“Evaluating the role of 5-HT2a Receptors in cognitive flexibility and memory interference”

LUCIA CICCIA; NOELIA V WEISSTAUB

Huerta Grande, Cordoba

Congreso; XXVII Congreso Anual de la SAN, 2012; 2012

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Our ability to adjust our behavior to dynamic changes in the environment is called "Cognitive flexibility" and it is part of the repertoire of executive functions. Memory interference is the result of competing memories traces. Both mechanisms are postulated, in the literature, to depend on the activity of the Pre Frontal Cortex (PFC) since they might involve a common inhibitory control that acts over habitual responses or related memories. Clinical and pre clinical data support a role of the serotonergic system in cognitive flexibility and memory interference. Among the serotonergic receptors, the 5-HT2a has been the focus of attention since it is one of the most important post-synaptic receptors of the serotonergic system and highly expressed in cortical regions and the limbic system. One of the main problems addressing the role of 5-HT2a receptors in cognitive functions is the lack of specific drugs. Here we are using a genetically modified mouse model to study the role of the 5-HT2a receptors in cognitive flexibility and memory interference. We found that mice lacking the 5-HT2a receptor (5-HT2a -/-) show deficits in the spontaneous alternation task suggesting decrease flexibility response and low levels of discrimination in a temporal order novel object recognition task, indicating increase interference between competing memory traces. These results suggest that 5-HT2a receptors might play a role in cognitive flexibility and memory interferences processes.