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Magnesium deficiency impairs fear conditioning in mice
Mark E Bardgett1, Patrick J Schultheis, Diana L McGill
1Department of Psychology, Northern Kentucky University, One Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099, USA. bardgettm@nku.edu
Brain Research
|March 8, 2005
Summary
Magnesium deficiency impairs fear conditioning and emotional memory in mice. This may be linked to increased sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Nutritional Neuroscience
Background:
- Magnesium (Mg2+) is a crucial cation in the body, vital for central nervous system function.
- Mg2+ modulates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors, key players in memory processing.
- The behavioral effects of Mg2+ deficiency remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of magnesium deficiency on fear conditioning and related behaviors.
- To assess how dietary magnesium affects emotional memory formation and retrieval.
Main Methods:
- C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a control or magnesium-deficient diet for 10-21 days.
- Behavioral testing included contextual and cued fear conditioning paradigms.
- Locomotor activity, exploration, pain sensitivity, and NMDA-induced seizures were assessed.
Main Results:
- Magnesium-deficient mice showed significant impairments in both contextual and cued fear conditioning.
- These deficits were not due to alterations in general activity, exploration, or pain perception.
- Mg2+-deficient mice exhibited heightened sensitivity to the convulsant effects of NMDA.
Conclusions:
- Dietary magnesium deficiency can specifically impair emotional memory processes.
- Hypersensitivity of NMDA-type glutamate receptors in magnesium-deficient states may underlie these memory deficits.