{"title":"Aversive social learning with a dead conspecific is achieved by Pavlovian conditioning in crickets","authors":"Kohei Hashimoto , Kanta Terao , Makoto Mizunami","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social learning, learning from other individuals, has been demonstrated in many animals, including insects, but its detailed neural mechanisms remain virtually unknown. We showed that crickets (<em>Gryllus bimaculatus</em>) exhibit aversive social learning with a dead conspecific. When a learner cricket was trained to observe a dead cricket on a drinking apparatus, the learner avoided the odor of that apparatus thereafter. Here we investigated the hypothesis that this social learning is achieved by first-order Pavlovian conditioning of an odor (conditioned stimulus) and a dead conspecific (unconditioned stimulus, US). Injection of a dopamine receptor antagonist (flupentixol) before training or testing impaired the learning or execution of the response to the learned odor, as we reported in aversive non-social Pavlovian conditioning in crickets. Moreover, crickets that were trained with a dead conspecific and then received revaluation of the dead conspecific by pairing it with water reward exhibited an appetitive conditioned response (CR) to the odor paired with the dead conspecific. This suggests that execution of the CR is governed by the current value of the US as in non-social Pavlovian conditioning. In addition, we previously suggested that appetitive social learning with a living conspecific is based on second-order conditioning (SOC), and here we showed that SOC is achieved when crickets experienced pairing of a dead conspecific with water reward before experiencing social learning training with a dead conspecific. We conclude that social learning with a dead conspecific is based on Pavlovian conditioning and that this learning can be extended to second-order social learning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 108019"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142896243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Victoria R. Heimer-McGinn , Taylor B. Wise , Emma R. Halter , Dominique Martin , Victoria L. Templer
{"title":"Attentional processing in the rat dorsal posterior parietal cortex","authors":"Victoria R. Heimer-McGinn , Taylor B. Wise , Emma R. Halter , Dominique Martin , Victoria L. Templer","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The human posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is known to support sustained attention. Specifically, top-down attention is generally processed in dorsal regions while bottom-up regulation occurs more ventrally. In rodent models, however, it is still unclear whether the PPC is required for sustained attention, or whether there is a similar functional dissociation between anatomical regions. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the rodent dorsal PPC (dPPC) in sustained attention. We used the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) and compared rats with neurotoxic dPPC lesions to sham operated rats. We found that rats with dPPC lesions were less accurate and took longer to make correct choices, indicating impaired attention and reduced processing speed. This effect, however, was limited to the first few days of post-operative testing. After an apparent recovery, omissions became elevated in the lesion group, which, in the absence of reduced motivation and mobility, can also be interpreted as impaired attention. In subsequent challenge probes, the lesion group displayed globally elevated latency to make a correct response, indicating reduced processing speed. No differences in premature responses or perseverative responses were observed at any time, demonstrating that dPPC lesions did not affect impulsivity and compulsivity. This pattern of behavior suggests that while intact dPPC supports goal-driven (top-down) modulation of attention, it likely does not play a central role in processing stimulus-driven (bottom-up) attention. Furthermore, compensatory mechanisms can support sustained attention in the absence of a fully functioning dPPC, although this occurs at the expense of processing speed. Our results inform the literature by confirming that rodent PPC is involved in regulating sustained attention and providing preliminary evidence for a functional dissociation between top-down and bottom-up attentional processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108004"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142564803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yury Shtyrov , Ekaterina Perikova , Margarita Filippova , Alexander Kirsanov , Evgeny Blagovechtchenski , Olga Shcherbakova
{"title":"Transcranial direct-current stimulation of core language areas facilitates novel word acquisition","authors":"Yury Shtyrov , Ekaterina Perikova , Margarita Filippova , Alexander Kirsanov , Evgeny Blagovechtchenski , Olga Shcherbakova","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that can alter the state of the stimulated brain area and thereby affect neurocognitive processes and resulting behavioural performance. Previous studies using tDCS to address the language function have shown disparate results, particularly with respect to language learning and word acquisition. To fill this gap, this study aimed at systematically addressing the effects of tDCS of core left-hemispheric language cortices on the brain mechanisms underpinning two main neurocognitive strategies of word learning: implicit inference-based Fast Mapping (FM) and direct instruction-based Explicit Encoding (EE). Prior to a word-learning session, 160 healthy participants were given 15 min of either anodal or cathodal tDCS of Wernicke’s or Broca’s areas, or a control sham (placebo) stimulation, in a between-group design. Each participant then learned sixteen novel words (eight through FM and eight through EE) in a contextual word-picture association session. Moreover, these words were learnt either perceptually via auditory exposure combined with a graphical image of the novel object, or in an articulatory mode, where the participants additionally had to overtly articulate the novel items. These learning conditions were fully counterbalanced across participants, stimuli and tDCS groups. Learning outcomes were tested at both lexical and semantic levels using two tasks: recognition and word-picture matching. EE and FM conditions produced similar outcomes, indicating comparable efficiency of the respective learning strategies. At the same time, articulatory learning produced generally better results than non-articulatory exposure, yielding higher recognition accuracies and shorter latencies in both tasks. Crucially, real tDCS led to global outcome improvements, demonstrated by faster (compared to sham) reactions, as well as some accuracy changes. There was also evidence of more specific tDCS effects: better word-recognition accuracy for EE <em>vs.</em> FM following cathodal stimulation as well as more expressed improvements in recognition accuracy and reaction times for anodal Broca’s and cathodal Wernicke’s stimulation, particularly for unarticulated FM items. These learning mode-specific effects support the notion of partially distinct brain mechanisms underpinning these two learning strategies. Overall, numerically largest improvements were observed for anodal Broca’s tDCS, whereas the least expressed benefits of tDCS for learning were measured after anodal Wernicke stimulation. Finally, we did not find any inhibitory effects of either tDCS polarity in any of the comparisons. We conclude that tDCS of core language areas exerts a general facilitatory effect on new word acquisition with some limited specificity to learning protocols – the result that may be of potential applied value for future research aimed at ameliorating learning deficits and language disor","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 107992"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dev Laxman Subramanian, Adam M.P. Miller, David M. Smith
{"title":"The retrosplenial cortical role in delayed spatial alternation","authors":"Dev Laxman Subramanian, Adam M.P. Miller, David M. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays an important role in spatial cognition. RSC neurons exhibit a variety of spatial firing patterns and lesion studies have found that the RSC is necessary for spatial working memory tasks. However, little is known about how RSC neurons might encode spatial memory during a delay period. In the present study, we trained control rats and rats with excitotoxic lesions of the RSC on spatial alternation task with varying delay durations and in a separate group of rats, we recorded RSC neuronal activity as the rats performed the alternation task. We found that RSC lesions significantly impaired alternation performance, particularly at the longest delay duration. We also found that RSC neurons exhibited reliably different firing patterns throughout the delay periods preceding left and right trials, consistent with a working memory signal. These differential firing patterns were absent during the delay periods preceding errors. We also found that many RSC neurons exhibit a large spike in firing rate leading up to the start of the trial. Many of these trial start responses also differentiated left and right trials, suggesting that they could play a role in priming the ‘go left’ or ‘go right’ behavioral responses. Our results suggest that these firing patterns represent critical memory information that underlies the RSC role in spatial working memory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108005"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142624624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yvonne Y. Chen , Kathryn J.M. Lambert , Christopher R. Madan , Anthony Singhal
{"title":"Motor-related oscillations reveal the involvement of sensorimotor processes during recognition memory","authors":"Yvonne Y. Chen , Kathryn J.M. Lambert , Christopher R. Madan , Anthony Singhal","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Certain object properties may render an item as more memorable than others. One such property is manipulability, or the extent to which an object can be interacted with using our hands. This study sought to determine if the manipulability of an item modulates memory task performance on both a behavioural and neural level. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from a large sample of right-handed individuals (N = 53) during a visual item recognition memory task. The task contained stimuli of both high and low manipulability. Analysis focused on activity in the theta rhythm (3.5–7 Hz), which has been implicated in sensorimotor integration, and the mu rhythm (8–14 Hz), the primary oscillation associated with sensorimotor related behaviours. At both encoding and retrieval, theta oscillations were greater over the left motor region for high manipulability stimuli, suggesting that an item’s sensorimotor properties are assessed immediately upon presentation. Manipulability did not affect activity in the mu rhythm. However, mu oscillations over the left motor region were lower during the retrieval of old versus new items and response time was faster for old items, aligning with the cortical reinstatement hypothesis. These results collectively reveal an association between motor oscillations and memory processes, highlight the involvement of sensorimotor processing at both encoding and retrieval.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108003"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142558324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sophie Jano , Alex Chatburn , Zachariah R. Cross , Matthias Schlesewsky , Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky
{"title":"How predictability and individual alpha frequency shape memory: Insights from an event-related potential investigation","authors":"Sophie Jano , Alex Chatburn , Zachariah R. Cross , Matthias Schlesewsky , Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prediction and memory are strongly intertwined, with predictions relying on memory retrieval, whilst also influencing memory encoding. However, it is unclear how predictability influences explicit memory performance, and how individual neural factors may modulate this relationship. The current study sought to investigate the effect of predictability on memory processing with an analysis of the N400 event-related potential in a context extending beyond language. Participants (<em>N</em> = 48, females = 33) completed a study-test paradigm where they first viewed predictable and unpredictable four-item ‘ABCD’ sequences of outdoor scene images, whilst their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography. Subsequently, their memory for the images was tested, and N400 patterns during learning were compared with memory outcomes. Behavioural results revealed better memory for images in predictable sequences in contrast to unpredictable sequences. Memory was also strongest for predictable images in the ‘B’ position, suggesting that when processing longer sequences, the brain may prioritise the data deemed most informative. Strikingly, greater N400 amplitudes during learning were associated with enhanced memory at test for individuals with low versus high individual alpha frequencies. In light of the relationship between the N400 and stimulus predictability, this finding may imply that predictive processing differs between individuals to influence the extent of memory encoding. Finally, exploratory analyses provided evidence for a later positivity that was predictive of subsequent memory performance. Ultimately, the results highlight the complex and interconnected relationship between predictive processing and memory, whilst shedding light on the accumulation of predictions across longer sequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108006"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clustering of synaptic engram: Functional and structural basis of memory","authors":"Chaery Lee , Bong-Kiun Kaang","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies on memory engram have demonstrated how experience and learning can be allocated at a neuronal level for centuries. Recently emerging evidence narrowed down further to the synaptic connections and their patterned allocation on dendrites. Notably, groups of synapses within a specific range within dendrites known as ’synaptic clusters’ have been revealed in association with learning and memory. Previous investigations have shown that a variety of factors mediated by both presynaptic inputs and postsynaptic dendrites contribute to clustering. Here, we review the neural mechanism of synaptic clustering and its correlation with memory. We highlight the recent findings about the clustering of synaptic engrams and memory formation and discuss future directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 107993"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pattern separation during encoding and Subsequent Memory Effect","authors":"Laura García-Rueda , Claudia Poch , Pablo Campo","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Memory retrieval has been extensively studied in relation to the encoding processes that precede access to stored information. Event related potentials (ERP) research has compared brain potentials elicited during the study phase of successful and unsuccessful retrieval, finding greater activation for the subsequent retrieval information. In this work we were interested in exploring the neural markers associated to subsequent recognition when similar memories are subsequently encoded. We used a Subsequent Memory paradigm in which we manipulated the number of similar items within a category (2 or 6) that participants encoded. Manipulating the number of similar encoded items within a category allowed us to test whether encoding markers of subsequent recognition depend solely on memory trace strength or, on the contrary, successful recognition is influenced by subsequently presented similar memories, and consequently may not be reflected in higher activation in such cases. After a 20-minute period, participants performed a recognition task providing one of a three-option judgement: “old”, “similar” and “new”, which allowed us to test if the amplitude of ERP waveforms varied based on the similarity judgement of the unrecognized encoded item. We did not observe a significant parietal subsequent memory effect, however, old hits and similar false alarms were both significantly different from similar correct rejections and old false alarms in ERP retrieval. These findings suggest that differences in brain responses between conditions are specifically related to the retrieval process and not the encoding process, indicating potential differential effects on memory during retrieval. Moreover, it is also possible that differences in brain responses develop or change over the rest time between phases, influencing how these conditions manifest across different stages of information processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 107995"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mauro Ursino , Silvana Pelle , Fahima Nekka , Philippe Robaey , Miriam Schirru
{"title":"Valence-dependent dopaminergic modulation during reversal learning in Parkinson’s disease: A neurocomputational approach","authors":"Mauro Ursino , Silvana Pelle , Fahima Nekka , Philippe Robaey , Miriam Schirru","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Reinforcement learning, crucial for behavior in dynamic environments, is driven by rewards and punishments, modulated by dopamine (DA) changes. This study explores the dopaminergic system’s influence on learning, particularly in Parkinson’s disease (PD), where medication leads to impaired adaptability. Highlighting the role of tonic DA in signaling the valence of actions, this research investigates how DA affects response vigor and decision-making in PD. DA not only influences reward and punishment learning but also indicates the cognitive effort level and risk propensity in actions, which are essential for understanding and managing PD symptoms.</p><p>In this work, we adapt our existing neurocomputational model of basal ganglia (BG) to simulate two reversal learning tasks proposed by Cools et al. We first optimized a Hebb rule for both probabilistic and deterministic reversal learning, conducted a sensitivity analysis (SA) on parameters related to DA effect, and compared performances between three groups: PD-ON, PD-OFF, and control subjects.</p><p>In our deterministic task simulation, we explored switch error rates after unexpected task switches and found a U-shaped relationship between tonic DA levels and switch error frequency. Through SA, we classify these three groups. Then, assuming that the valence of the stimulus affects the tonic levels of DA, we were able to reproduce the results by Cools et al.</p><p>As for the probabilistic task simulation, our results are in line with clinical data, showing similar trends with PD-ON, characterized by higher tonic DA levels that are correlated with increased difficulty in both acquisition and reversal tasks.</p><p>Our study proposes a new hypothesis: valence, signaled by tonic DA levels, influences learning in PD, confirming the uncorrelation between phasic and tonic DA changes. This hypothesis challenges existing paradigms and opens new avenues for understanding cognitive processes in PD, particularly in reversal learning tasks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107985"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074742724000960/pdfft?md5=1b32b4c2ce46e97e2c103eaf3c689f30&pid=1-s2.0-S1074742724000960-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth A. Bauer , Patrick A.F. Laing , Samuel E. Cooper , Josh M. Cisler , Joseph E. Dunsmoor
{"title":"Out with the bad, in with the good: A review on augmented extinction learning in humans","authors":"Elizabeth A. Bauer , Patrick A.F. Laing , Samuel E. Cooper , Josh M. Cisler , Joseph E. Dunsmoor","doi":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several leading therapies for anxiety-related disorders rely on the principles of extinction learning. However, despite decades of development and research, many of these treatments remain only moderately effective. Developing techniques to improve extinction learning is an important step towards developing improved and mechanistically-informed exposure-based therapies. In this review, we highlight human research on strategies that might augment extinction learning through reward neurocircuitry and dopaminergic pathways, with an emphasis on counterconditioning and other behaviorally-augmented forms of extinction learning (e.g., novelty-facilitated extinction, positive affect training). We also highlight emerging pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of augmenting extinction, including L-DOPA and aerobic exercise. Finally, we discuss future directions for augmented extinction learning and memory research, including the need for more work examining the influence of individual differences and psychopathology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19102,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107994"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}