MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Behavioural Brain Research' source. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:42:57 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5664893&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22301351%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yuan Z, Qin W, Wang D, Jiang T, Zhang Y, Yu C Abstract Fluid reasoning is the ability to think flexibly and logically, analyze novel problems and identify the relationships that underpin these problems independent of acquired knowledge. Although many functional imaging studies have investigated brain activation during fluid reasoning tasks, the neural correlates of fluid reasoning remain elusive. In the present study, we aimed to uncover the neural correlates of fluid reasoning by analyzing correlations between Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM), an effective measure of fluid reasoning, and measures of regional gray matter volume (GMV) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in a voxel-wise manner throughout the whole brain in 297 healthy young adults. The most important... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5664893 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5664893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5664895&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22301349%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anselme P Abstract Determining how living beings react to tasks that reflect realistic situations of risk has given rise to a vast literature. However, I argue that the methodologies traditionally used to test humans and nonhumans relative to risk often fail to achieve their goal. When risk is modelled in laboratory, potential decision cost (or potential loss) typically denotes an absence of optimal gain. In contrast, when risk occurs in real-life situations, potential loss denotes the reduction in an individual's limited resources - whether energetic, social, financial, etc. This conceptual difference about the nature of risk may have important implications for the understanding of the parameters that control risk-taking behaviour. PMID: 22301349 [PubMed - as supplied... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5664895 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5664895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5664894&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22301350%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the hypothesis that adolescent animals who exhibit higher novel stimulus reactivity, exhibit greater locomotor activity in response to nicotine than adolescents who exhibit lower novel stimulus reactivity, and that this difference is associated with alterations in CREB expression and activity in the ventral striatum (vStr) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Adolescents exhibiting high locomotor activity (HLA) in the novel open field developed tolerance to the locomotor depressant effects of nicotine with fewer exposures and at lower doses than adolescents with low locomotor activity (LLA). Further, HLA adolescents exhibited lower CREB activity in the vStr than LLA adolescents and this difference was attenuated by repeated exposure to high, but not low doses of nicotine. Thus, inheren... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5664894 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5664894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5664892&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22301352%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Valencia-Torres L, Olarte-Sánchez CM, Body S, Fone KC, Bradshaw CM, Szabadi E Abstract It has been proposed that cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits that incorporate the prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum regulate interval timing behaviour. The present experiment examined whether performance on the fixed-interval peak procedure (FIPP), an immediate timing schedule, would induce neuronal activity in cortical and striatal areas, as revealed by enhanced expression of the Fos protein, a marker for neuronal activation. Regional Fos expression was compared between rats trained on the FIPP and rats trained on a variable-interval (VI) schedule matched to the FIPP for overall response rate and reinforcer delivery. Response rate in the peak trials of the FIPP conformed to ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5664892 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5664892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645312&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22289198%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Razzoli M, Bo E, Pascucci T, Pavone F, D'Amato FR, Cero C, Sanghez V, Dadomo H, Palanza P, Parmigiani S, Ceresini G, Puglisi-Allegra S, Porta M, Panzica GC, Moles A, Possenti R, Bartolomucci A Abstract The impact of stress is widely recognized in the etiology of multiple disorders. In particular, psychological stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and mood disorders. Several genes are considered potential candidates to account for the deleterious consequences of stress and recent data point to role of Vgf. VGF mRNA is abundantly expressed in the hypothalamus, where it has been involved in metabolism and energy homeostasis; more recently a link between VGF-derived peptides and mood disorders has been highlighted. The following experiments were p... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645312 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645311&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22289199%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, we demonstrated that cognitive decline in diabetes was primarily due to impaired intracerebral insulin signalling in addition to arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular changes, which hitherto have been advocated as the main cause of diabetic dementia. PMID: 22289199 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645311 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645310&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22289200%26dopt%3DAbstract We report perirhinal cortex lesions to be without effect in rats' habituation of suppression to lights when any influence of effector fatigue and sensory adaptation is eliminated. Theoretical implications of this finding are discussed. PMID: 22289200 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645310 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645319&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285417%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang B, Noble PL, Winslow JT, Pine DS, Nelson EE Abstract In both human and nonhuman primates the eyes are a highly salient feature of the face, conveying identity, emotion and attentional direction of conspecifics. Studies have indicated that the amygdala plays an important role in eye contact, and amygdala dysfunction may underlie social deficits in disorders such as autism through effects on eye contact. In the present study we compared the volume of the amygdala in 32 juvenile rhesus monkeys to visual fixation patterns in a social memory paradigm. Amygdala volume was determined from manual traces of structural MRIs and fixation patterns were assessed using eyetracking methodology. A significant positive relationship was found between amygdala volume and fixation on bo... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645319 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645318&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285418%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Adamczyk A, Mejias R, Takamiya K, Yocum J, Krasnova I, Calderon J, Cadet JL, Huganir R, Pletnikov M, Wang T Abstract Glutamate signaling has been implicated in the regulation of social behavior. AMPA-glutamate receptors are assembled from four subunits (GluA1-4) of mainly GluA1/2 and GluA2/3 tetramers that form ion channels of distinct functional properties. Mice lacking GluA1 showed a reduced anxiety and male aggression. To understand the role of GluA3 in modulating social behavior, we investigated GluA3-deficient mice (Gria3-/Y) on C57BL/6J background. Compared to wild type (WT) littermates (n=14), Gria3-/Y mice (n=13) showed an increase in isolation-induced male aggression (p=0.011) in home cage resident-intruder test; an increase in sociality (p=0.01), and increase in ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645318 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645317&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285419%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we began to explore the molecular cascades underlying short-term habituation in the leech Hirudo medicinalis. In H. medicinalis, a training paradigm, consisting of low-frequency repetitive electrical stimulation of the skin, produces a gradual increase in the latency to swim that spontaneously recovers within 20-30min. As first step in determining the molecular pathways in short-term habituation, we examined the role of Ca(2+). Both Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated channels and Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores were found to contribute to short-term habituation. The analysis of the downstream targets of elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) revealed that the activation of the phosholipase A(2) was required for the induction of short-term habituation. Finally, we reported that ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645317 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645316&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285420%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Quinkert AW, Pfaff DW Abstract Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown promise in the treatment of many neurological and psychiatric disorders as well as a disorder of consciousness, the minimally conscious state (MCS). In the clinic, DBS is always monotonic standard pulses; however, we have hypothesized that temporally patterned pulses might be more efficient in achieving desired behavioral responses. Here we present two experiments on DBS of the central thalamus to increase arousal, as measured by motor activity, and to affect the electroencephalogram (EEG). In the first, we optimized amplitude and frequency in standard stimulation of the central thalamus in intact mice. In the second, the optimized fixed frequency was compared to two alternative temporal patterns, chaoti... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645316 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645315&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285421%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Teitelbaum P Abstract This paper is based on my experiences in 40 years of research in behavioral neuroscience. It is aimed at giving help to beginning graduate students with advice for how to do their research. PMID: 22285421 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645315 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645314&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285422%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, adult male Sprague-Dawley and Lewis rats were grouped according to baseline anxiety-like behavior in the open field, measured by time spent and distance traveled in the center. Individuals that fell one standard deviation above and below the mean, approximately the top and bottom 15%, were selected for the Low and High Anxiety groups. Pyramidal neurons from layer II/III of the prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex were iontophoretically loaded with Lucifer yellow dye and reconstructed. In both strains, animals in the High Anxiety group had smaller apical dendrites than those in the Low Anxiety group. No difference was found in basal dendrites. Sholl analysis revealed a strain difference in the distribution of dendritic material between anxiety groups. These result... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645314 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645313&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285772%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined the functionality of the GABA(A) receptor in rotarod and elevated plus maze tests with fragile X mice treated with GABA(A) receptor agonists, the benzodiazepine diazepam and the neuroactive steroid alphaxalone. In addition, the effect of GABA(A) receptor activation on the audiogenic seizure activity was determined. We proved that the GABA(A) receptor is still sensitive to GABAergic drugs as the sedative effect of diazepam resulted in a decreased latency time on the rotarod and alphaxalone had a clear anxiolytic effect in the elevated plus maze, decreasing the frequency of entries, the total time spent and the path length in the closed arms. We also observed that treatment with ganaxolone could rescue audiogenic seizures in Fmr1 knockout mice. These findings support the ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645313 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645323&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22274620%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Horsley RR, Osborne M, Norman C, Wells T Abstract Behaviours that have been rewarded intermittently persist for longer during periods of non-reward than behaviours that have been rewarded continuously. This classic phenomenon is known as the partial reinforcement extinction effect. For decades it has been generally understood that this phenomenon is fundamental to the persistence of gambling in the absence of winning. One obvious, yet untested hypothesis arising from this is that persistent (here, high-frequency) gamblers might be more sensitive to partial reinforcement contingencies. Therefore, our aim was to test the hypothesis that compared to low-frequency gamblers, high-frequency gamblers would show greater resistance to extinction following partial reinforcement in a... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645323 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645321&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22281462%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Saul ML, Tylee D, Becoats KT, Guerrero BG, Sweeney P, Helmreich DL, Fudge JL Abstract Adolescence is a developmental time period marked by rapid changes in behavior and brain structure. Stress during adolescence has been shown to cause long-lasting behavioral changes, including increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior, in both rats and humans. These findings have led to the hypothesis that adolescence may be a particularly vulnerable or sensitive period for stress exposure. To investigate this hypothesis, we directly compared the effects of a 3-day stress exposure during either an adolescent (post natal day (PND) 27-29) or adult (PND 72-74) time window on exploratory behavior in male rats, measured 6 weeks post-stress (PND 72 or PND 117). Exploratory behavior was te... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645321 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645320&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22285416%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, our results do not support that abnormal behavior in mink is concurrent with reduced hippocampal neurogenesis. On the contrary, cell proliferation increased with increasing performance of stereotypic behavior, being of an active/locomotory nature in mink. PMID: 22285416 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645320 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645322&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22274621%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pereira FM, Ferreira ED, de Oliveira RM, Milani H Abstract The present work extends previous studies with the aim of developing the 4-vessel occlusion/internal carotid artery (4-VO/ICA) model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. The permanent occlusion of the vertebral arteries (VAs) and internal carotid arteries (ICAs) followed the sequence VA→ICA→ICA. The interstage interval (ISI, →), chronicity of 4-VO/ICA, and age of the animals may determine the success of the model with regard to neurohistological and behavioral outcomes. Using middle-aged rats, the present study evaluated (i) how brain damage evolves as the ISI is reduced and duration (i.e., "chronicity") of 4-VO/ICA is prolonged and (ii) how the duration of 4-VO/ICA affects retrograde memory performance. Male W... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645322 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645330&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22265887%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aims to investigate the relative contribution of remote mechanoreceptors to perception of roughness and spatial acuity. We examined two unilateral pathological conditions affecting differently innervation of the index finger: unilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (n=12) and surgically repaired complete traumatic median nerve section at the wrist following surgical repair (n=4). We employed a control condition consisting of ring-block anesthesia of the entire index in 10 healthy subjects to model pathological denervation of the fingertip. Spatial acuity and the ability to discern roughness were assessed using a grating orientation task and a roughness discrimination task, respectively. In patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, we observed a significant reduction of spatial resolution ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645330 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645328&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266923%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Castro AA, Ghisoni K, Latini A, Quevedo J, Tasca CI, Prediger RD Abstract We have recently demonstrated that rodents treated intranasally with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) display time-dependent impairments in olfactory, emotional, cognitive and motor functions associated with disruption of dopaminergic neurotransmission in different brain structures conceivably analogous to those observed during different stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). On the other hand, lithium (Li) and valproate (VPA) are two primary drugs used to treat bipolar mood disorder that have recently emerged as promising neuroprotective agents. The present data indicates that the pretreatment with Li (47.5mg/kg) or VPA (200mg/kg) by intraperitoneal route during 7 consecutive days wa... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645328 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645324&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266927%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peruga I, Hartwig S, Merkler D, Thöne J, Hovemann B, Juckel G, Gold R, Linker RA Abstract On a molecular level, depression is characterized by an altered monoaminergic neurotransmission as well as a modulation of cytokines and other mediators in the central nervous system. In particular, neurotrophic factors may influence affective behavior including depression and anxiety. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) plays an important role in the regulation of neuronal development, neuroprotection and may also influence cognitive processes. Here we investigate the affective behavior in mice deficient for CNTF (CNTF -/- mice) at young age of 10-20 weeks. CNTF -/- mice displayed an increased anxiety-like behavior with a 30% reduction of the time spent in the bright compartment of t... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645324 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645329&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266470%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Luca RM, Gerlai R Abstract Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse represent major unmet medical needs. The zebrafish is considered to be a promising vertebrate species with which the effects of alcohol on brain function and behavior and the mechanisms underlying these effects may be studied. Alcohol is known to induce alterations in motor function as well as fear and anxiety. Here we present a recently developed fear paradigm in which we employ an animated (moving) image of a bird silhouette. We measure the effect of acute alcohol administration (dose range employed: 0.00-0.75vol/vol percentage, bath exposure for 60min) on the behavioral responses of zebrafish. We test these responses during a pre-stimulus, stimulus and post-stimulus period of the task using both a video-tra... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645329 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645327&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266924%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Seo JH, Kim YT, Song HJ, Lee HJ, Lee J, Jung TD, Lee G, Kwon E, Kim JG, Chang Y Abstract It is well known that elite athletes have higher performance in perception, planning, and execution in sports activities relative to novices. It remains controversial, however, whether any differences in basic cognitive functions between experts and novices exist. Furthermore, few studies have directly used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural activation and deactivation differences between experts and novices while performing visuospatial working memory (WM) tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine possible differences in neural activation and deactivation associated with working memory components in processing visuospatial information b... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645327 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645331&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22261019%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the age-related spatial learning and memory ability of 41 Kunming mice (KM) (14 mice aged 6 months, 13 mice aged 11 months, 14 mice aged 22 months) was measured with radial six-arm water maze. The levels of SNAP-25 and Munc18-1 in brain regions were semi-quantified by Western blotting and the serum THs were detected by radioimmunoassay. Our results showed the old Kunming mice had marked impairment of spatial learning and memory, with decreased serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) and increased SNAP-25 and Munc18-1 in dorsal hippocampus (DH), ventral hippocampus (VH) and frontal lobe (F). The Pearson's correlation test showed the impairment of spatial learning ability positively correlated with SNAP-25 in DH and Munc18-1 in DH and VH. While, the levels of SNAP-25 (DH, VH and F) ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645331 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645326&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266925%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Webber ES, Harmon KM, Beckwith TJ, Peña S, Burgdorf J, Panksepp J, Cromwell HC Abstract Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by rodents and can signal either negative or positive affective states in social and nonsocial contexts. Our recent work has utilized selective breeding based upon the emission of 50kHz USVs in response to standard cross species hand play-namely experimenters 'tickling' rats. Previous work has shown that high-tickle responsive animals (i.e., rats emitting abundant 50kHz USVs) are gregarious and express enhanced positive emotional behaviors relative to animals exhibiting low 50kHz USVs. The present study extends this work by examining the developmental profile of play behavior and the suppression of play behavior by predator (cat) odor in juve... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645326 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5645325&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266926%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zarringhalam K, Ka M, Kook YH, Terranova J, Suh Y, King OD, Um M Abstract Changes in routine mouse home-cage behavioral activities have been used recently to study alterations of neural circuits caused by genetic and environmental modifications and by drug administration. Nevertheless, automatic assessment of mouse home-cage behaviors remains challenging due to the cost of proprietary systems and to the difficulty in adjusting systems to different monitoring conditions. Here we present software for the automatic quantification of multiple facets of mouse home-cage behaviors, suitable for continuous 24h video monitoring. We used this program to assess behavioral changes in male and female R6/2 transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease over a 10-week period. Consistent... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5645325 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5645325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608094&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22249134%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined in C57/BL6 mice the effects of repeated juvenile methylphenidate (MPH) exposure on cocaine-reward sensitivity in adulthood and determined whether early MPH treatment alters adult expression of DCC in mesocorticolimbic DA regions. By using place conditioning, we show that adult mice exposed to MPH during the juvenile period are less sensitive to cocaine-reward compared to saline-controls. Furthermore, by means of immunoblotting, we demonstrate that early MPH treatment attenuates adult DCC expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) selectively. These results support previous evidence that developmental MPH treatment diminishes cocaine-reward in adulthood and are the first to suggest that DCC in the VTA may participate in this enduring effect. PMID: 22249134 [PubMed - as s... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608094 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608045&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22249136%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brumley MR, Roberto ME, Strain MM Abstract Research has shown that sensory feedback modulates locomotor behavior in intact as well as spinal adult animals. Here we examined if locomotor activity ("stepping") in newborn rats is influenced by cutaneous and proprioceptive feedback. One-day-old rats were treated with the serotonergic receptor agonist quipazine (3.0mg/kg) to induce air-stepping behavior or with saline (vehicle control). During stepping, a substrate/floor (elastic, stiff, or none) was placed beneath their limbs so that the feet could make plantar surface contact with a substrate. Pups treated with quipazine showed significantly more alternated fore- and hindlimb steps and plantar paw contact with the substrate, compared to pups treated with saline. Pups also mad... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608045 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608048&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22249135%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kahn MS, Kranjac D, Alonzo CA, Haase JH, Cedillos RO, McLinden KA, Boehm GW, Chumley MJ Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal cell death and atrophy in regions of the adult brain, including the hippocampus and cortex, due to formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The presence of these pathologies can limit normal signaling properties and ultimately lead to learning and memory deficits. Chronic inflammation has been implicated in the onset and progression of these AD-related pathologies. Our study was designed to assess the effects of peripheral inflammation on pathologies associated with AD by using the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6J mice were given intraperitoneal injections of LPS or saline fo... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608048 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608024&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22249137%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cousens GA, Kearns A, Laterza F, Tundidor J Abstract Conditioned fear is supported by a distributed network that prominently includes lateral and central amygdaloid nuclei. The role of corticomedial amygdaloid nuclei, including the medial nucleus (MeA), in fear acquisition or expression is not well understood. The present study demonstrates that pre-training excitotoxic lesions directed at the MeA disrupted both fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and conditioned freezing behavior elicited by re-exposure to a discrete olfactory cue. In contrast, such lesions had no effect on baseline startle reactivity or contextual FPS. These findings suggest that the MeA plays an obligatory role in either the acquisition or expression of olfactory conditioned fear, not limited by form of beha... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608024 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608023&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22257564%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bollen B, Matrot B, Ramanantsoa N, Van den Bergh O, D'Hooge R, Gallego J Abstract Mouse models are increasingly used to investigate genetic contributions to developmental disorders in children, especially newborns. In particular, early cognitive assessment in newborn mice is critical to evaluate pediatric drug efficacy and toxicity. Unfortunately, methods for behavioral tests in newborn mice are scarce. Therefore, developing such tests for newborn mice is a priority challenge for neurogenetics and pharmacological research. The aim of the present study was to develop a conditioning method well suited to high-throughput cognitive screening in newborn mice. To this end, we developed an odor-preference conditioning test using ambient temperature as an unconditioned stimulus (U... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608023 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608151&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22245255%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stricker EM Abstract Philip Teitelbaum is one of the great physiological psychologists of his generation. His early research clarified key issues regarding the effects of electrolytic lesions of the ventromedial or ventrolateral hypothalamus on food intake in rats, a subject of paramount interest during the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps best known were his extensive studies of the lateral hypothalamic syndrome in rats, which focused on the complex and changing array of symptoms after experimental brain damage. It soon became clear from later work that his research interests were not in the brain's control of food intake but in the effects of lesions to fragment behavior and thereby allow investigators to view its components. He was the foremost proponent of the use of exquisite... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608151 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608148&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22245256%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tomina Y, Takahata M Abstract Operant discrimination learning has been extensively utilized in the study on the perceptual ability of animals and their higher order brain functions. We tested in this study whether American lobster Homarus americanus, which was previously found to possess ability of operant learning with claw gripping, could be trained to discriminate light stimuli of different intensities. For the current purpose, we newly developed a PC-controlled operant chamber that allowed the animal under a body-fixed condition to perform operant reward learning with claw gripping. Lobsters were first reinforced when they gripped the sensor bar upon presentation of a light cue. Then they were trained to grip the bar only when the light stimulus of a specific intensity... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608148 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608182&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22244923%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dias FR, de Matos LW, Sampaio MD, Carey RJ, Carrera MP Abstract Anti-psychotic drugs are antagonists at the dopamine D2 receptors and repeated administration can lead to the development of dopamine receptor supersensitivity. In two experiments, separate groups of rats were administered 10 daily low or high doses of the typical anti-psychotic drug haloperidol (0.03 or 1.0mg/kg). The high dose decreased locomotion whereas, the low dose increased locomotion. After 5 days of withdrawal, all groups received 2.0mg/kg apomorphine on 5 successive days. The apomorphine treatments given to the vehicle group generated a progressive locomotion sensitization effect and this effect was potentiated by pre-exposure to 0.03mg/kg haloperidol. Initially, the prior high dose of haloperidol ex... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608182 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608173&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22244924%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, rats were tested in a dark arena in which half the area contained eight objects in a regular grid layout, and the other half contained eight objects in an irregular layout. In subsequent trials, a salient landmark was placed first within the irregular half, and then within the grid. We hypothesized that rats would favor travel in the area with regular order, but found that activity in the area with irregular object layout did not differ from activity in the area with grid layout, even when the irregular half included a salient landmark. Thus, the grid impact in one arena half extended to the other half and overshadowed the presumed impact of the salient landmark. This could be explained by mechanisms that control spatial behavior, such as grid cells and odometry. However, wh... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608173 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608145&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22245257%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated whether rats experiencing persistent inflammatory pain induced by intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) developed anxiety-like behaviors, and whether clinically used analgesic and anxiolytic drugs were able to reverse CFA-induced anxiety-related phenotypes. These behaviors were evaluated over 28 days in both CFA- and saline-treated groups with a variety of behavioral tests. CFA-induced mechanical allodynia resulted in increased anxiety-like behaviors as evidenced by: (1) a significant decrease in percentage of time spent and number of entries in open arms of the elevated-plus maze (EPM), (2) a decrease in number of central squares visited in the open field (OF), and (3) a reduction in active social interactions in the social interaction t... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608145 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608142&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22245526%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hacquemand R, Jacquot L, Brand G Abstract Adult behavioral and physiological responses are partly dependent on neonatal experiences. In several animal species, enriched/aprovished environments and stressful/appeasing events are crucial in the setting of adaptative behaviors. However, little is known about the effects of postnatal exposure to predator odor (as unconditioned fear-related stimulus) on spatial learning at adulthood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a postnatal exposure to 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT, as a predator odor) on radial arm maze (RAM), Tolman maze (TM) and Morris water maze (MWM) in mice at adulthood. The results showed that a TMT group constituted by mice exposed postnatally during 3 weeks to TMT presented sign... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608142 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5608138&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22245527%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Boehler CN, Appelbaum LG, Krebs RM, Hopf JM, Woldorff MG Abstract The fundamental cognitive-control function of inhibitory control over motor behavior has been extensively investigated using the Stop-signal task. The critical behavioral parameter describing stopping efficacy is the Stop-signal response time (SSRT), and correlations with estimates of this parameter are commonly used to establish that other variables (e.g., other behavioral measures or brain activity measures) are closely related to inhibitory motor control. Recently, however, it has been argued that SSRT estimates can be strongly distorted if participants strategically slow down their responses over the course of the experiment, resulting in the SSRT no longer reliably representing response-inhibition effic... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5608138 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5608138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582725&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22226623%26dopt%3DAbstract This study used a step-through inhibitory (passive) avoidance task to assess memory in adult male Wistar rats. The results showed that in the animals that received post-training intra-MS injections of saline, intra-CA1 administrations of scopolamine (0.75, 1, and 2μg/rat) decreased inhibitory avoidance (IA) memory consolidation as evidenced by a decrease in step-through latency on the test day, which was suggestive of drug-induced amnesia. Post-training intra-MS injections of a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, SKF38393 at doses of 0.1, 0.15, and 0.3μg/rat had no effect, but at dose of 0.5μg/rat impaired IA memory consolidation. Interestingly, intra-MS injections of SKF38393 (0.15, 0.3 and 0.5μg/rat) significantly prevented amnesia induced by intra-CA1 injections of scopolamine (1μg/rat).... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582725 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582723&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227506%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hsieh MH, Gu SL, Ho SC, Pawlak CR, Lin CL, Ho YJ, Lai TJ, Wu FY Abstract Several years after the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD), 20-30% of PD patients develop dementia, known as Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), the features of which include impairment of short-term memory and recognition function. Hyperactivation of the glutamatergic system is implicated in the neurodegeneration seen in PD. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of MK-801, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on short-term memory and object recognition in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD rat animal model. MPTP was injected stereotaxically into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of male Wistar rats, then, starting 1 day later (day 1)... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582723 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582722&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227507%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holper L, Kobashi N, Kiper D, Scholkmann F, Wolf M, Eng K Abstract Trial-to-trial variability is a well-known issue in brain signals measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We aimed to investigate whether trial-to-trial variability does provide information about individual performance. Seventeen subjects observed a virtual reality grasping task in first-person view while either imagining (motor imagery during observation, MIO) or imitating (motor execution, ME) the movements. Each condition was performed with the display in one of two positions, a conventional vertical position and a mirrored horizontal position which placed the virtual arm in the correct position relative to the viewpoint. Averaged oxy-hemoglobin concentration Δ[O(2)Hb] showed that ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582722 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582721&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227508%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Davis MJ, Haley T, Duvoisin RM, Raber J Abstract Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are coupled to second messenger pathways via G proteins and modulate synaptic transmission. Of the eight different types of mGluRs (mGluR1-mGluR8), mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8 are members of group III. Group III receptors are generally located presynaptically, where they regulate neurotransmitter release. Because of their role in modulating neurotransmission, mGluRs are attractive targets for therapies aimed at treating anxiety disorders. Previously we showed that the mGluR4-selective allosteric agonist VU 0155041 reduces anxiety-like behavior in wild-type male mice. Here, we explore the role of mGluR4 in adult (6-month old) and middle-aged (12-month old) male and female mice ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582721 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582720&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22230114%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Simpson J, Kelly JP Abstract In clinical populations, sex differences in disease prevalence, symptoms and outcome have been established. Despite this, female rats are frequently omitted from preclinical research; growing preclinical evidence, however, illustrates meaningful sex differences in behavioural, neurochemical and neuroanatomical endpoints. This review outlines the effects of sex on tests of depression- and anxiety-like symptoms, learning and memory, and responses to stress in rats. In addition, sexual dimorphisms in monoamine neurotransmitter and neurotrophic factor levels, neurogenesis and plasticity, and responsiveness to drugs of abuse are reviewed. Female rats display greater baseline activity levels compared to males, test-specific sex differences also exist... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582720 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582719&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22230115%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pustina D, Gizewski E, Forsting M, Daum I, Suchan B Abstract Memory processes are mainly studied with subjective rating procedures. We used a morphing procedure to objectively manipulate the similarity of target stimuli. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, nineteen subjects performed a encoding and recognition task on face and scene stimuli, varying the degree of manipulation of previously studied targets at 0%, 20%, 40% or 60%. Analyses were performed with parametric modulations for objective stimulus status (morphing level), subjective memory (confidence rating), and reaction times (RTs). Results showed that medial temporal lobe (MTL) activity can be best explained by a combination of subjective and objective factors. Memory success is associated with... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582719 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5582719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582726&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22226622%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gusmão ID, Monteiro BM, Cornélio GO, Fonseca CS, Moraes MF, Pereira GS Abstract Prolonged permanence of animals under social isolation (SI) arouses a variety of psychological symptoms like aggression, stress, anxiety and depression. However, short-term SI is commonly used to evaluate social memory. Interestingly, the social memory cannot be accessed with delays higher than 30min in SI mice. Our hypothesis is that SI with intermediate duration, like one week (1w), impairs the long-term storage of new social information (S-LTM), without affecting anxiety or other types of memories, because the SI compromises the olfactory function of the animal. Our results demonstrated that SI impaired S-LTM, without affecting other kinds of memory or anxiety. In addition, the SI increase... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582726 Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5582726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5582724&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227505%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Quoilin C, Didone V, Tirelli E, Quertemont E Abstract Alcohol exposure during early adolescence is believed to durably alter the behavioral properties of ethanol, increasing the likelihood of later alcohol-related disorders. The aim of the present experiments was to characterize changes in the behavioral effects of ethanol in adult female Swiss mice after a chronic ethanol exposure during adolescence, extending from postnatal day 28 to postnatal day 42. After a chronic ethanol exposure during adolescence (daily injections of 0, 2.5 or 4g/kg ethanol for 14 consecutive days), adult mice were tested at postnatal day 63. The locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol, together with ethanol sensitization were tested in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the sedative effects of ethanol ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5582724 Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5582724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5570303&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22212711%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the sense of agency, that is, the experience of causing and controlling events in our environment. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that the sense of agency depends on an optimal integration of different anticipatory signals, generated by motor and nonmotor systems. An established marker of pre-reflective agency experience is the suppression of cortical responses to actively generated feedback as compared to passively observed feedback, which was measured here by event-related potentials (ERPs). Sensory expectations based on motor-related and unrelated signals were induced by varying the probabilistic contingency between action and feedback, and by priming the feedback prior to the action. Moreover, simultaneous conscious a... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5570303 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5570303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5570306&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22209851%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Haba R, Shintani N, Onaka Y, Wang H, Takenaga R, Hayata A, Baba A, Hashimoto H Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces a series of systemic and psychiatric changes called sickness behavior. In the present study, we characterized the LPS-induced decrease in novel object exploratory behaviors in BALB/c mice. As already reported, LPS (0.3-5μg/mouse) induced dose- and time-dependent decreases in locomotor activity, food intake, social interaction, and exploration for novel objects, and an increase in immobility in the forced-swim test. Although the decrease in locomotor activity was ameliorated by 10h postinjection, novel object exploratory behaviors remained decreased at 24h and were observed even with the lowest dose of LPS. In an object exploration test, LPS shortened o... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5570306 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5570306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5570305&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22209852%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Khorshidahmad T, Tabrizian K, Vakilzadeh G, Nikbin P, Moradi S, Hosseini-Sharifabad A, Roghani A, Naghdi N, Sharifzadeh M Abstract Neurohormones such as testosterone (TE) are important in modulation of learning and memory. In the present study, we investigated the interactive effects of pre-training bilateral intra-hippocampal infusions of testosterone and H-89, a selective PKAII inhibitor, on spatial acquisition in the Morris water maze (MWM). Different doses of TE (20, 40 and 80μg/side) and H-89 (5 and 10μM/side) were administered 30min before start of the training each day. Control animals received bilateral intra-hippocampal infusions of DMSO as vehicle for TE and H-89. Animals were trained for 4 days and each day included one block of four trials. The results of thi... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5570305 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5570305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5570304&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22209853%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Besheer J, Fisher KR, Cannady R, Grondin JJ, Hodge CW Abstract Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK(1/2)) has been implicated in modulating drug seeking behavior and is a target of alcohol and other drugs of abuse. Given that the discriminative stimulus (subjective/interoceptive) effects of drugs are determinants of abuse liability and can influence drug seeking behavior, we examined the role of ERK(1/2) in modulating the discriminative stimulus effects of alcohol. Using drug discrimination procedures, rats were trained to discriminate a moderate intragastric (IG) alcohol dose (1g/kg) versus water (IG). Following an alcohol (1g/kg) discrimination session phosphorylated ERK(1/2) (pERK(1/2)) immunoreactivity (IR) was significantly elevated in the amygdala, but not the ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5570304 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5570304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554090&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22203158%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Maasberg DW, Shelley LE, Gilbert PE Abstract Age-related changes in novelty detection for object-place associations was assessed in 6-mo and 25-mo-old Fisher 344/Brown Norway (F344/BN) rats. Old rats showed significant deficits compared to young rats in detecting spatial displacement of objects. The data suggest that object-place novelty detection is impaired in aged F344/BN rats using a rapidly acquired, exploratory-based task. The results may have important implications for the selection of efficient memory paradigms for future aging studies. PMID: 22203158 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554090 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554089&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22203159%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Catches JS, Xu J, Contractor A Abstract There is a clear link between dysregulation of glutamatergic signaling and mood disorders. Genetic variants in the glutamate receptor gene GRIK4, which encodes the kainate receptor subunit GluK4, alter the susceptibility for depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Here we demonstrate that Grik4(-/-) mice have reduced anxiety and an antidepressant-like phenotype. In the elevated zero-maze, a test for anxiety and risk taking behavior, Grik4(-/-) mice spent significantly more time exploring the open areas of the maze. In anxiogenic tests of marble-burying and novelty-induced suppression of feeding, anxiety-like behavior was consistently reduced in knockout animals. In the forced swim test, a test of learned helplessness that is ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554089 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554088&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207154%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vargas R, Thornorsteinsson H, Karlsson K Abstract Spontaneous neural activity is instrumental in the formation and maintenance of neural circuits that govern behavior. In mammals, spontaneous activity is observed in the spinal cord, brainstem, diencephalon, and neocortex, and has been most extensively studied in the hippocampus. Using whole-brain in vitro recordings we establish the presence of spontaneous activity in two regions of the zebrafish telenchephalon: the entopeduncular nucleus (EN) and the anterodorsal lobe (ADL). The ADL is part of the lateral telencephalic pallium, an area hypothesized to be functionally equivalent to the mammalian hippocampus. In contrast, the EN has been hypothesized to be equivalent to the mammalian basal ganglia. The observed spontaneous ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554088 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554093&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197678%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carey AN, Sypek EI, Singh HD, Kaufman MJ, McLaughlin JP Abstract HIV-Tat protein has been implicated in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 neurological complications (i.e., neuroAIDS), but direct demonstrations of the effects of Tat on behavior are limited. GT-tg mice with a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible and brain-selective tat gene coding for Tat protein were used to test the hypothesis that the activity of Tat in brain is sufficient to impair learning and memory processes. Western blot analysis of GT-tg mouse brains demonstrated an increase in Tat antibody labeling that seemed to be dependent on the dose and duration of Dox pretreatment. Dox-treated GT-tg mice tested in the Barnes maze demonstrated longer latencies to find an escape hole and displayed deficits in probe trial perfor... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554093 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554097&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197297%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhen L, Zhu J, Zhao X, Huang W, An Y, Li S, Du X, Lin M, Wang Q, Xu Y, Pan J Abstract Flavonoids, which are polyphenolic compounds, have been reported to possess remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Among the dietary flavonoids, fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone) possesses a significant spectrum of biochemical and pharmacological actions. The present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant potential of fisetin and its possible mechanism. Two mouse models of despair tests were used to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of fisetin. The results suggested that fisetin (10 and 20mg/kg, p.o.) dose dependently inhibited the immobility time in both behavioral tests, while the doses that affected the immobile response did not affect locomotor act... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554097 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554096&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197298%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Karl T, Bhatia S, Cheng D, Kim WS, Garner B Abstract Transgenic mice that express familial Alzheimer's disease mutant forms of the human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) have proved to be invaluable in determining the impact that the neurotoxic amyloid-β peptide has in vivo. In addition to the propensity to accumulate cerebral amyloid plaques, a crucial characteristic of hAPP mouse models, is their cognitive impairments. To date the most widely used test for analyzing cognitive impairment in hAPP mice is the Morris water maze (MWM) which, due to the fact that mice are not "natural" swimmers, may not always be the ideal paradigm to investigate cognitive behaviours. Furthermore, other cognitive impairments have not been replicated across research laboratories. In the curren... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554096 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554095&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197299%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tanaka M, Schally AV, Telegdy G Abstract MZ-4-71 is an antagonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) which suppresses the secretion of GH-RH. It has been shown thatMZ-4-71 has antidepressive-like effects in a modified forced swimming test (FST) in mice, exerts anxiolytic effects in an elevated plus maze test, improves memory consolidation in passive avoidance learning, and corrects the impairment of memory consolidation caused by β-amyloid 25-35in mice. However, little is known about the mechanisms of action ofMZ-4-71 on brain functions. The involvement of the adrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic or GABA-ergic receptors in the antidepressant-like action of MZ-4-71 (1.0μg/2μl, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.)) was studied in a modified mouse force... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554095 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554094&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197677%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schnörr SJ, Steenbergen PJ, Richardson MK, Champagne DL Abstract One of the most commonly used behavioral endpoints measured in preclinical studies using rodent models is thigmotaxis (or "wall-hugging"). Thigmotaxis is a well-validated index of anxiety in animals and humans. While assays measuring thigmotaxis in adult zebrafish have been developed, a thigmotaxis assay has not yet been validated in larval zebrafish. Here we present a novel assay for measurement of thigmotaxis in zebrafish larvae that is triggered by a sudden change in illumination (i.e. sudden light-to-darkness transition) and performed in a standard 24-well plate. We show that zebrafish larvae as young as 5 days post fertilization respond to this challenge by engaging in thigmotaxis. Thigmotaxis was signi... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554094 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554092&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197679%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lübke KT, Hoenen M, Pause BM Abstract On an individual level, human body odors carry information about whether a person is an eligible mate. The current studies investigate if body odors also transmit information about individuals being potential partners in more general terms, namely in regards to gender and sexual orientation. In study 1, 14 gay and 14 heterosexual men were presented with body odors obtained from potential partners (gay male and heterosexual female body odors, respectively) and heterosexual male body odor as a control. In study 2, 14 lesbian and 14 heterosexual women were presented with lesbian female and heterosexual male body odors representing body odors of potential partners, and heterosexual female body odor as a control. Central nervous processing... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554092 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5554091&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22200498%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we found that the conspecific odors did not produce these protective effects in mice whose MOE was impaired by nasal zinc sulfate lavage. Moreover, we observed that the presence of odors from rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs throughout the stress procedure reversed the stress-induced decrease in cell proliferation and neurogenesis in mouse dentate gyrus, while these odors alone did not affect mouse dentate cell proliferation or neurogenesis. In contrast, the presence of rabbit, sugar glider, hedgehog, beetle odors did not affect cell proliferation, neurogenesis, the stress-decreased cell proliferation or neurogenesis in DG. Finally, the presence of fox urine odors decreased mouse dentate cell proliferation and neurogenesis but did not affect the stress-induced decrease in cel... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5554091 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5554091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541498&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22192380%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Desbonnet L, Tighe O, Karayiorgou M, Gogos JA, Waddington JL, O'Tuathaigh CM Abstract Catechol-O-methyltransferase, an enzyme involved in regulating brain catecholamine levels, has been implicated in anxiety, pain and/or stress responsivity. Elements of this putative association remain unclarified, notably whether: (a) COMT variation modulates responses to acute and/or chronic stress equally; (b) acute pharmacological inhibition of COMT produces comparable effects on anxiety to that observed after deletion of the COMT gene; (c) COMT genotype modulates action of anxiolytic drugs. We aimed to further investigate the relationship between reduced COMT function, anxiety and stress responsivity in mice. To compare the effect of acute vs. chronic restraint stress in female COMT K... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541498 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541501&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22189656%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Waters KA, Stean TO, Hammond B, Virley DJ, Upton N, Kew JN, Hussain I Abstract The 5-hydroxytryptamine(7) (5-HT(7)) receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor for serotonin that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric and neurological disorders including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. A number of studies have attempted to evaluate the potential role of the 5-HT(7) receptor in schizophrenia by utilising genetic or pharmacological tools but to date these have provided conflicting results. Here we investigate the effect of a selective 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist, SB-269970, in in vivo psychosis and cognition models of schizophrenia and relate efficacy to brain exposures of the compound. SB-269970 significantly attenuated amphetamine-induced rearing and... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541501 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541499&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22192379%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated the potential of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model for male and female aggression. In addition, effects on the brain serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems after agonistic interaction are well studied in many species, but not in zebrafish. We wanted to explore whether the zebrafish follows the same patterns as many other species. Therefore, the effects of agonistic interaction on brain monoaminergic activity were studied in adult male and female wild-type zebrafish. The fish interacted in pairs with one of the same sex for five days during which agonistic behaviour was quantified daily. Clear dominant/subordinate relationships developed in all pairs, both in males and females. The frequency of aggressive acts increased over time but did not diff... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541499 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541497&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22192381%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lin D, Cao L, Wang Z, Li J, Washington JM, Zuo Z Abstract Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a clinical phenomenon that has drawn significant attention from the public and scientific community. Age is a risk factor for POCD. However, the contribution of general anesthesia/anesthetics to POCD and the underlying neuropathology are not clear. Here, we showed that 18-month-old male Fisher 344 rats exposed to 1.2% isoflurane, a general anesthetic, for 2h had significant learning and memory impairments assessed at 2-4 weeks after isoflurane exposure. These isoflurane effects were attenuated by intravenous lidocaine (1.5mg/kg as a bolus and then 2mg/kg/h during isoflurane exposure), a local anesthetic that has neuroprotective effect. Exposure to isoflurane or isoflura... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541497 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541502&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22185695%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park HJ, Shim HS, Ahn YH, Kim KS, Park KJ, Choi WK, Ha HC, Kang JI, Kim TS, Yeo IH, Kim JS, Shim I Abstract The present study examined the effects of Tremella fuciformis (TF) on the learning and memory function and the neural activity in rats with trimethyltin (TMT)-induced memory deficits. The rats were administered saline or TF (TF 25, 50, 100mg/kg, p.o.) daily for 21 days. The cognitive improving efficacy of TF on the amnesic rats, which was induced by TMT, was investigated by assessing the Morris water maze test and by performing acetylcholine transferase (ChAT) and cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) immunohistochemistry. In order to confirm the underlying mechanisms of the memory enhancing effects of TF, we assessed the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. We ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541502 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541500&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22192378%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hajali V, Sheibani V, Esmaeili-Mahani S, Shabani M Abstract Paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) may alter subsequent learning and memory capacity. There are differences in both the intensity and direction of responses of the male and female species to the same environmental stimuli and experimental conditions. In the present study, we examined the extent of the effects of PSD for 72h on spatial learning and memory, anxiety-like behavior, corticosterone levels, and the body weight in male as well as in intact and ovariectomized (OVX) female Wistar rats. Multiple platform method was used for PSD induction. Spatial learning and memory and anxiety-like behavior were determined using morris water maze (MWM) task and open field test, respectively. The data showed that PSD could ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541500 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541503&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22182675%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holahan MR, Westby EP, Albert K Abstract Administration of the noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) has been shown to produce extinction deficits on appetitive operant tasks. The present study sought to further explore this by comparing extinction pressing to pressing for the primary reward and examining associated neural correlates to determine if the MK-801 extinction profile resembled the behavioral and neural profile associated with pressing for primary reward. Immunohistochemical labeling of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2(pERK1/2) in the prelimbic (PrL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices and nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) and core (Acb... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541503 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541507&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178315%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Budzynska B, Polak P, Biala G Abstract The motivational component of drug withdrawal may contribute to drug seeking and relapse through the negative reinforcement-related process; thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that mediate affective withdrawal behaviors. The present study was undertaken to examine the calcium-dependent mechanism of negative motivational symptoms of nicotine and morphine withdrawal using the conditioned place aversion (CPA) paradigm. Rats were chronically treated with nicotine (1168mg/kg, free base, s.c., 11 days, three times daily) or morphine (10mg/kg,s.c., 11 days, twice daily). Then, during conditioning, rats pre-treated with nicotine or morphine received a nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine (3.5mg/kg) or an opioid receptor ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541507 Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541510&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178078%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we compare the effectiveness of a series of drug-free behavioral tests in assessing sensorimotor impairments in the unilateral 6-OHDA mouse model, including six tests used for the first time in this PD mouse model (the automated treadmill "DigiGait" test, the challenging beam test, the adhesive removal test, the pole test, the adjusting steps test, and the test of spontaneous activity) and two tests used previously in 6-OHDA-lesioned mice (the limb-use asymmetry "cylinder" test and the manual gait test). We demonstrate that the limb-use asymmetry, challenging beam, pole, adjusting steps, and spontaneous activity tests are all highly robust assays for detecting sensorimotor impairments in the 6-OHDA mouse model. We also discuss the use of the behavioral tests for specific exp... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541510 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541509&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178313%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Díaz-Morán S, Palència M, Mont-Cardona C, Cañete T, Blázquez G, Martínez-Membrives E, López-Aumatell R, Tobeña A, Fernández-Teruel A Abstract The purpose of the present study was to evaluate for the first time the stress-induced hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone and prolactin responses of the National Institutes of Health genetically heterogeneous rat stock (N/Nih-HS rats) in comparison with responses of the relatively high and low stress-prone Roman Low- (RLA-I) and High-Avoidance (RHA-I) rat strains. The same rats were also compared (experiment 1) with respect to their levels of unconditioned anxiety (elevated zero-maze test), novelty-induced exploratory behavior, conditioned fear and two-way active avoidanc... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541509 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541508&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178314%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ruthschilling CA, Albiero G, Lazzari VM, Becker RO, de Moura AC, Lucion AB, Almeida S, Veiga AB, Giovenardi M Abstract The natural variation in maternal care is an interesting model to analyze the physiological mechanisms that lead to differences in the mother-infant interaction. Several studies have shown differences in the expression of brain receptors such as the dopamine, estrogen and oxytocin receptors in areas classically involved in the onset and/or maintenance of maternal behavior: the medial preoptic area, the nucleus accumbens, the amygdala, the lateral septum, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The present study examined the responses of HL and LL rats in several behavioral tests and analyzes the transcription of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in the olf... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541508 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541506&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178316%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jobim PF, Pedroso TR, Werenicz A, Christoff RR, Maurmann N, Reolon GK, Schröder N, Roesler R Abstract The role of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) in recognition memory remains poorly understood. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the BLA and other brain areas has been implicated in synaptic plasticity and memory. We have recently shown that mTOR signaling in both the BLA and the dorsal hippocampus (DH) is required for formation and reconsolidation of inhibitory avoidance, a fear-motivated memory task. Here we examined the effects of infusions of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin into the BLA before or after either training or reactivation on retention of novel object recognition (NOR) memory in rats, and compared the effects with those obtained using int... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541506 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541505&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178317%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we examine the effect of subchronic treatment with the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, fluoxetine (10mg/kg/day, i.p.) throughout adolescence (postnatal day 28-60) on learning and memory in the rat. Learning and memory were assessed at two time points: during adolescence, while the animals were being treated with fluoxetine and in young adulthood, 40 days after the termination of fluoxetine treatment. Fluoxetine treated rats were compared to a saline injected control group with respect to spatial navigation in the water maze, object recognition and object-in-place recognition memory. Additionally open field behaviour was examined. In adolescent rats fluoxetine treatment impaired water-maze probe trial performance and object recognition at intertrial intervals of 15 an... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541505 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541504&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178318%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fairless AH, Dow HC, Kreibich AS, Torre M, Kuruvilla M, Gordon E, Morton EA, Tan J, Berrettini WH, Li H, Abel T, Brodkin ES Abstract Sociability-the tendency to seek social interaction-propels the development of social cognition and social skills, but is disrupted in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J inbred mouse strains are useful models of low and high levels of juvenile sociability, respectively, but the neurobiological and developmental factors that account for the strains' contrasting sociability levels are largely unknown. We hypothesized that BALB/cJ mice would show increasing sociability with age but that C57BL/6J mice would show high sociability throughout development. We also hypothesized that littermates would resemble one another in sociabil... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541504 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5541504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519667&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22173001%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrates that positive prenatal experiences; preconceptionally in fathers and prenatally in mothers, have the ability to significantly alter offspring developmental trajectories. PMID: 22173001 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519667 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519678&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155476%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roche M, Kerr DM, Hunt SP, Kelly JP Abstract The substance P/NK1 receptor system plays an important role in the regulation of stress and emotional responding and as such had been implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety and depression. The present study investigated whether alterations in the substance P/NK1 receptor system in brain areas which regulate emotional responding accompany the depressive behavioural phenotype observed in the olfactory bulbectomised (OB) mouse. The effect of NK1 receptor deletion on behavioural responding and monoamine levels in discrete brain regions of the OB model, were also examined. Substance P levels in the frontal cortex and NK1 receptor expression in the amygdala and hippocampus were enhanced following olfactory bulbectomy. Although N... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519678 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519676&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155478%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Krause L, Enticott PG, Zangen A, Fitzgerald PB Abstract Neuroimaging studies suggest that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a central role in cognitive theory of mind (ToM). This can be assessed more definitively, however, using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Sixteen healthy participants (10 females, 6 males) completed tasks assessing cognitive and affective ToM following low-frequency deep rTMS to bilateral mPFC in active-stimulation and placebo-stimulation sessions. There was no effect of deep rTMS on either cognitive or affective ToM performance. When examining self-reported empathy, however, there was evidence for a double dissociation: deep rTMS disrupted affective ToM performance for those with high self-reported empathy, but improved af... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519676 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519673&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155488%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Richendrfer H, Pelkowski SD, Colwill RM, Creton R Abstract Zebrafish larvae are ideally suited for high-throughput analyses of vertebrate behavior. The larvae can be examined in multiwell plates and display a range of behaviors during early development. Previous studies have shown that zebrafish larvae display a preference for the edge of the well and several lines of evidence suggest this edge preference (thigmotaxis) may be a measure of anxiety. In the present study, we further examined the relation between edge preference and anxiety by imaging zebrafish larvae exposed to three psychoactive drugs diazepam (Valium), fluoxetine (Prozac), and caffeine. The edge preference was first examined in a five-fish assay, with and without visual stimuli. Diazepam, a benzodiazepine t... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519673 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519672&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155489%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anguera JA, Bernard JA, Jaeggi SM, Buschkuehl M, Benson BL, Jennett S, Humfleet J, Reuter-Lorenz P, Jonides J, Seidler RD Abstract We have recently demonstrated that visuospatial working memory performance predicts the rate of motor skill learning, particularly during the early phase of visuomotor adaptation. Here, we follow up these correlational findings with direct manipulations of working memory resources to determine the impact on visuomotor adaptation, a form of motor learning. We conducted two separate experiments. In the first one, we used a resource depletion strategy to investigate whether the rate of early visuomotor adaptation would be negatively affected by fatigue of spatial working memory resources. In the second study, we employed a dual n-back task trainin... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519672 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519670&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155611%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Baracz SJ, Rourke PI, Pardey MC, Hunt GE, McGregor IS, Cornish JL Abstract Accumulating evidence indicates that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXY) may modulate reward-related behavioural responses to methamphetamine (METH) administration. Limited research has examined the effect of OXY on METH-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and little is known about the neural mechanisms involved. A Fos immunohistochemistry study recently demonstrated that peripheral OXY administration reduced METH-induced Fos expression within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and subthalamic nucleus (STh) in rats. The current study aimed to (i) investigate the effect of systemically administered OXY on METH-induced CPP, (ii) determine the effectiveness of a single-trial CPP procedure with METH, i... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519670 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519669&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155612%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zarrindast MR, Nasehi M, Hoseindoost S Abstract Bile duct ligation (BDL) induces primary biliary cirrhosis characterized by cholestasis, impaired liver function and cognition including impairment of memory formation and anxiety-like behaviors. Endogenous opioid and acetylcholine levels are elevated in animal model of cholestasis. In addition, there is no data about the effects of interaction opioidergic and cholinergic systems of dorsal hippocampus (CA1) on amnesia-induced by cholestasis. Male mice weighing 25-35g were used in this study. Cholestasis was induced by the ligation of the common bile duct. One-trial step-down and hole-board paradigms were used for the assessment of memory retrieval and anxiety-like behaviors respectively. All drugs injected intra-CA1. The data... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519669 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519668&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22173000%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pawluski JL, Charlier TD, Fillet M, Houbart V, Crispin HT, Steinbusch HW, van den Hove DL Abstract The incidence of stress and stress-related disorders with the transition to motherhood, such as postpartum depression, is estimated to be 20%. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications are currently the antidepressant of choice to treat maternal mood disorders. However, little is known about the effects of these medications on the maternal brain and behavior. Therefore, the present study investigated how a commonly used SSRI, fluoxetine, affects neurobehavioral outcomes in the mother using a model of maternal adversity. To do this, gestationally stressed and non-stressed Sprague-Dawley rat dams were treated with either fluoxetine (5mg/kg/day) or vehicle. Dams ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519668 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519666&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22173002%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Blokland A, Ten Oever S, van Gorp D, van Draanen M, Schmidt T, Nguyen E, Krugliak A, Napoletano A, Keuter S, Klinkenberg I Abstract Many studies have used test batteries for the evaluation of affective behavior in rodents. This has the advantage that treatment effects can be examined on different aspects of the affective domain. However, the behavior in one test may affect the behavior in following test. The present study examined possible order effects in rats that were tested in three different tests: Open Field (OF), Zero Maze (ZM) and Forced Swim Test (FST). The data of the present study indicated that the behavior in ZM was the least affected by the order of testing. In contrast, the behavior in the FST (and to a less extend the OF) was dependent on the order of the t... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519666 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519677&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155477%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Colzato LS, van Wouwe NC, Hommel B, Zmigrod S, Ridderinkhof KR, Wylie SA Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that the control of retrieval of episodic feature bindings is modulated by the striatal dopaminergic pathway. The present study investigated whether this may reflect a contribution from the ventral or the dorsal part of the striatum. Along the lines of the overdose hypothesis in Parkinson's disease (PD), functions known to rely on the dorsal striatum are enhanced with dopaminergic medication, while operations relying on the ventral circuitry are impaired. We found that partial mismatches between present and previous stimulus-response relations are, compared to control participants, abnormally low OFF DA medication and normalized ON DA medication. The results sugge... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519677 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519675&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155486%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we have demonstrated that cyclohexane extract of Hypericum polyanthemum (POL) and its main phloroglucinol derivative uliginosin B (ULI) present antidepressant-like activity in rodent forced swimming test (FST). The involvement of monoaminergic neurotransmission on the antidepressant-like activity of ULI was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. POL 90mg/kg (p.o.) and ULI 10mg/kg (p.o.) reduced the immobility time in the mice FST without altering locomotion activity in the open-field test. The combination of sub-effective doses of POL (45mg/kg, p.o.) and ULI (5mg/kg, p.o.) with sub-effective doses of imipramine (10mg/kg, p.o.), bupropion (3mg/kg, p.o.) and fluoxetine (15mg/kg, p.o.) induced a significant reduction on immobility time in FST. The pretreatment with SCH 23390 (15μg/kg,... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519675 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519674&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155487%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, Lsamp-deficient mice were less sensitive to isolation stress than their wild-type littermates. Lack of LAMP protein seemingly leads to a deterioration in the ability to adapt to novel stressful environments and stimuli. PMID: 22155487 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519674 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5519671&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155610%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rosa Salva O, Regolin L, Vallortigara G Abstract A spontaneous preference for face-like stimuli has been demonstrated in domestic chicks, similar to that shown by human newborns, suggesting evolutionary continuity across species. Inversion of contrast polarity of face-like stimuli abolishes face preferences in human newborns. Here we investigated the effects of contrast polarity inversion and brain lateralization in chicks' preferences for faces. In Experiment 1 face-naïve chicks were tested with a negative face obtained from a stimulus that elicited preferential approach in previous research. As in human newborns, reversal of contrast polarity abolished face-preferences. Experiments 2, 3 and 5 investigated the effect of adding a pupil-like dot within the inner features o... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5519671 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5519671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500070&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22146592%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: He YC, Wu GY, Li D, Tang B, Li B, Ding Y, Zhu JN, Wang JJ Abstract The cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN), together with the interpositus nucleus (IN), constitutes the two final output nuclei of the spinocerebellum and plays an important role in body and limb movements. Previous studies have revealed a direct histaminergic projection from the hypothalamus to the cerebellar nuclei and an excitatory effect of histamine on the IN neurons. However, role of hypothalamic histaminergic projection in the FN has been still little known. Here we show that histamine elicited the FN neurons of rats a concentration-dependent excitatory response in vitro. The histamine-induced excitation on FN neurons was mediated by postsynaptic histamine H(2) rather than H(1) receptors. In behavioral t... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500070 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500078&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22137886%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zeitlin R, Patel S, Solomon R, Tran J, Weeber EJ, Echeverria V Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder triggered by traumatic events. Symptoms include anxiety, depression and deficits in fear memory extinction (FE). PTSD patients show a higher prevalence of cigarette smoking than the general population. The present study investigated the effects of cotinine, a tobacco-derived compound, over anxiety and contextual fear memory after fear conditioning (FC) in mice, a model for inducing PTSD-like symptoms. Two-month-old C57BL/6J mice were separated into three experimental groups. These groups were used to investigate the effect of pretreatment with cotinine on contextual fear memory and posttreatment on extinction and stability or retrievability of... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500078 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500077&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22137888%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Baitharu I, Deep SN, Jain V, Barhwal K, Malhotra AS, Hota SK, Prasad D, Ilavazhagan G Abstract Chronic exposure to hypobaric hypoxia causes oxidative stress and neurodegeneration leading to memory impairment. The present study aimed at investigating the role of corticosterone in hypoxia induced neurodegeneration and effect of metyrapone, a corticosterone synthesis inhibitor that reduces the stress induced elevation of corticosterone without affecting the basal level, in ameliorating chronic hypobaric hypoxia induced cognitive decline. Rats were exposed to simulated altitude of 25,000ft for 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days to determine the temporal alterations in corticosterone and its receptors following exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Our results showed an elevation of corticostero... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500077 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500075&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22138508%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rowland NE Abstract Feeding behavior is described from an evolutionary perspective, and implications for modern neurobiological studies are suggested. In particular, it is argued that meals may have evolved more for sociocultural reasons than physiological imperatives, and that biological approaches to the study of feeding episodes should adopt a more flexible model that is founded in economic or cost-benefit considerations. Specific examples of flexibility in mouse feeding behavior are given. It is further argued that the modern human food environment is so immoderate that physiological manipulations designed to restrain eating have little hope of achieving this goal. PMID: 22138508 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500075 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500074&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22138509%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Leger M, Bouet V, Freret T, Darmaillacq AS, Dacher M, Dauphin F, Boulouard M, Schumann-Bard P Abstract Environmental enrichment is known to improve learning and memory in adult rodents. Whereas the morphological changes underlying these beneficial effects are well documented, few studies have addressed the influence of this housing condition on the neuronal networks underlying memory processes. We assessed the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioural performances and brain metabolic activation during a memory task in mice. Adult mice were housed in standard (SC) or enriched (EC) conditions for 3 weeks. Then, recent and remote memory performances were measured in the passive avoidance test. After testing, brain metabolic activation was assessed through cytochrome ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500074 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500073&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22142951%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hoffstaedter F, Sarlon J, Grefkes C, Eickhoff SB Abstract BACKGROUND: Psychomotor retardation is a prominent clinical feature of major depression. While several studies investigated these deficits, differences between internally and externally triggered response selection and initiation are less well understood. In the current study, we delineate internally vs. externally driven response selection and initiation in depression and their relation to basic psychomotor functioning. METHODS: 20 inpatients diagnosed with a (unipolar) major depression and 20 closely matched healthy controls performed a computerized motor paradigm assessing differences between internally and externally cued movements. Psychomotor performance and basic memory functions were assessed using a neurops... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500073 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500072&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22142952%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Suchankova P, Pettersson R, Nordenström K, Holm G, Ekman A Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in degradation of proteins in the extracellular matrix and have been shown to contribute to neuroinflammation by several mechanisms such as blood-brain barrier breakdown. Among the MMPs, MMP-9 (gelatinase B) has been suggested to be of relevance also for synaptic and behavioural plasticity. In order to explore the role of MMP-9 for mental functions a polymorphism in MMP-9 was analysed with respect to personality traits. The two studied populations consisted of women and men, respectively, both recruited from the population registry and assessed by means of the Karolinska Scales of Personality. The non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (R668Q, r... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500072 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500071&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22142953%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kantak SS, Winstein CJ Abstract Behavioral research in cognitive psychology provides evidence for an important distinction between immediate performance that accompanies practice and long-term performance that reflects the relative permanence in the capability for the practiced skill (i.e. learning). This learning-performance distinction is strikingly evident when challenging practice conditions may impair practice performance, but enhance long-term retention of motor skills. A review of motor learning studies with a specific focus on comparing differences in performance between that at the end of practice and at delayed retention suggests that the delayed retention or transfer performance is a better indicator of motor learning than the performance at (or end of) practice... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500071 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500069&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22146593%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Heuer A, Smith GA, Lelos MJ, Lane EL, Dunnett SB Abstract The unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine mouse lesion models of Parkinson's disease have received increasing attention in recent years, but comparison of the different lesion models was largely focused at a histological level. An extensive behavioural comparison between different mouse models on tests of motor function has yet to be carried, to pin point tests that accurately discriminate between different extents of dopaminergic depletion. In the present study we examine the consequences of injection of the toxin at three sites along the nigrostriatal tract (substantia nigra, medial forebrain bundle, and striatum) on a broad range of simple motor tasks, and on the dopaminergic pathology. All lesion groups demonstrated mark... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500069 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5500076&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22138507%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ali S, Champagne DL, Richardson MK Abstract The zebrafish is a powerful whole animal model which is complementary to in vitro and mammalian models. It has been shown to be applicable to the high-throughput behavioral screening of compound libraries. We have analysed 60 water-soluble toxic compounds covering a range of common drugs, toxins and chemicals, and representing various pharmacological mechanisms. Wild-type zebrafish larvae were cultured individually in defined buffer in 96 well plates. They were exposed for a 96h period starting at 24h post fertilization (hpf). A logarithmic concentration series was used for range-finding, followed by a narrower geometric series for LC(50) determination. LC(50) values were determined at 24h intervals and behavioral testing was car... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5500076 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5500076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465869&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22123412%26dopt%3DAbstract CONCLUSION: Reducing M(4) receptor signaling altered only select behavioral phenotypes in the Fmr1KO mouse model, suggesting that other targets are involved in the modulation of fragile X behaviors. PMID: 22123412 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465869 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465867&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22127145%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chagniel L, Robitaille C, Lacharité-Mueller C, Bureau G, Cyr M Abstract Recent findings suggest that the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) system plays a role in motor control and the acquisition of habits and skills. However, isolating DA-mediated motor learning from motor performance remains challenging as most studies include often severely DA-depleted mice. Using the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), we investigated the effect of various degrees of DA-depletion in mice on three tests of motor behaviors: the accelerating rotarod, wire suspension and pole tests. Three protocols were performed to decrease DA synthesis to various extents: 4 injections (i.p.) of 9mg/kg in 1 day; 4 injections (i.p.) of 15mg/kg in 1 day; or 5 injections (s.c.) of 3... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465867 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465876&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22119710%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Aydin C, Oztan O, Isgor C Abstract A rat model of novelty-seeking phenotype predicts vulnerability to nicotine relapse where locomotor reactivity to novelty is used to rank high (HR) versus low (LR) responders. Present study investigates implication of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) in the basolateral (BLA) and the central (CeA) nuclei of amygdala in behaviorally sensitizing effects of nicotine and accompanying social anxiety following juvenile nicotine training and a 1- or 3-wk injection-free period in the novelty-seeking phenotype. Sprague-Dawley rats were phenotype screened, and received four, saline (1ml/kg; s.c) or nicotine (0.35mg/kg; s.c) injections, followed by a 1- or 3-wk injection-free period. Subsequently, animals were challenged with a low dose of nicotine (0.1... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465876 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465874&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22119712%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined whether LMN diet, reported to induce neurogenesis in adult mice, was able to antagonize the age-related behavioural impairment and neuropathology in wild type (WT) mice and Tg2576 mice, a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thirteen-month-old mice (once the amyloid (Aβ) plaques were formed) were fed with the LMN diet for 5 months, and in the last 2 months of the regimen they received a battery of behavioural tests. In general, both aging and (to a higher extent) Tg2576 genotype deteriorated sensorimotor reflexes, exploratory behaviour in the hole board, activity (but not anxiety) in the elevated plus-maze, ambulation in the home cage during the dark phase, and spatial learning in the Morris water maze. LMN diet did not affect the detrimental effects observed in sensorimot... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465874 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465868&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22123413%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kato C, Fujita K, Kokai S, Ishida T, Shibata M, Naito S, Yabushita T, Ono T Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that functional plasticity in the primary motor cortex (M1) is related to motor-skill learning and changes in the environment. Increased occlusal vertical dimension (iOVD) may modulate mastication, such as in the masticatory cycle, and the firing properties of jaw-muscle spindles. However, little is known about the changes in motor representation within the face primary motor cortex (face-M1) after iOVD. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of iOVD on the face-M1 using intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). In an iOVD group, the maxillary molars were built-up by 2mm with acrylic. The electromyographic (EMG) activities from the left... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465868 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465877&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22119248%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rauš S, Selaković V, Radenović L, Prolić Z, Janać B Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioural effects of an extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) in 3-month-old Mongolian gerbils submitted to global cerebral ischemia. After 10-min occlusion of both common carotid arteries, the gerbils were placed in the vicinity of an electromagnet and continuously exposed to ELF-MF (50Hz, 0.5mT) for 7 days. Their behaviour (locomotion, stereotypy, rotations, and immobility) was monitored on days 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 after reperfusion for 60min in the open field. It was shown that the 10-min global cerebral ischemia per se induced a significant motor activity increase (locomotion, stereotypy and rotations), and consequently immobility decrease until day 4 ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465877 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465875&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22119711%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to examine the antidepressant-like effect and the possible mechanisms of total glycosides of peony (TGP) in the CORT-induced depression model in rats. The results showed that the 3-week CORT injections induced the significant increase in serum CORT levels in rats. Repeated CORT injections also caused depression-like behavior in rats, as indicated by the significant decrease in sucrose consumption and increase in immobility time in the forced swim test. Moreover, it was found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were significantly decreased in CORT-treated rats. Treatment of the rats with TGP significantly suppressed the depression-like behavior and increased brain BDNF levels in CORT-treated rats. The results su... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465875 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465879&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22108342%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Granon S, Changeux JP Abstract We investigated the contribution of the mouse prefrontal cortex and, more specifically, the prelimbic area, to a learning task that highlights a choice between two conflicting motivations, the one for food seeking and the one for novelty exploration. We used a learning paradigm in a cross maze task that targets first motivation conflict and second flexible rule adaptation following environmental changes. We show that mice with prelimbic lesions, which showed normal spatial learning, exhibit impairment in switching from one type of reward - food retrieval - to another type - novelty exploration - and sustained difficulties in adapting their behaviour when the rule is changing repeatedly. Mice, like other mammals, possess a prefrontal cortex th... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465879 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465878&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22108343%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yan LR, Wu YB, Hu DW, Qin SZ, Xu GZ, Zeng XH, Song H Abstract There are ample functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on functional brain asymmetries, and the asymmetry of cerebral network in the resting state may be crucial to brain function organization. In this paper, a unified schema of voxel-wise functional connectivity and asymmetry analysis was presented and the network asymmetry of motor areas was studied. Twelve healthy male subjects with mean age 29.8±6.4 were studied. Functional network in the resting state was described by using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) analysis. Motor areas were selected as regions of interest (ROIs). Network asymmetry, including intra- and inter-network asymmetries, was formulated and analyzed. ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465878 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465886&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101173%26dopt%3DAbstract This study explored the cognitive impacts of OXP in the rat with a fear conditioning procedure. 10 days prior to conditioning and testing, rats received an intraperitoneal injection of OXP (12mg/kg). On the first day of conditioning, the rats were conditioned to two CSs (CS-ren and CS-ext) in one set of chambers (context A). They then received three tests on separate days. First, the rats were assessed for contextual fear conditioning in context A. Next, the CSs were presented 20 times in a new context (B) until fear conditioning had extinguished. Finally, one of the CSs (CS-ext) was tested again in the extinction context (B), and the other (CS-ren) presented in a new context (C). Results showed that OXP had no effect on the ability of rats to express fear to the conditioning context (A), ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465886 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465885&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101174%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stiles L, Zheng Y, Darlington CL, Smith PF Abstract Rats and mice with bilateral vestibular loss exhibit dramatic locomotor hyperactivity and circling behaviours, which to date cannot be explained. Dysfunction of the striatal dopaminergic system is responsible for a number of known movement disorders and the D(2) dopamine receptor is known to be implicated. Therefore, it is possible that changes in striatal function are responsible for locomotor hyperactivity and circling following bilateral vestibular lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the D(2) receptor antagonist, eticlopride (0.02, 0.04 and 0.06mg/kg; s.c.), on locomotor behaviour in rats at 5 months following bilateral vestibular deafferentation (BVD), using an open field maze. The levels ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465885 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465883&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101300%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roman CW, Lezak KR, Kocho-Schellenberg M, Garret MA, Braas K, May V, Hammack SE Abstract Exposure to repeated stress can lead to diverse and widespread behavioral consequences, including reduction in food and water intake and subsequent diminution in weight gain. Many reports have suggested that repeated stress substantially alters the neurochemistry, morphology and physiology of neurons within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Here we investigate the role of the BNST in mediating the reduced weight gain observed during repeated stress. Rats exposed to a one-week variate stress paradigm exhibited a reduction in weight gain over the course of the 7-day paradigm. Excitotoxic lesions to a subregion of the anterolateral BNST containing the oval nucleus had no eff... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465883 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465882&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101301%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jedynak P, Jaholkowski P, Wozniak G, Sandi C, Kaczmarek L, Filipkowski RK Abstract The exact function of the adult brain neurogenesis remains elusive, although it has been suggested to play a role in learning and memory processes. In our studies, we employed cyclin D2 gene knockout (cD2 KO) mice showing impaired neurogenesis as well as decreased hippocampal size. However, irrespectively of the genetic background of cD2 KO mice, this phenotype resulted in neither deficits in the hippocampal-dependent learning ability nor the memory formation. In the present study, cD2 KO mice and control littermates were subjected to hippocampal-dependent behavioral tests with little or no learning component. The knockout mice showed significant impairment in such species-typical behaviors ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465882 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465881&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101302%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Trabalza A, Colazingari S, Sgobio C, Bevilacqua A Abstract Although the role of hippocampus in memory processing is well assessed, an association of experience-dependent behavioural modifications with hippocampal neuron morphological and biochemical changes deserves further characterisation. Here, we present evidence of dendritic alterations together with rapid accumulation of EphrinB2, a factor known to influence cell plasticity, in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 area of mouse hippocampus, during the formation of recent contextual fear memory. Male C57BL/6N mice exhibited a robust fear response 24h after contextual and cued fear conditioning. At this time and in the absence of the memory test, conditioned mice showed morphological alterations in hippocampal and lateral amyg... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465881 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465880&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101303%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we investigated the memory function of the transgenic rat model of Huntington's disease (tgHD) in the object location (OLT) and the object recognition task (ORT). Several studies have shown that the recent developed tgHD rat model resembles the human phenotype of HD. Impairments of spatial and object recognition memory in the OLT and ORT, however, have to our knowledge not yet been reported in this transgenic model. Our findings show that in both early and late stages of the disease the tgHD rats have clear deficits for both visuospatial and visual object memory. Since HD patients are known to be impaired in both types of memory, these results confirm the validity of this tgHD rat as a model for the human HD phenotype. PMID: 22101303 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (S... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465880 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465884&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101175%26dopt%3DAbstract We report that the lateral ventricles of BTBR mice were drastically reduced in area compared to C57BL/6J (B6) mice while the BTBR SVZ was significantly shorter than that of B6. In addition to much smaller fractones for BTBR, both HS and LAM-ir associated with fractones were significantly reduced in BTBR, and their anterior-posterior distributions were also altered. Finally, the ratio of HS to LAM in individual fractones was significantly higher in BTBR than in B6 mice. These data, in agreement with other findings linking HS to callosal development, suggest that variations in the quantity and distribution of HS in the SVZ of the lateral ventricles may be important modulators of the brain structural abnormalities of BTBR mice, and, potentially, contribute to the behavioral pathologies of the... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465884 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465888&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101067%26dopt%3DAbstract Amphetamine stereotypy, the basal ganglia, and the "selection problem" Behav Brain Res. 2011 Nov 11; Authors: Wolgin DL Abstract Amphetamine and other stimulant drugs induce stereotyped head movements in rats, which interfere with normal goal-directed behavior. However, rats given access to food while intoxicated learn to suppress these movements in order to feed. This suggests that the suppression of stereotypy is an instrumentally learned response reinforced by the ingestion of food. Consistent with this interpretation, rats learn to suppress stereotyped head movements when intraoral infusions of milk are made contingent on maintaining a stationary head position, but not when such infusions are given noncontingently. Although learning to suppress stereotypy occurs at diff... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465888 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5465887&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101068%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Furuse T, Yamada I, Kushida T, Masuya H, Miura I, Kaneda H, Kobayashi K, Wada Y, Yuasa S, Wakana S Abstract As part of the RIKEN large-scale N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis project, we screened mice with a dominant mutation that exhibited abnormal behavior using an open-field test and a home-cage activity test. We tested 495 male progeny of C57BL/6J males treated with ENU and untreated C3H/HeJ females using the open-field test and isolated behavioral mutant M101736, which exhibited a significant increase in spontaneous locomotor activity. We identified a missense mutation in the Tuba1 gene, which encodes the TUBA1 protein, and designated the mutant gene Tuba1(Rgsc1736). This mutation results in an aspartic acid to glycine substitution in the TUBA1 protein. Detailed... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5465887 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5465887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429344&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085875%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Potegal M Abstract The widespread, across-species strategy of stagewise escalation of aggression in agonistic encounters can be understood in terms of resource capture and control with least risk and cost. Human anger likely follows similar principles. As an adaptive phenomenon, escalation may involve particular neural circuitry. To advance beyond a standard view that the frontal lobe tonically inhibits subcortical circuits of aggression, a model is proposed which starts with the general rostrally directed flow of information in the brain. Earlier stage processing of visual and auditory input is transmitted from posterior and middle temporal cortices to anterior temporal lobe where rudimentary appraisals of threat and provocation are developed. These directly but diffusely... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429344 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429342&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085877%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ossenkopp KP, Foley KA, Gibson J, Fudge MA, Kavaliers M, Cain DP, Macfabe DF Abstract Propionic acid, an enteric bacterial fermentation product, has received recent attention in regards to satiety and obesity in humans. The possibility that propionic acid might produce internal aversive cues was investigated in two experiments using conditioned taste avoidance and place avoidance procedures to index the potential aversive nature of systemic treatment with propionic acid in male rats. Experiment 1 examined the effect of systemic treatment with propionic acid (500mg/kg), LiCl (95mg/kg) or vehicle (all corrected to pH 7.5) on the formation of conditioned taste avoidance using a lickometer procedure. On 3 acquisition days three groups of rats were injected with propionic acid,... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429342 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429341&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085878%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lim AL, Taylor DA, Malone DT Abstract Animal models contribute significantly to advancing the understanding of schizophrenia neurobiology, in addition to being an important tool for the screening of antipsychotic potential of new compounds. However, the entire spectrum or all the symptoms manifested in schizophrenia cannot be straightforwardly reproduced in animals due to the complexity of the disorder, difference in mental capacities and behaviours, and the ability to quantify or measure the changes. Blockade of the NMDA receptor by the use of MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, during the early postnatal period has been proposed to be an experimental model which induces behavioural changes that mimic several aspects of the disorder. The long term behaviou... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429341 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429340&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085879%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the present results provide an important role of TFF3 in improving object recognition memory and reserving it for a longer time, which suggests a potential therapeutic application for diseases with recognition and memory impairment. PMID: 22085879 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429340 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429339&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085880%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pollard M, Varin C, Hrupka B, Pemberton DJ, Steckler T, Shaban H Abstract Non-competitive antagonists of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA) such as phencyclidine (PCP) elicit schizophrenia-like symptoms in healthy individuals. Similarly, PCP dosing in rats produces typical behavioral phenotypes that mimic human schizophrenia symptoms. Although schizophrenic behavioral phenotypes of the PCP model have been extensively studied, the underlying alterations of intrinsic neuronal properties and synaptic transmission in relevant limbic brain microcircuits remain elusive. Acute brain slice electrophysiology and immunostaining of inhibitory neurons were used to identify neuronal circuit alterations of the amygdala and hippocampus associated with changes in extinction of fear ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429339 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429336&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085883%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Eren S, Drugan RC, Hazi A, Flannery G, Kent S Abstract The effects of intermittent swim stress and stressor controllability on natural killer cell activity (NKCA) was examined. Significant decreases in splenic NKCA were observed immediately post-stress, but only when the stress was controllable. Although decreased NKCA was also observed in yoked rats subjected to the same stressor, it failed to attain statistical significance. Previous results suggest these effects are not due to corticosterone. The results suggest a cost of coping on the acute, in vitro immune measure of NKCA. PMID: 22085883 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429336 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429335&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22093902%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bourke CH, Neigh GN Abstract The stress response is a multifaceted physiological reaction that engages a wide range of systems. Animal studies examining stress and the stress response employ diverse methods as stressors. While many of these stressors are capable of inducing a stress response in animals, a need exists for an ethologically relevant stressor for female rats. The purpose of the current study was to use an ethologically relevant social stressor to induce behavioral alterations in adult female rats. Adult (postnatal day 90) female Wistar rats were repeatedly exposed to lactating Long Evans female rats to simulate chronic stress. After six days of sessions, intruder females exposed to defeat were tested in the sucrose consumption test, the forced swim test, acous... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429335 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429343&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085876%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nieves-Martinez E, Hayes K, Childers SR, Sonntag WE, Nicolle MM Abstract Behavioral flexibility, the ability to modify responses due to changing task demands, is detrimentally affected by aging with a shift towards increased cognitive rigidity. The neurobiological basis of this cognitive deficit is not clear although striatal cholinergic neurotransmission has been implicated. To investigate the possible association between striatal acetylcholine signaling with age-related changes in behavioral flexibility, young, middle-aged, and aged F344 X Brown Norway F1 rats were assessed using an attentional set-shifting task that includes two tests of behavioral flexibility: reversal learning and an extra-dimensional shift. Rats were also assessed in the Morris water maze to compare ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429343 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429338&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085881%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weniger G, Ruhleder M, Lange C, Irle E Abstract Recent research indicates that longstanding temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with extratemporal, i.e. parietal cortex damage. We investigated egocentric and allocentric memory by use of first-person large-scale virtual reality environments in patients with TLE. We expected that TLE patients with parietal cortex damage were impaired in the egocentric memory task. Twenty-two TLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and 22 TLE patients without HS were compared with 42 healthy matched controls on two virtual reality tasks affording to learn a virtual park (allocentric memory) and a virtual maze (egocentric memory). Participants further received a neuropsychological investigation and MRI volumetry at the time of the ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429338 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429337&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085882%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kiss A, Delattre AM, Pereira SI, Carolino RG, Szawka RE, Anselmo-Franci JA, Zanata SM, Ferraz AC Abstract Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that estrogens have a major impact on cognition, presenting neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions in regions involved in such function. In opposite, some studies indicate that certain hormone therapy regimens may provoke detrimental effects over female cognitive and neurological function. Therefore, we decided to investigate how estrogen treatment would influence cognition and depression in different ages. For that matter, this study assessed the effects of chronic 17β-estradiol treatment over cognition and depressive-like behaviors of young (3 months old), adult (7 months old) and middle-aged (12 months old) reproductive ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429337 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5429337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429348&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22074898%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bellebaum C, Jokisch D, Gizewski ER, Forsting M, Daum I Abstract Successful adaptation to the environment requires the learning of stimulus-response-outcome associations. Such associations can be learned actively by trial and error or by observing the behaviour and accompanying outcomes in other persons. The present study investigated similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms of active and observational learning from monetary feedback using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Two groups of 15 subjects each - active and observational learners - participated in the experiment. On every trial, active learners chose between two stimuli and received monetary feedback. Each observational learner observed the choices and outcomes of one active learner. Learning per... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429348 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429346&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22074900%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, neuronal activities were recorded from the VP in presence or absence of the mixed dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist, apomorphine, and/or β-carbolines, using an extracellular single-unit recording technique. We reported that subcutaneous administration of apomorphine (0.5mg/kg) decreased neural activity in the VP. In addition, neither harmine (7.8mg/kg; i.p.) nor harmane (4mg/kg; i.p.) and norharmane (2.5mg/kg; i.p.) had any effect on neural firing in the VP. Finally, pretreatment with β-carbolines prevented the apomorphine-induced inhibition on VP firing rate. Thus, according to the results of aforementioned study and our results in the present study, we can conclude that presumably most responses in the VP are D2 dopamine dependent. Although the β-carbolines were unable to... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429346 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429345&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22079585%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anvret A, Ran C, Westerlund M, Gellhaar S, Lindqvist E, Pernold K, Lundströmer K, Duester G, Felder MR, Galter D, Belin AC Abstract Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) catalyze the reversible metabolism of many types of alcohols and aldehydes to prevent the possible toxic accumulation of these compounds. ADHs are of interest in Parkinson's disease (PD) since these compounds can be harmful to dopamine (DA) neurons. Genetic variants in ADH1C and ADH4 have been found to associate with PD and lack of Adh4 gene activity in a mouse model has recently been reported to induce changes in the DA system. Adh1 knockout (Adh1-/-) and Adh1/4 double knockout (Adh1/4-/-) mice were investigated for possible changes in DA system related activity, biochemical parameters and olfactory function comp... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429345 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429349&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22062587%26dopt%3DAbstract This study provides the foundations for development and further validation of this species as a model for some aspects of human attentional and impulse control disorders, such as substance abuse disorder. PMID: 22062587 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429349 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429352&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22061799%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kosaki Y, Watanabe S Abstract Contributions of different limbic cortical areas to mediation of behavioural flexibility were examined using repeated acquisition of three-choice discrimination in operant chambers. Rats were trained on a series of positional discrimination tasks with three levers, where position of the correct lever remained the same within a task but shifted across tasks. Ibotenic acid lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex impaired acquisition of each discrimination task by increasing errors specifically in the early phase of each task. These errors were characterised by perseveration to the previously correct lever. By contrast, lesions of the anterior cingulate cortex resulted in the impairment of discrimination in general without inducing perseveration;... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429352 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429351&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22061800%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, 12-month-old male rats were chronically treated with Aβ(25-35) (10μg/rat, hippocampal CA1 injection) and dexamethasone (DEX, 1.5mg/kg) for 14 days to investigate the effects of DEX and Aβ(25-35) treatment on learning and memory impairments, pathological changes, neuronal ultrastructure, amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and neuronal cell apoptosis. Our results showed that DEX or Aβ(25-35) treatment alone for 14 days had caused slight damage on learning and memory impairments and hippocampal neurons, but damages were significantly increased with DEX+Aβ(25-35) treatment. And the mRNA levels of the APP, β-secretase and caspase 3 were significantly increased after DEX+Aβ(25-35) treatment. The immunohistochemistry demonstrated that APP, Aβ(1-40), caspase 3 and cy... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429351 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429350&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22061801%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Calmarza-Font I, Lagunas N, Garcia-Segura LM Abstract Estradiol has antidepressive and anxiolytic actions. However, its therapeutic use is limited by its peripheral effects. Selective estrogen receptor modulators may represent an alternative to estradiol for the treatment of depressive symptoms. Here we report that tamoxifen and raloxifene decrease immobility time in the forced swim test and increases the time spent in open arms in the elevated plus maze in ovariectomized mice submitted to chronic unpredictable stress. PMID: 22061801 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429350 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429347&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22074899%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nguyen K, Tseng A, Marquez P, Hamid A, Lutfy K Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the role of the endogenous dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOP) system in ethanol-induced state-dependent conditioned place preference (CPP). To this end, mice lacking the pro-DYN gene and their wild-type littermates/controls were tested for baseline place preference on day 1, received 15-min morning and afternoon conditionings with saline or ethanol (2g/kg) each day for three consecutive days and were then tested for CPP under a drug-free state on day 5 and following a saline or ethanol (1 or 2g/kg) challenge on day 8. Given that compensatory developmental changes may occur in knockout mice, the effect of nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI), a KOP antagonist, on state-dependent C... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429347 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5429353&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22061798%26dopt%3DAbstract We reported that exposure of neonatal mice to stressors or morphine produced impairment of adult morphine-rewarded conditioned place preference (CPP) and altered hippocampal gene expression. We now further this line of inquiry by examining both short- and long-term effects of neonatal stress and morphine treatment. Neonatal C57BL/6 mice were treated twice daily from postnatal day (P) 5 to P9 using different combinations of factors. Subsets received saline or morphine injections (2mg/kgs.c.) or were exposed to our neonatal stress protocol (maternal separation 8h/d×5d+gavage feedings±hypoxia/hyperoxia). Short-term measures examined on P9 were neuronal fluorojade B and bromodeoxyuridine staining, along with urine corticosterone concentrations. Long-term measures examined in adult mice (>... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5429353 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5429353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384750&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22056749%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, these results indicate that estrogen is an important mediator of voluntary activity in rats, particularly during the dark phase. These effects of estrogen appear to involve reduced 5-HT and dopamine release in the amygdala. Further studies are needed to determine whether estrogen (and its deficiency) influences the synthesis, vesicular packaging, release, re-uptake and degradation of these transmitters. PMID: 22056749 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Behavioural Brain Research) Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384750 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384749&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22056750%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Amodeo DA, Jones JH, Sweeney JA, Ragozzino ME Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a class of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as restricted interests and repetitive behavior. This latter class of symptoms often includes features such as compulsive behaviors and resistance to change. The BTBR T+ tf/J mouse strain has been used as an animal model to investigate the social communication and restricted interest features in ASD. Less is known about whether this mouse strain models cognitive flexibility deficits also observed in ASD. The present experiment investigated performance of BTBR T+ tf/J and C57BL/6J on two different spatial reversal learning tests (100% accurate ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384749 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384748&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22056751%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Watson DR, Anderson JM, Bai F, Barrett SL, Mulholland CC, Rushe TM, Cooper SJ Abstract Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are associated with neuropathological brain changes, which are believed to disrupt connectivity between brain processes and may have common properties. Patients at first psychotic episode are unique, as one can assess brain alterations at illness inception, when many confounders are reduced or absent. SCZ (N=25) and BP (N=24) patients were recruited in a regional first episode psychosis MRI study. VBM methods were used to study gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) differences between patient groups and case by case matched controls. For both groups, deficits identified are more discrete than those typically reported in later stages of illne... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384748 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384754&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22044476%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sirkin DW Abstract The author recounts the process of discovery in Philip Teitelbaum's laboratory, which began with the observation of vestibular head stabilization in a rat with brainstem lesions, of the essential roles of the pontine reticular formation (PRF) in the rat in ipsiversive head as well as eye movements. The PRF in the rat appears to be in the pathways for most direction-changing movements of the eyes and head, leaving vestibular and optokinetic stabilizing movements intact and uninterrupted. The author postulates that a response to the sliding of feet or paws, or a "substrate-kinetic reflex," works together with vestibular and optokinetic reactions to stabilize an animal's directions of gaze and locomotion on the ground. Previously unpublished data are presen... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384754 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384753&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22051942%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Berridge KC Abstract As part of a festschrift issue for Philip Teitelbaum, I offer here the thesis that Teitelbaum deserves to be viewed as an important forefather to the contemporary field of affective neuroscience (which studies motivation, emotion and affect in the brain). Teitelbaum's groundbreaking analyses of motivation deficits induced by lateral hypothalamic damage, of roles of food palatability in revealing residual function, and of recovery of 'lost' functions helped shape modern understanding of how motivation circuits operate within the brain. His redefinition of the minimum requirement for identifying motivation raised the conceptual bar for thinking about the topic among behavioral neuroscientists. His meticulous analyses of patterned stages induced by brain ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384753 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384751&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22051944%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kozlov AP, Nizhnikov M, Varlinskaya EI, Spear NE Abstract The present experiments investigated the effects of acute ethanol exposure on voluntary intake of 0.1% saccharin or water as well as behavioral and nociceptive reactivity in 12-day-old (P12) rats exposed to differing levels of isolation. The effects of ethanol emerged only during short-term social isolation (STSI) with different patterns observed in males and females and in pups exposed to saccharin or water. The 0.5g/kg ethanol dose selectively increased saccharin intake in females, decreased rearing activity in males and attenuated isolation-induced analgesia (IIA) in all water-exposed pups. Ingestion of saccharin decreased IIA, and the 0.5g/kg ethanol dose further reduced IIA. The 1.0g/kg ethanol dose, administer... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384751 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384757&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22040905%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wutte MG, Glasauer S, Jahn K, Flanagin VL Abstract While moving through the world, humans as well as animals can make use of motion cues during both active and passive whole-body motion to track their own position in space. However, the functional neuroanatomy of self-motion processing remains poorly understood. In the present study we aimed to characterize brain networks reflecting whole-body self-motion experience. We used retrieval of previously experienced events, which is known to involve cortical representations of the modalities used to perceive these events. Recollection of self-motion experience may thus engage motor and sensory brain areas, reflecting the active or passive nature of the experienced movement, but may engage also common brain areas processing self-... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384757 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384759&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22036698%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hou Z, Yuan Y, Zhang Z, Bai F, Hou G, You J Abstract Growing evidences suggest that the abnormality of hippocampal volume may occur in the process of depression. In this longitudinal study, we calculated the hippocampal volume of 14 remitted geriatric depressed (RGD) patients and 19 healthy participants at baseline and follow-up. We found significant improvement of performance in Trail Making Test-A (P=0.038) and Test-B (P=0.032), and the right hippocampal volume increased mildly in RGD. However, in RGD patients, positive correlations were seen between the changes in right hippocampal volumes and Symbol Digit Modality Test scores (r=0.675, P=0.008), and changes in left hippocampal volumes and Mini-Mental State Examination scores (r=0.743, P=0.002). Our findings suggest tha... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384759 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384758&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22036699%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vetter-O'Hagen CS, Spear LP Abstract Sex- and age-typical responses to ethanol and novel stimuli tend to emerge postpubertally, suggesting a potential organizational or activational role for pubertal hormones in these behaviors. To test this possibility, male and female rats were gonadectomized (GX) or received sham gonadectomy (SH) either prepubertally on postnatal day (P) 23 (early) or in adulthood on P70 (late). Animals were tested as adults for response to novelty and, on the following day, challenged with either saline or ethanol (1g/kg) prior to social interaction testing with an unfamiliar partner in a familiar setting under low light conditions. Gonadectomy did not influence ethanol-induced social inhibition in either sex, but instead altered the microstructure of ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384758 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384756&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22040906%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yokoi F, Dang MT, Yang G, Li J, Doroodchi A, Zhou T, Li Y Abstract Myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) is a movement disorder characterized by myoclonic jerks with dystonia. DYT11 M-D is caused by mutations in SGCE which codes for ɛ-sarcoglycan. SGCE is maternally imprinted and paternally expressed. Abnormal nuclear envelope has been reported in mouse models of DYT1 generalized torsion dystonia. However, it is not known whether similar alterations occur in DYT11 M-D. We developed a mouse model of DYT11 M-D using paternally inherited Sgce heterozygous knockout (Sgce KO) mice and reported that they had myoclonus and motor coordination and learning deficits in the beam-walking test. However, the specific brain regions that contribute to these phenotypes have not been identified. Since ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384756 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384755&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22044475%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Han SD, Boyle PA, Arfanakis K, Fleischman DA, Yu L, Edmonds EC, Bennett DA Abstract Risk aversion is associated with several important real world outcomes. Although the neurobiological correlates of risk aversion have been studied in young persons, little is known of the neurobiological correlates of risk aversion among older persons. Resting-state functional MRI data were collected on 134 non-demented participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a community-based cohort study of aging. Risk aversion was measured using a series of standard questions in which participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary payment ($15) versus a gamble in which they could gain more than $15 or gain nothing, with potential gains varied across questions. Participants determ... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384755 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384752&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22051943%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lim JE, Song M, Jin J, Kou J, Pattanayak A, Lalonde R, Fukuchi KI Abstract Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern-recognition receptors in innate immunity and provide a first line defense against pathogens and tissue injuries. In addition to important roles in infection, inflammation, and immune diseases, recent studies show that TLR signaling is involved in modulation of learning, memory, mood, and neurogenesis. Because MyD88 is essential for the downstream signaling of all TLRs, except TLR3, we investigated the effects of MyD88 deficiency (MyD88-/-) on behavioral functions in mice. Additionally, we recently demonstrated that a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) deficient for MyD88 had decreases in Aβ deposits and soluble Aβ in the brain as compared wit... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384752 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384761&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22026925%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tomie A, Lincks M, Nadarajah SD, Pohorecky LA, Yu L Abstract In rats, Pavlovian sign-tracking has been extensively evaluated as a model of compulsiveness in drug addiction and other addictive behaviors, but it remains unexplored in mice, a species with a wealth of genetically modified models, which makes it possible to examine gene-behavior relationships. In C57BL/6 mice, the most commonly used mouse strain for genetic studies, repeated pairings of lever conditioned stimulus (CS) with food unconditioned stimulus (US) induced Pavlovian conditioning of sign-tracking conditioned response (ST CR) performance of lever CS-directed approach, and Pavlovian conditioning of goal-tracking conditioned response (GT CR) performance of approach responses directed at the location of the f... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384761 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384760&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22033334%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kulak A, Cuenod M, Do KQ Abstract Redox-dysregulation represents a common pathogenic mechanism in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP). It may in part arise from a genetically compromised synthesis of glutathione (GSH), the major cellular antioxidant and redox-regulator. Allelic variants of the genes coding for the rate-limiting GSH synthesizing enzyme glutamate-cysteine-ligase modifier (GCLM) and/or catalytic (GCLC) subunit have been associated with SZ and BP. Using mice knockout (KO) for GCLM we have previously shown that impaired GSH synthesis is associated with morphological, functional and neurochemical anomalies similar to those in patients. Here we asked whether GSH deficit is also associated with SZ- and BP-relevant behavioral and cognitive anomalies. Accor... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384760 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384764&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22024433%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee SW, Clemenson GD, Gage FH Abstract Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is one of the most robust forms of synaptic plasticity in the nervous system and occurs throughout life. However, the rate of neurogenesis declines dramatically with age. Older animals have significantly less neural progenitor cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and newborn neuron survival compared to younger animals. Intrinsic properties of neural progenitor cells, such as gene transcription and telomerase activity, change with age, which may contribute to the observed decline in neurogenesis. In addition, age-related changes in the local cells of the neurogenic niche may no longer provide neural progenitor cells with the cell-cell contact and soluble cues necessary for hippocampal neurogenesi... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384764 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5384765&cid=s_34535_25_f&fid=34535&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22024432%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: De Gennaro L, Marzano C, Cipolli C, Ferrara M Abstract Intrinsic and historical weaknesses delayed the spread of a sound neurobiological investigation on dreaming. Nevertheless, recent independent findings confirm the hypothesis that the neurophysiological mechanisms of encoding and recall of episodic memories are largely comparable across wakefulness and sleep. Brain lesion and neuroimaging studies converge in indicating that temporo-parieto-occipital junction and ventromesial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in dream recall. Morphoanatomical measurements disclose some direct relations between volumetric and ultrastructural measures of the hippocampus-amygdala on the one hand, and some specific qualitative features of dreaming on the other. Intracranial recordings of... Behavioural Brain Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5384765 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5384765