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A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
Published on: August 18, 2014
Transitions in infant learning are modulated by dopamine in the amygdala
Gordon A Barr1, Stephanie Moriceau, Kiseko Shionoya
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. barrg@email.chop.edu
Nature Neuroscience
|September 29, 2009
Summary
Young rats learn to avoid odors linked to shock as they mature. This shift, dependent on the amygdala and corticosterone, involves changes in dopamine signaling.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Behavioral development involves significant transitions in learning and memory.
- Young rats exhibit unusual odor preferences, contrasting with learned aversions in older pups.
- This developmental shift is known to be influenced by the amygdala and corticosterone.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the developmental transition from odor preference to aversion learning in rats.
- To examine the role of dopaminergic pathways in the amygdala during this behavioral change.
Main Methods:
- Utilized microarray analysis to assess gene expression changes.
- Employed microdialysis to measure neurotransmitter levels in the amygdala.
- Administered corticosterone and dopamine (or antagonists) to manipulate and assess behavioral outcomes.
Main Results:
- Identified downregulated dopaminergic presynaptic function in the amygdala during preference learning.
- Observed aversion learning and concurrent dopaminergic upregulation in corticosterone-injected young pups and untreated older pups.
- Demonstrated that altering dopamine levels in the amygdala could switch preference learning to aversion learning and vice versa.
Conclusions:
- The developmental shift from odor preference to aversion is mediated by changes in amygdala dopamine signaling.
- Corticosterone influences this transition, potentially by modulating dopaminergic activity.
- Dopamine acts as a critical regulator of this developmental switch in olfactory learning.
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