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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Published on: August 5, 2017
Perinatal nutritional iron deficiency impairs hippocampus-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning in rats
Matthew D McEchron1, Danielle N Alexander, Marieke R Gilmartin
1Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. mdm27@psu.edu
Insights
Perinatal iron deficiency (ID) in rats severely impairs trace eyeblink conditioning, a measure of hippocampus-dependent motor learning, especially in young animals. This suggests iron is crucial for developing higher-order learning centers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Iron deficiency (ID) in children is linked to impaired cognitive and motor development.
- The specific impact of perinatal ID on motor learning, particularly hippocampus-dependent tasks, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if perinatal iron deficiency in rats affects performance on hippocampus-dependent (trace) and non-hippocampus-dependent (delay) eyeblink conditioning tasks.
- To assess if motoric abilities are affected in young rats with perinatal ID.
Main Methods:
- Rats were fed either an iron-deficient (ID) or control diet from gestational day 12 to postnatal day 12.
- Young (postnatal day 32-39) and adult (postnatal day 64-69) rats were tested on trace and delay eyeblink conditioning.
- A separate rotorod learning test assessed motoric ability in young ID rats.
Main Results:
- Young rats with perinatal ID exhibited severe impairments in trace eyeblink conditioning but only minor deficits in delay eyeblink conditioning.
- A moderate ID group (ID from G12 to P2) also showed impaired trace eyeblink conditioning.
- Adult ID rats displayed only minor impairments in trace eyeblink conditioning, and young ID rats showed no deficits in rotorod learning.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal iron deficiency primarily impairs higher-order motor learning centers, such as the hippocampus, rather than the skeletal motor system.
- The timing and severity of iron deficiency influence the extent of motor learning deficits.
- Adequate iron during development is critical for establishing neural pathways essential for complex motor learning.
Abstract:
Studies show that iron deficient (ID) children are at risk for poor cognitive development. Research also shows that ID may impair the development of the skeletal motor abilities. The present study sought to determine if perinatal ID in rats impairs a motor learning task called eyeblink conditioning. This task used a hippocampus-dependent trace version or non-hippocampus-dependent delay version. Rats were placed on ID or control diets from gestational day (G) 12 to postnatal day (P) 12. Young rats (P32-29) subjected to perinatal ID showed severe impairments in trace eyeblink conditioning but only minor impairments in delay eyeblink conditioning. A young moderate ID group (ID from G12 to P2) was also impaired in trace eyeblink conditioning. The ID rats that became adults (P64-69) showed only minor impairments in trace eyeblink conditioning. Young ID rats showed no deficits in motoric ability on a separate rotorod learning test. This study suggests that perinatal ID impairs motoric learning by altering higher-order learning centers like the hippocampus more so than by altering the skeletal motor system.
