Involvement of the noradrenergic system in the basolateral amygdala during olfactory trace conditioning in the rat
Event details
| Date | 16.11.2009 |
| Hour | 16:00 |
| Speaker | Dr. Barbara Ferry |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract
Conditioned odor aversion (COA) corresponds to the avoidance of an odorized-tasteless solution (conditioned stimulus, CS) previously paired with toxicosis (unconditioned stimulus, US). COA occurs only when the interstimulus interval (ISI) is kept short during acquisition, suggesting that the memory trace of the odor is subject to rapid decay. Previous studies have shown that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is involved in the control of the olfactory memory trace during the acquisition of COA. More recently, pre-CS but not post-CS or pre-test blockade of ƒÒ- adrenoceptors in the BLA disrupted COA, thus suggesting that the noradrenergic system is involved, at least in part, in the processes that control the memory trace of the CS during COA acquisition. Moreover, manipulation of the a1- and a2-adrenoceptor system in the BLA during acquisition of COA showed that the olfactory memory trace duration during COA is also under control of a1 and a2 adrenergic receptor signalling pathways.
In reference to in vitro electrophysiological data, one could acurately suggest that the noradrenergic system arising from the locus coeruleus exerts, at least in part, a tonic inhibitory influence on the structures involving the BLA that are important for the olfactory information storage. The behavioral relevance of this adrenergic modulation must be subtle and this system may be involved in the way the animal makes a contrast between surrounding odors, thus enabling it to keep them in memory for a long time as far as these odors are likely to acquire a particular hedonic valence during learning.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Contact
- Prof. Carmen Sandi