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Memantine improves memory for taste-avoidance learning in day-old chicks exposed to isolation stress
Teresa A Barber1, Ryan A Meyers, Brian F McGettigan
1Department of Psychology, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013, USA. barber@dickinson.edu
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|January 27, 2010
Summary
Memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, can paradoxically improve memory in chicks stressed by isolation. This suggests memantine may help normalize memory acquisition despite blocking NMDA receptor activity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Glutamate-activated NMDA receptors are crucial for memory consolidation.
- Memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, can sometimes improve memory despite blocking receptor activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if memantine can mitigate memory deficits induced by isolation stress in young chicks.
- To explore the dose-dependent effects of memantine on memory under stressed and non-stressed conditions.
Main Methods:
- A one-trial taste-avoidance task was used with day-old chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).
- Chicks were subjected to isolation stress before training.
- Different concentrations of memantine were administered and memory performance was assessed.
Main Results:
- Under normal conditions, memantine impaired memory at 15.0 mM.
- Isolation stress impaired memory formation in control chicks.
- Memantine at 5.0 mM significantly improved memory in stressed chicks, showing an inverted U-shaped dose response.
Conclusions:
- Memantine can ameliorate memory impairment caused by isolation stress in chicks.
- The findings support the hypothesis that memantine can facilitate normalized memory acquisition even while reducing NMDA receptor activity.
