| Reference code: | PT/FB/BL-2008-134.03 |
| Location: | Arquivo PCA - Pasta 22/2008
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Title:
| How does cognitive enrichment impact on neuronal networks and behavioral performance?
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| Publication year: | 2012
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URL:
| http://www.bial.com/imagem/Bial%20Sonhos%20Miolo_Total%20Bolsas.pdf
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| Abstract/Results: | ABSTRACT:
Introduction: Several studies in animal models have demonstrated that chronic stress exposure
induces alterations in the structure and function of the hippocampal formation and medial
prefrontal (mPFC). Also relevant, was the finding that such functional and structural changes
partially reverted following cessation of stress exposure; importantly, functional recovery was
correlated with synaptogenesis and dendritic plasticity, at least in the hippocampus.
Objective: The present study aimed to assess the ability of cognitive stimulation to abrogate the
negative effects of chronic stress exposure on learning and memory performances.
Methods: As it is conceivable that specific cognitive stimulation differently enhance brain circuits,
rats free of stress-exposure (CON) and animals previously submitted to chronic unpredictable
stress (CUS) were submitted to spatial reference memory stimulus using the hole board (RM)
paradigm (CON+RM and CUS+RM) while others were trained in a T-maze (WM), a working memory
tasks (CON+WM and CUS+WM).
Results: Behavioral data confirms that stress impairs both reference and working memory.
Importantly, these behavioural underperformances were reverted with cognitive tasks.
Interestingly, however, each individual task ameliorates predominantly that specific cognitive
behaviour, which reinforces the view that neuronal plasticity is circuit-dependent. Structural
analysis of animals submitted chronic stress reveals a trend to recovery of neuropil changes in the
hippocampal formation, but not in the mPFC, after reference memory stimulation (CUS+RM).
Conversely, after working memory stimulation there’s a trend towards recovery of neuropil
changes in the mPFC but not in the hippocampus.
Conclusion and discussion: In conclusion, these preliminary results suggest that reinforcement of
specific cognitive circuits (“cognitive-enrichment”) triggers synaptic plasticity mainly within the
brain circuits implicated in that particular task. These basic experimental procedures provide an
insight on the ability to recover from stress-induced impairments in animal models, which might
prove relevant in the pathogenesis and recovery of several neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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| Accessibility: | Document does not exist in file
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Language:
| eng
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Author:
| Cerqueira, J.
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Secondary author(s):
| Spínola, I., Carvalho, I., Morgado, P., Taipa, R.
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Document type:
| Conference abstract
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Number of reproductions:
| 1
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Reference:
| Cerqueira, J., Spínola, I., Carvalho, I., Morgado, P. & Taipa, R. (2012). How does cognitive enrichment impact on neuronal networks and behavioral performance? In Aquém e além do cérebro. Behind and beyond the brain. Proceedings of the 9th Symposium of Fundação Bial (p. 43/63). Porto: Fundação Bial.
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| Indexed document: | No
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| Keywords: | Chronic stress / Plasticity / Long-term potentiation
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