RT Journal Article
T1 Differential contribution of hippocampal circuits to appetitive and consummatory behaviors during operant conditioning of behaving mice
A1 Jurado-Parras, M.T.
A1 Sánchez-Campusano, Raudel
A1 Castellanos, N.P.
A1 Del-Pozo, F.
A1 Gruart, Agnès
A1 Delgado-García, J.M.
K1 Operant conditioning
K1 Hipocampal circuits
K1 Appetitive and Consummatory behaviors
K1 Synaptic strength
K1 Local Field Potentials
AB Operant conditioning is a type of associative learning involving different and complex sensorimotor and cognitive processes. Because the hippocampus has been related to some motor and cognitive functions involved in this type of learning (such as object recognition, spatial orientation, and associative learning tasks), we decided to study in behaving mice the putative changes in strength taking place at the hippocampal CA3–CA1 synapses during the acquisition and performance of an operant conditioning task. Mice were chronically implanted with stimulating electrodes in the Schaffer collaterals and with recording electrodes in the hippocampal CA1 area and trained to an operant task using a fixed- ratio (1:1) schedule. We recorded the field EPSPs (fEPSPs) evoked at the CA3–CA1 synapse during the performance of appetitive (going to the lever, lever press) and consummatory (going to the feeder, eating) behaviors. In addition, we recorded the local field potential activity of the CA1 area during similar behavioral displays. fEPSPs evoked at the CA3–CA1 synapse presented larger amplitudes for appetitive than for consummatory behaviors. This differential change in synaptic strength took place in relation to the learning process, depending mainly on the moment in which mice reached the selected criterion. Thus, selective changes in CA3–CA1 synaptic strength were dependent on both the behavior display and the learning stage. In addition, significant changes in theta band power peaks and their corresponding discrete frequencies were noticed during these behaviors across the sequence of events characterizing this type of associative learning but not during the acquisition process.
PB Society for Neuroscience
YR 2013
FD 2013-02-06
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/19889
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/19889
LA en
NO Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 33, nº 6, p. 2293-2304
NO En este trabajo, demostramos que las señales eléctricas que emite el hipocampo son diferentes dependiendo de la actividad que esté realizando el animal. La frecuencia y forma de las ondas registradas varía en función del comportamiento que se esté ejecutando en ese preciso momento. Dicho de otra forma, observando la señal registrada en el hipocampo podemos conocer, sin observar al animal, la acción que éste está desarrollando en ese momento. Otro de los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo demuestra que las comunicaciones entre dos zonas específicas del hipocampo (denominadas CA3 y CA1) varían haciéndose más fuertes o débiles, dependiendo de la intencionalidad de un determinando comportamiento. De este modo, cuando el ratón realiza un comportamiento consumatorio, como es la ingesta de una pequeña pieza de comida, la eficacia de la sinapsis CA3–CA1 disminuye. En cambio, cuando el animal realiza comportamientos apetitivos, como dirigirse hacia una palanca para presionarla y de esta manera conseguir comida, la fuerza de esta sinapsis aumenta. Ambos resultados muestran que conociéndose la actividad eléctrica hipocampal y la fuerza de las conexiones sinápticas del hipocampo se puede inquirir el comportamiento que está realizando el animal experimental o la intencionalidad de éste.
NO Proyectos de investigaciónMINECO-BFU2011-29089MINECO-BFU2011-29286BIO122/CVI 2487BIO12/P07-CVI-02686
NO Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular
DS RIO
RD May 9, 2026