Role of serotoninergic receptor 2a (5-HT2a) in cognitive flexibility

WEISSTAUB, NOELIA V; MORICI, JUAN FACUNDO; BEKINSCHTEIN, PEDRO; ZANONI, BELÉN; GALLO, FRANCISCO T

Mar del Plata - Buenos Aires

Congreso; Congreso SAN 2017; 2017

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias

Living organisms inhabit environments that are being permanently modified, so adapting their behavior to such changes could determine their survival. The concept of ?cognitive flexibility? refers to this ability, and the processes that mediate it involve cortical regions of the brain such as the prefrontal and the orbitofrontal cortex. Given that serotonin (5-HT) has been identified as an important player in decision making, it would be reasonable to assign the serotonergic system a major role in processes of cognitive flexibility. Pharmacological experiments support this statement. However, it is still a question which are the receptors that mediate these processes.One of the most important post-synaptic receptors of the serotonergic system is the type 2A receptor (5-HT2aR). This receptor is highly expressed in the limbic system as well as frontal regions of the cortex and has been associated with various psychiatric disorders. The lack of specific antagonists makes complex the identification of its function. Then, we would assess the role of the 5-HT2aR using protocols of extinction and reversal learning as measures ofcognitive flexibility in genetically modified mice. Since cognitive rigidity is a common behavior symptom of many psychiatric disorders, it has clinical relevance to identified its underlying neurobiological substrate in order to generate new and specific pharmacological tools.