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Glucocorticoids, the hippocampus, and behavior: interactive relation between task activation and steroid hormone

D J Micco, B S McEwen

Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology

|August 1, 1980

Summary

Adrenal glucocorticoids modulate behavior, but effects depend on the specific task and brain region. Corticosterone normalized appetitive extinction in rats, while dexamethasone did not, suggesting nuanced roles for these hormones in hippocampal function.

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Area of Science:

Neuroendocrinology
Behavioral Neuroscience
Hippocampal Function

Background:

Adrenal glucocorticoids are known to influence behavior.
Previous work suggested a modulatory role in behaviors dependent on the hippocampus.
Appetitive extinction is a behavior sensitive to hippocampal function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if adrenal glucocorticoids modulate appetitive extinction via hippocampal pathways.
To differentiate the effects of corticosterone and dexamethasone on hippocampal-dependent behaviors.

Main Methods:

Adrenalectomized rats were administered corticosterone or dexamethasone.
Behavioral assays included appetitive extinction, alternation, and exploration.
Dexamethasone's lower accumulation in the hippocampus compared to corticosterone was considered.

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Main Results:

Corticosterone administration normalized appetitive extinction behavior in rats.
Dexamethasone failed to normalize appetitive extinction.
No glucocorticoid modulation was observed in alternation or exploration tasks.

Conclusions:

Adrenal glucocorticoids can subtly modulate specific hippocampal-dependent behaviors like appetitive extinction.
The effect appears dependent on the specific glucocorticoid and the behavioral task.
These findings extend the known functions of adrenal glucocorticoids beyond metabolism to behavioral modulation.