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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
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Spine loss in primary somatosensory cortex during trace eyeblink conditioning
Bettina Joachimsthaler1, Dominik Brugger2, Angelos Skodras3
1Werner Reichardt Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Systems Neuroscience, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Cognitive Neurology, Graduate School of Neural and Behavioural Science, and.
Summary
Trace eyeblink conditioning involves a learning-dependent reduction in barrel cortex dendritic spines. This spine elimination is specific to the stimulated whisker
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Learning and Memory
Background:
- Classical conditioning with a trace period, a form of declarative learning, requires awareness.
- Barrel cortex plasticity is crucial for tactile trace eyeblink conditioning (TTEBC).
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the cellular mechanisms of TTEBC and barrel cortex map plasticity.
- Examine dendritic spine changes in the barrel cortex during TTEBC.
Main Methods:
- Two-photon imaging of dendritic spines in layer 5 neurons of awake mice.
- Monitoring apical dendrites in layer 1 during conditioning.
Main Results:
- A significant reduction (approximately 15%) in dendritic spine count was observed in the barrel cortex.
- Spine elimination correlated with learning success and was specific to the principal barrel column.
- Adjacent barrel columns showed no spine plasticity.
Conclusions:
- Dendritic spine elimination in the barrel cortex is a cellular correlate of TTEBC.
- Column-specific spine plasticity suggests integration of top-down and ascending sensory signals.
- This mechanism may underlie declarative learning involving tactile information.
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