LOCUS COERULEUS IN COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN INFANCY

蓝斑在婴儿期认知功能中的作用

• 批准号: 2206869
• 负责人: REGINA Marie SULLIVAN
• 金额: $ 8.91万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-09-01 至 2000-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2206869
• 关键词: acetylcholine; association learning; developmental neurobiology; human subject; infant human (0-1 year); laboratory rat; locus coeruleus; neurophysiology; neurotransmitter receptor; newborn animals; norepinephrine; olfactions; olfactory lobe

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The goal of the PI's research is to understand the development of simple cognitive function in neonates. Throughout an organism's life span, there are periods of time when learning is potentiated. This facilitated learning is presumably due to changes in an underlying neural structure. The goal of the present proposal is to document the changing characteristics of a specific brain area and its functional significance in potentiated learning in infancy. The PI's previous research has characterized a developmental epoch in infant rats in which the ability of pups to learn is greatly enhanced. However, this potentiated learning is not expressed through more rapid learning, attenuated extinction or longer retention. Instead, the significant factor for this potentiated learning appears to be based on the broad spectrum of stimuli which can function as reward for infants. For example, pairing an odor with either tactile stimulation, tailpinch or intra-oral milk infusions results in a subsequent odor preference. This "sensitive period" for learning takes place during the first two weeks of the rat pup's life. Through her previous work, the PI has demonstrated that norepinephrine is critical for learning during this "sensitive period". Blocking norepinephrine prevents olfactory learning. Furthermore, pairing an odor with norepinephrine is sufficient to produce an odor preference. Additionally, manipulation of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus also influences learning: stimulating the locus coeruleus during an odor presentation is sufficient to produce an odor preference and lesioning this brain area prevents learning. Work from other laboratories has demonstrated that the noradrenergic locus coeruleus has unique characteristics during the olfactory learning "sensitive period" which greatly increases its response to stimulation. Indeed, the locus coeruleus is activated by the same unique broad spectrum of stimuli which can function as reward in infants. For example, in contrast to the adult locus coeruleus, the neonatal locus coeruleus exhibits a robust response to tactile stimulation and tailpinch. Qualitative and quantitative properties of receptors, as well as biophysical properties of locus coeruleus neurons appear to be responsible for the unique response characteristics of the neonatal locus coeruleus. The specific goal of the present proposal is to explore the relationship between the "sensitive period" for learning and the immature locus coeruleus. To this end, the unique characteristics of the locus coeruleus will be manipulated to assess its effects during learning. Additionally, the locus coeruleus's role in learning in other sensory systems will be assessed to determine whether the locus coeruleus has a more general role in neonatal learning.

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：PI的目标 研究是了解简单认知功能的发展 在新生儿。在整个生物的寿命中，都有 学习增强的时间。这种促进的学习是 大概是由于潜在神经结构的变化。目标 目前的建议是记录不断变化的特征 特定的大脑区域及其在增强的功能意义 婴儿期学习。 PI先前的研究表征了 幼崽学习能力的婴儿大鼠大大提高了。 但是，这种增强的学习不是通过更快地表达 学习，减弱灭绝或更长的保留。相反， 这项增强学习的重要因素似乎是基于 可以充当婴儿的奖励的广泛刺激。 例如，将气味与任何两种触觉刺激配对 或口腔内牛奶输注会导致随后的气味偏好。 这个“敏感时期”的学习发生在前两个 老鼠幼崽一生的几周。 通过她以前的工作，PI证明了去甲肾上腺素 在这个“敏感时期”中学习至关重要。阻塞 去甲肾上腺素可防止嗅觉学习。此外，配对 去甲肾上腺素的气味足以产生气味偏好。 此外，还操纵去甲肾上腺素基因座 影响学习：刺激气味期间的基因座 表现足以产生气味偏好和病变 这个大脑区域可防止学习。来自其他实验室的工作 证明去甲肾上腺素能层具有独特的 嗅觉学习“敏感时期”期间的特征 大大增加了对刺激的反应。确实，该基因座 凝结被相同独特的刺激范围激活 可以用作婴儿的奖励。例如，与 成年基因座二元，新生儿基因座共杜鹃表现出 对触觉刺激和尾矿的强烈反应。定性和 受体的定量特性以及生物物理特性 基因座神经元似乎是造成独特的原因 新生儿基因座的响应特征。 本提议的具体目标是探索关系 在学习的“敏感时期”和未成熟基因座之间 凝结。为此，该基因座的独特特征 将操纵凝血来评估其在学习过程中的影响。 此外，座位点在学习其他感觉中的作用 将评估系统以确定核位点是否具有 在新生儿学习中起着更一般的作用。