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Cerebellar structure and function in male Wistar-Kyoto hyperactive rats
Alexandra Thanellou1, John T Green
1Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405-0134, USA.
Behavioral Neuroscience
|February 13, 2013
Summary
Wistar-Kyoto Hyperactive (WKHA) rats exhibit faster learning and quicker conditioned eyeblink responses compared to other rat strains. These hyperactivity traits may be linked to cerebellar cell differences, potentially modeling attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Animal Models
Background:
- The Wistar-Kyoto Hyperactive (WKHA) rat strain shows behavioral similarities to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Previous studies noted shortened conditioned response (CR) onset latencies in male WKHA rats during cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning (EBC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To further investigate the shortened CR onset latencies in male WKHA rats.
- To compare learning and CR timing across different rat strains (WKHA, Wistar-Kyoto Hypertensive (WKHT), and Wistar) using tone and light conditional stimuli (CS).
- To examine cerebellar cortical cell populations in relation to observed behavioral differences.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 750-ms delay eyeblink conditioning with tone or light CS in WKHA, WKHT, and Wistar rats.
- Extended acquisition training to observe learning trajectories.
- Employed unbiased stereology to quantify Purkinje and granule cells in the cerebellar cortex.
Main Results:
- WKHAs demonstrated faster learning and shorter CR onset latencies to a tone CS compared to WKHT and Wistar rats.
- Both WKHA and Wistar rats exhibited "inhibition of delay" with a tone CS, showing lengthening CR onset latency and later CR timing.
- WKHAs learned faster to a light CS than WKHTs and had shorter CR onset latencies than Wistars.
- Wistar rats showed "inhibition of delay" with a light CS.
- WKHAs possessed more cerebellar granule cells than Wistars and WKHTs, and more Purkinje cells than Wistars.
Conclusions:
- WKHA rats exhibit distinct learning and CR timing characteristics in EBC, particularly with a tone CS.
- Cerebellar cell differences, specifically increased granule and Purkinje cell counts in WKHAs, may underlie these behavioral variations.
- Findings contribute to understanding CS processing and cerebellar roles in EBC, supporting WKHA rats as a potential model for ADHD-related behaviors.
