Differential facilitation of an aversive memory by/due to exercise in mice: sex always matters.

PICCO SOLEDAD; FERNÁNDEZ RODRIGO S; MARIA JIMENA SANTOS; MILLAN JULIETA; BOCCIA MARIANO; MARÍA C. KRAWCZYK; PEDREIRA MARIA EUGENIA

Congreso; Congreso Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencia; 2020

In the last years a growing body of research have focused in the study of physical activity ondifferent cognitive processes. Studies carried out in both humans and rodents have found acorrelation between exercise and improved cognition. Thus, exercise appears as a non-pharmacological tool for ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with aging. However,despite some encouraging results, variability in terms of positive effects on memory processesexists throughout the literature. In this sense, biological sex appears as an important variableof such modulation. Here we explored in both males and females young mice adults the effectof wheel running in the consolidation and reconsolidation of an aversive memory. Briefly, aftera period of adaptation to the wheel, animals were trained in the inhibitory avoidance task.Immediately after one group was allowed to run on the wheel for 20 minutes while anothergroup ran after a reactivation session. Results revealed an improvement in memory whenanimals ran within the consolidation window but no effect was evident during reconsolidation.Furthermore, memory enhancement was found only in males. In terms of performance on thewheel running, no differences between sexes were found in distance traveled or speed,although preliminary results seem to indicate that females take longer time to get on thewheel. Ongoing research is aimed to deepen in the behavioral and physiological implications ofsuch modulation and the differences between both sexes.