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Operant conditioning in Lymnaea: evidence for intermediate- and long-term memory.
K Lukowiak1, N Adatia, D Krygier
1Neuroscience and Respiratory Research Groups, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 Canada. lukowiak@ucalgary.ca
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Learning in pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) can be shaped by training. Researchers found that adjusting training duration and session intervals influences the formation of intermediate-term memory (ITM) and long-term memory (LTM).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Learning and Memory
Background:
- Operant conditioning of aerial respiration is possible in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis.
- Parameters influencing the formation of intermediate-term memory (ITM) and long-term memory (LTM) in L. stagnalis are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific training parameters required for the formation of ITM and LTM in L. stagnalis.
- To determine how variations in training duration, session frequency, and inter-session interval affect memory consolidation.
Main Methods:
- Training protocols for L. stagnalis were modified by altering training session duration, the number of sessions per day, and the interval between sessions (SI).
- The persistence of learned responses was measured to differentiate between ITM (up to 3 hours) and LTM (at least 18 hours).
Main Results:
- Differential learning and memory formation were achieved by manipulating training session duration and frequency.
- The formation of LTM was contingent upon both training session duration and the SI.
- ITM was produced, while LTM was not, by specific adjustments to the training parameters.
Conclusions:
- Learning, ITM, and LTM can be distinctly modulated by altering training parameters such as SI, session duration, and frequency.
- These findings provide a foundation for exploring the neural mechanisms underlying different memory types in L. stagnalis.