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111697. [PMID: 34828303 PMCID: PMC8618694 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. The Dp10(1)Yey (Dp10) is a mouse model of DS that is trisomic for orthologs of 25% of the Hsa21 protein-coding genes, the entirety of the Hsa21 syntenic region on mouse chromosome 10. Trisomic genes include several involved in brain development and function, two that modify and regulate the activities of sex hormones, and two that produce sex-specific phenotypes as null mutants. These last four are the only Hsa21 genes with known sexually dimorphic properties. Relatively little is known about the potential contributions to the DS phenotype of segmental trisomy of Mmu10 orthologs. Here, we have tested separate cohorts of female and male Dp10 mice, at 3 and 9 months of age, in an open field elevated zero maze, rotarod, and balance beam, plus the learning and memory tasks, spontaneous alternation, puzzle box, double-H maze, context fear conditioning, and acoustic startle/prepulse inhibition, that depend upon the function of the prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. We show that there are age and sex-specific differences in strengths and weaknesses, suggesting that genes within the telomere proximal region of Hsa21 influence the DS phenotype.
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Gasser J, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Cosquer B, Boutillier AL, Cassel JC. Shifting between response and place strategies in maze navigation: Effects of training, cue availability and functional inactivation of striatum or hippocampus in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 167:107131. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Crouzier L, Maurice T. Assessment of Topographic Memory in Mice in a Complex Environment Using the Hamlet Test. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 8:e43. [DOI: 10.1002/cpmo.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Crouzier
- MMDN, University of Montpellier; INSERM, EPHE, UMR-S1198 Montpellier France
| | - Tangui Maurice
- MMDN, University of Montpellier; INSERM, EPHE, UMR-S1198 Montpellier France
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8
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Topographical memory analyzed in mice using the Hamlet test, a novel complex maze. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 149:118-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Goodman J, McIntyre CK. Impaired Spatial Memory and Enhanced Habit Memory in a Rat Model of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:663. [PMID: 29018340 PMCID: PMC5614977 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
High levels of emotional arousal can impair spatial memory mediated by the hippocampus, and enhance stimulus-response (S-R) habit memory mediated by the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). The present study was conducted to determine whether these memory systems may be similarly affected in an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a “single-prolonged stress” (SPS) procedure and 1 week later received training in one of two distinct versions of the plus-maze: a hippocampus-dependent place learning task or a DLS-dependent response learning task. Results indicated that, relative to non-stressed control rats, SPS rats displayed slower acquisition in the place learning task and faster acquisition in the response learning task. In addition, extinction of place learning and response learning was impaired in rats exposed to SPS, relative to non-stressed controls. The influence of SPS on hippocampal spatial memory and DLS habit memory observed in the present study may be relevant to understanding some common features of PTSD, including hippocampal memory deficits, habit-like avoidance responses to trauma-related stimuli, and greater likelihood of developing drug addiction and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarid Goodman
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, RichardsonTX, United States
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, RichardsonTX, United States
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Brain structure alterations and cognitive impairment following repetitive mild head impact: An in vivo MRI and behavioral study in rat. Behav Brain Res 2016; 340:41-48. [PMID: 27498246 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion is a common health issue. Several people repeatedly experience head impact milder than that causing concussion. The present study aimed to confirm the effects of such repeated impact on the brain structure and cognitive abilities. Rat models were established by closed skull weight-drop injury. The animals were anesthetized, subjected to single (s)-sham, s-mTBI, repetitive (r)-sham, and r-mTBI, and recovery times were recorded. MRI, including T2-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), as well as, neurological severity scores (mNSS) were assessed for the dynamics of the brain structure and neurological function. Morris water maze (MWM) was used to evaluate the cognitive function. The histological examination of r-mTBI rats revealed the basis of structural changes in the brain. There was no significant difference in the recovery time, MRI, mNSS, and MWM between the s-sham and the s-mTBI groups. Compared with r-sham, r-mTBI induced significant differences in the following aspects. The recovery time was prolonged and beam balance test (BBT) in mNSS increased from day 5. MWM performances were worse even after the BBT was recovered. The volumes of the cortex (CT), hippocampus (HP), and lateral ventricle had changed from day 5, which reached a maximum at day 14. Abnormal DTI parameters were observed in CT, corpus callosum, and HP. Histological analyses showed that both in CT and HP, neuron counts reduced at the end of the experiment. Altogether, these findings indicate that non-symptomatic head injury may result in brain atrophy and cognitive impairment when occurred repeatedly.
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Goodman J, Gabriele A, Packard MG. Hippocampus NMDA receptors selectively mediate latent extinction of place learning. Hippocampus 2016; 26:1115-23. [PMID: 27067827 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Extinction of maze learning may be achieved with or without the animal performing the previously acquired response. In typical "response extinction," animals are given the opportunity to make the previously acquired approach response toward the goal location of the maze without reinforcement. In "latent extinction," animals are not given the opportunity to make the previously acquired response and instead are confined to the previous goal location without reinforcement. Previous evidence indicates that the effectiveness of these protocols may depend on the type of memory being extinguished. Thus, one aim of the present study was to further examine the effectiveness of response and latent extinction protocols across dorsolateral striatum (DLS)-dependent response learning and hippocampus-dependent place learning tasks. In addition, previous neural inactivation experiments indicate a selective role for the hippocampus in latent extinction, but have not investigated the precise neurotransmitter mechanisms involved. Thus, the present study also examined whether latent extinction of place learning might depend on NMDA receptor activity in the hippocampus. In experiment 1, adult male Long-Evans rats were trained in a response learning task in a water plus-maze, in which animals were reinforced to make a consistent body-turn response to reach an invisible escape platform. Results indicated that response extinction, but not latent extinction, was effective at extinguishing memory in the response learning task. In experiment 2, rats were trained in a place learning task, in which animals were reinforced to approach a consistent spatial location containing the hidden escape platform. In experiment 2, animals also received intra-hippocampal infusions of the NMDA receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphopentanoic acid (AP5; 5.0 or 7.5 ug/0.5 µg) or saline vehicle immediately before response or latent extinction training. Results indicated that both extinction protocols were effective at extinguishing memory in the place learning task. In addition, intra-hippocampal AP5 (7.5 µg) impaired latent extinction, but not response extinction, suggesting that hippocampal NMDA receptors are selectively involved in latent extinction. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarid Goodman
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Amanda Gabriele
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Mark G Packard
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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Long-term characterization of the Flinders Sensitive Line rodent model of human depression: Behavioral and PET evidence of a dysfunctional entorhinal cortex. Behav Brain Res 2016; 300:11-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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13
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Marques-Carneiro J, Faure JB, Barbelivien A, Nehlig A, Cassel JC. Subtle alterations in memory systems and normal visual attention in the GAERS model of absence epilepsy. Neuroscience 2016; 316:389-401. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.12.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Pinnell RC, Almajidy RK, Kirch RD, Cassel JC, Hofmann UG. A Wireless EEG Recording Method for Rat Use inside the Water Maze. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147730. [PMID: 26828947 PMCID: PMC4734832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
With the continued miniaturisation of portable embedded systems, wireless EEG recording techniques are becoming increasingly prevalent in animal behavioural research. However, in spite of their versatility and portability, they have seldom been used inside water-maze tasks designed for rats. As such, a novel 3D printed implant and waterproof connector is presented, which can facilitate wireless water-maze EEG recordings in freely-moving rats, using a commercial wireless recording system (W32; Multichannel Systems). As well as waterproofing the wireless system, battery, and electrode connector, the implant serves to reduce movement-related artefacts by redistributing movement-related forces away from the electrode connector. This implant/connector was able to successfully record high-quality LFP in the hippocampo-striatal brain regions of rats as they undertook a procedural-learning variant of the double-H water-maze task. Notably, there were no significant performance deficits through its use when compared with a control group across a number of metrics including number of errors and speed of task completion. Taken together, this method can expand the range of measurements that are currently possible in this diverse area of behavioural neuroscience, whilst paving the way for integration with more complex behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C. Pinnell
- Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Rand K. Almajidy
- Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Signal Processing, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
- College of Medicine, University of Diyala, Diyala, Iraq
| | - Robert D. Kirch
- Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jean C. Cassel
- Université de Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ulrich G. Hofmann
- Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Christ O, Hofmann UG. Video tracking of swimming rodents on a reflective water surface. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2015. [DOI: 10.1515/cdbme-2015-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal models are an essential testbed for new devices on their path from the bench to the patient. Potential impairments by brain stimulation are often investigated in water mazes to study spatial memory and learning. Video camera based tracking systems exist to quantify rodent behaviour, but reflections of ambient lighting on the water surface and artefacts due to the waves caused by the swimming animal cause errors. This often requires tweaking of algorithms and parameters, or even potentially modifying the lab setup. In the following, we provide a simple solution to alleviate these problem using a combination of region based tracking and independent multimodal background subtraction (IMBS) without hav ing to tweak a plethora of parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaf Christ
- Section for Neuroelectronic Systems, Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Engesser Str. 4, 79108 Freiburg, Germany (tel.: +49(0)761-270-50072; fax: +49(0)761-50081)
| | - Ulrich G. Hofmann
- Section for Neuroelectronic Systems, Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Engesser Str. 4, 79108 Freiburg, Germany (tel.: +49(0)761-270-50072; fax: +49(0)761-50081)
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Kirch RD, Pinnell RC, Hofmann UG, Cassel JC. The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents. J Vis Exp 2015:e52667. [PMID: 26273794 DOI: 10.3791/52667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition research in rodents typically employs the use of maze tasks, whose attributes vary from one maze to the next. These tasks vary by their behavioral flexibility and required memory duration, the number of goals and pathways, and also the overall task complexity. A confounding feature in many of these tasks is the lack of control over the strategy employed by the rodents to reach the goal, e.g., allocentric (declarative-like) or egocentric (procedural) based strategies. The double-H maze is a novel water-escape memory task that addresses this issue, by allowing the experimenter to direct the type of strategy learned during the training period. The double-H maze is a transparent device, which consists of a central alleyway with three arms protruding on both sides, along with an escape platform submerged at the extremity of one of these arms. Rats can be trained using an allocentric strategy by alternating the start position in the maze in an unpredictable manner (see protocol 1; §4.7), thus requiring them to learn the location of the platform based on the available allothetic cues. Alternatively, an egocentric learning strategy (protocol 2; §4.8) can be employed by releasing the rats from the same position during each trial, until they learn the procedural pattern required to reach the goal. This task has been proven to allow for the formation of stable memory traces. Memory can be probed following the training period in a misleading probe trial, in which the starting position for the rats alternates. Following an egocentric learning paradigm, rats typically resort to an allocentric-based strategy, but only when their initial view on the extra-maze cues differs markedly from their original position. This task is ideally suited to explore the effects of drugs/perturbations on allocentric/egocentric memory performance, as well as the interactions between these two memory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Kirch
- Section of Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Freiburg;
| | - Richard C Pinnell
- Section of Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Freiburg
| | - Ulrich G Hofmann
- Section of Neuroelectronic Systems, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Freiburg
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7364 Université de Strasbourg, CNRS; Faculté de Psychologie, Neuropôle de Strasbourg
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Griffin AL. Role of the thalamic nucleus reuniens in mediating interactions between the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex during spatial working memory. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:29. [PMID: 25805977 PMCID: PMC4354269 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, the neural mechanisms of spatial working memory remain poorly understood. Although the dorsal hippocampus is known to be critical for memory-guided behavior, experimental evidence suggests that spatial working memory depends not only on the hippocampus itself, but also on the circuit comprised of the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Disruption of hippocampal-mPFC interactions may result in failed transfer of spatial and contextual information processed by the hippocampus to the circuitry in mPFC responsible for decision making and goal-directed behavior. Oscillatory synchrony between the hippocampus and mPFC has been shown to increase in tasks with high spatial working memory demand. However, the mechanisms and circuitry supporting hippocampal-mPFC interactions during these tasks is unknown. The midline thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) is reciprocally connected to both the hippocampus and the mPFC and has been shown to be critical for a variety of working memory tasks. Therefore, it is likely that hippocampal-mPFC oscillatory synchrony is modulated by RE activity. This article will review the anatomical connections between the hippocampus, mPFC and RE along with the behavioral studies that have investigated the effects of RE disruption on working memory task performance. The article will conclude with suggestions for future directions aimed at identifying the specific role of the RE in regulating functional interactions between the hippocampus and the PFC and investigating the degree to which these interactions contribute to spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Griffin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware Newark, DE, USA
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18
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Cassel JC, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Loureiro M, Cholvin T, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Vertes RP. The reuniens and rhomboid nuclei: neuroanatomy, electrophysiological characteristics and behavioral implications. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 111:34-52. [PMID: 24025745 PMCID: PMC4975011 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The reuniens and rhomboid nuclei, located in the ventral midline of the thalamus, have long been regarded as having non-specific effects on the cortex, while other evidence suggests that they influence behavior related to the photoperiod, hunger, stress or anxiety. We summarise the recent anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral evidence that these nuclei also influence cognitive processes. The first part of this review describes the reciprocal connections of the reuniens and rhomboid nuclei with the medial prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The connectivity pattern among these structures is consistent with the idea that these ventral midline nuclei represent a nodal hub to influence prefrontal-hippocampal interactions. The second part describes the effects of a stimulation or blockade of the ventral midline thalamus on cortical and hippocampal electrophysiological activity. The final part summarizes recent literature supporting the emerging view that the reuniens and rhomboid nuclei may contribute to learning, memory consolidation and behavioral flexibility, in addition to general behavior and aspects of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, Neuropôle de Strasbourg GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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19
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Gardner RS, Uttaro MR, Fleming SE, Suarez DF, Ascoli GA, Dumas TC. A secondary working memory challenge preserves primary place strategies despite overtraining. Learn Mem 2013; 20:648-56. [PMID: 24136182 DOI: 10.1101/lm.031336.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Learning by repetition engages distinct cognitive strategies whose contributions are adjusted with experience. Early in learning, performance relies upon flexible, attentive strategies. With extended practice, inflexible, automatic strategies emerge. This transition is thought fundamental to habit formation and applies to human and animal cognition. In the context of spatial navigation, place strategies are flexible, typically employed early in training, and rely on the spatial arrangement of landmarks to locate a goal. Response strategies are inflexible, become dominant after overtraining, and utilize fixed motor sequences. Although these strategies can operate independently, they have also been shown to interact. However, since previous work has focused on single-choice learning, if and how these strategies interact across sequential choices remains unclear. To test strategy interactions across sequential choices, we utilized various two-choice spatial navigation tasks administered on the Opposing Ts maze, an apparatus for rodents that permits experimental control over strategy recruitment. We found that when a second choice required spatial working memory, the transition to response navigation on the first choice was blocked. Control experiments specified this effect to the cognitive aspects of the secondary task. In addition, response navigation, once established on a single choice, was not reversed by subsequent introduction of a secondary choice reliant on spatial working memory. These results demonstrate that performance strategies interact across choices, highlighting the sensitivity of strategy use to the cognitive demands of subsequent actions, an influence from which overtrained rigid actions may be protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Gardner
- Molecular Neuroscience Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
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20
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The ventral midline thalamus contributes to strategy shifting in a memory task requiring both prefrontal cortical and hippocampal functions. J Neurosci 2013; 33:8772-83. [PMID: 23678120 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0771-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological and neuroanatomical evidence for reciprocal connections with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus make the reuniens and rhomboid (ReRh) thalamic nuclei a putatively major functional link for regulations of cortico-hippocampal interactions. In a first experiment using a new water escape device for rodents, the double-H maze, we demonstrated in rats that a bilateral muscimol (MSCI) inactivation (0.70 vs 0.26 and 0 nmol) of the mPFC or dorsal hippocampus (dHip) induces major deficits in a strategy shifting/spatial memory retrieval task. By way of comparison, only dHip inactivation impaired recall in a classical spatial memory task in the Morris water maze. In the second experiment, we showed that ReRh inactivation using 0.70 nmol of MSCI, which reduced performance without obliterating memory retrieval in the water maze, produces an as large strategy shifting/memory retrieval deficit as mPFC or dHip inactivation in the double-H maze. Thus, behavioral adaptations to task contingency modifications requiring a shift toward the use of a memory for place might operate in a distributed circuit encompassing the mPFC (as the potential set-shifting structure), the hippocampus (as the spatial memory substrate), and the ventral midline thalamus, and therein the ReRh (as the coordinator of this processing). The results of the current experiments provide a significant extension of our understanding of the involvement of ventral midline thalamic nuclei in cognitive processes: they point to a role of the ReRh in strategy shifting in a memory task requiring cortical and hippocampal functions and further elucidate the functional system underlying behavioral flexibility.
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Faure JB, Akimana G, Carneiro JEM, Cosquer B, Ferrandon A, Geiger K, Koning E, Penazzi L, Cassel JC, Nehlig A. A comprehensive behavioral evaluation in the lithium-pilocarpine model in rats: Effects of carisbamate administration during status epilepticus. Epilepsia 2013; 54:1203-13. [DOI: 10.1111/epi.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Faure
- Faculty of Medicine; INSERM U 666; Strasbourg France
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | - Gladys Akimana
- Faculty of Medicine; INSERM U 666; Strasbourg France
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | - José E. M. Carneiro
- Faculty of Medicine; INSERM U 666; Strasbourg France
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | | | - Karin Geiger
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | | | - Lorène Penazzi
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neuroscience; CNRS-UDS UMR 7364; Strasbourg France
| | | | - Astrid Nehlig
- Faculty of Medicine; INSERM U 666; Strasbourg France
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22
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Early deficits in declarative and procedural memory dependent behavioral function in a transgenic rat model of Huntington's disease. Behav Brain Res 2013; 239:15-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Revised: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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23
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Jacquet M, Lecourtier L, Cassel R, Loureiro M, Cosquer B, Escoffier G, Migliorati M, Cassel JC, Roman F, Marchetti E. Dorsolateral striatum and dorsal hippocampus: A serial contribution to acquisition of cue-reward associations in rats. Behav Brain Res 2013; 239:94-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Revised: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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24
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Tierney AJ, Andrews K. Spatial behavior in male and female crayfish (Orconectes rusticus): learning strategies and memory duration. Anim Cogn 2012; 16:23-34. [PMID: 22890833 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0547-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Revised: 07/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that animals use multiple strategies to solve spatial tasks. We used a T-maze to examine spatial behavior in crayfish, using visual and tactile stimuli as place cues and a food-scented escape tank as reinforcement to leave the maze. In trials on a single day and across multiple days, crayfish learned to exit the maze with significantly reduced latency and with fewer turns. In addition, we examined place memory in 40-min periods with the maze closed and found that crayfish spent longer in the vicinity of a previously open exit compared to a closed exit. Probe tests were conducted using a forced-choice procedure to determine whether crayfish remembered the route out of the maze using primarily place cues or response learning. We found that approximately equal numbers of animals used each strategy, and individuals were able to switch from one strategy to the other on different test days. Males and females did not differ significantly in their performance in the place memory test, maze exit task, or probe tests. Both sexes displayed place memory for the exit location and reduced latency to exit during trials 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 1 week after initial training trials, suggesting that spatial memories in crayfish are relatively enduring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Jane Tierney
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA.
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25
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Cassel R, Kelche C, Lecourtier L, Cassel JC. The match/mismatch of visuo-spatial cues between acquisition and retrieval contexts influences the expression of response vs. place memory in rats. Behav Brain Res 2012; 230:333-42. [PMID: 22394542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Animals can perform goal-directed tasks by using response cues or place cues. The underlying memory systems are occasionally presented as competing. Using the double-H maze test (Pol-Bodetto et al.), we trained rats for response learning and, 24 h later, tested their memory in a 60-s probe trial using a new start place. A modest shift of the start place (translation: 60-cm to the left) provided a high misleading potential, whereas a marked shift (180° rotation; shift to the opposite) provided a low misleading potential. We analyzed each rat's first arm choice (to assess response vs. place memory retrieval) and its subsequent search for the former platform location (to assess the persistence in place memory or the shift from response to place memory). After the translation, response memory-based behavior was found in more than 90% rats (24/26). After the rotation, place memory-based behavior was observed in 50% rats, the others showing response memory or failing. Rats starting to use response cues were nevertheless able to subsequently shift to place ones. A posteriori behavioral analyses showed more and longer stops in rats starting their probe trial on the basis of place (vs. response) cues. These observations qualify the idea of competing memory systems for responses and places and are compatible with that of a cooperation between both systems according to principles of match/mismatch computation (at the start of a probe trial) and of error-driven adjustment (during the ongoing probe trial).
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaelle Cassel
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237, IFR 37 de Neurosciences-GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 Rue Goethe, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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26
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Lecourtier L, Antal MC, Cosquer B, Schumacher A, Samama B, Angst MJ, Ferrandon A, Koning E, Cassel JC, Nehlig A. Intact neurobehavioral development and dramatic impairments of procedural-like memory following neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion in rats. Neuroscience 2012; 207:110-23. [PMID: 22322113 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Revised: 12/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions (NVHL) in rats are considered a potent developmental model of schizophrenia. After NVHL, rats appear normal during their preadolescent time, whereas in early adulthood, they develop behavioral deficits paralleling symptomatic aspects of schizophrenia, including hyperactivity, hypersensitivity to amphetamine (AMPH), prepulse and latent inhibition deficits, reduced social interactions, and spatial working and reference memory alterations. Surprisingly, the question of the consequences of NVHL on postnatal neurobehavioral development has not been addressed. This is of particular importance, as a defective neurobehavioral development could contribute to impairments seen in adult rats. Therefore, at several time points of the early postsurgical life of NVHL rats, we assessed behaviors accounting for neurobehavioral development, including negative geotaxis and grip strength (PD11), locomotor coordination (PD21), and open-field (PD25). At adulthood, the rats were tested for anxiety levels, locomotor activity, as well as spatial reference memory performance. Using a novel task, we also investigated the consequences of the lesions on procedural-like memory, which had never been tested following NVHL. Our results point to preserved neurobehavioral development. They also confirm the already documented locomotor hyperactivity, spatial reference memory impairment, and hyperresponsiveness to AMPH. Finally, our rseults show for the first time that NVHL disabled the development of behavioral routines, suggesting dramatic procedural memory deficits. The presence of procedural memory deficits in adult rats subjected to NHVL suggests that the lesions lead to a wider range of cognitive deficits than previously shown. Interestingly, procedural or implicit memory impairments have also been reported in schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Lecourtier
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR, 7237 Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, Strasbourg, France
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Electrical high frequency stimulation in the dorsal striatum: Effects on response learning and on GABA levels in rats. Behav Brain Res 2011; 222:368-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2011] [Revised: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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