Role of dorso-medial telencephalic region on Active Avoidance learning in a teleost fish model

LAURA MAZZITELLI FUENTES; MARÍA SOLEDAD AUSAS; FERNANDA ROMÁN; CRICHIGNO, SONIA; LUCAS MONGIAT

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XXXII congress of the Argentine Society for Research in Neuroscience Mar del Plata 2017; 2017

Sociedad Argentina de investigación en Neurociencia SAN

Teleosts exhibit adult neurogenesis throughout their brain, making them an excellent modelto study the way in which network remodeling by adult neurogenesis shapes brain function.Cognitive ability was assessed by Active Avoidance (AA) paradigm in adult rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss). Learning performance correlated with neuronal activity in dorsomedial(Dm) telencephalic region. To investigate the relationship between Dm neuronaladdition and cognitive performance we attempted to behaviorally modulate adultneurogenesis. For this purpose, adult trouts were injected intraperitoneally withbromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and then housed either in an Enriched Environment (EE) or inSocial Restriction (SR) for 4 weeks. In order to avoid treatment-related stress on learningtasks, individuals from both groups were transferred to a common barren tank for 2 moreweeks, until sacrifice. On week 6, AA learning, short and long-term memory performancewere assessed (STM & LTM: 1h and 24h post-training, respectively). Fish reared in EE showeda better learning, STM and LTM performance, in terms of latency and % of avoidance, incontrast to SR fish. Proliferation, cell survival and neuronal activity analysis are currentlybeing assessed.