Effects of aversive stimuli on learning and memory in Arctic ground squirrels.
The present study was designed to assess effects of aversive stimuli on learning and memory in wild-caught Arctic ground squirrels ( AGS, Spermophilus parryii) using an active avoidance learning paradigm. Results indicate that animals trained with low-value aversive stimuli (air puffs and lights) retained the task better than animals trained with high-value aversive stimuli (air puffs, lights, and foot shock). Poor retention could not be explained by learning impairment, fear-induced freezing behavior or the effects of massed versus spaced training trials. Wild-caught AGS readily hibernate under laboratory conditions and provide a model of pronounced adult synaptic plasticity associated with emergence from hibernation. Characterization of learning and retention using active avoidance as well as other learning paradigms is a first step towards developing behavioral paradigms to assess cognitive function in this wild-trapped species. The present study shows that captive AGS are sensitive to aversive stimuli, argues for a direct effect on retention and suggests that high baseline levels of stress in a captive population may influence behavioral measures. The results further suggest that future studies of the effects of hibernation on learning and retention of active avoidance tasks employ low-level aversive stimuli.[1]References
- Effects of aversive stimuli on learning and memory in Arctic ground squirrels. Zhao, H., Bucci, D.J., Weltzin, M., Drew, K.L. Behav. Brain Res. (2004) [Pubmed]
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