Circadian modulation of passive avoidance is not eliminated in arrhythmic hamsters with suprachiasmatic nucleus lesions. 2012

Sean W Cain, and Jennifer A Chalmers, and Martin R Ralph
Centre for Biological Timing and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Room 4020, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada. swcain@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

The expression of passive avoidance (PA) learning in rats displays a daily or circadian rhythm in that optimal performance is displayed when the time of testing matches the time of training. Lesions of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were later shown to abolish this rhythm. Using golden hamsters, we have since demonstrated similar rhythms of performance in a conditioned place avoidance (CPA) task but unlike the PA results in rats, the rhythmic expression of CPA was maintained in arrhythmic hamsters with lesions of the SCN. We determined whether PA performance in hamsters is dependent on the SCN (as in the rat) or independent (as in the hamster CPA). Performance on the PA task was rhythmic in intact control animals with optimal performance occurring when training and testing time matched and significantly diminished at both 6h before and 6h after training time. SCN-lesions, verified by the loss of behavioral circadian rhythms, had no effect on the rhythmic expression. Therefore, time of day modulation of PA performance in the hamster does not depend on the SCN circadian clock.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D011930 Reaction Time The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed. Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D003216 Conditioning, Operant Learning situations in which the sequence responses of the subject are instrumental in producing reinforcement. When the correct response occurs, which involves the selection from among a repertoire of responses, the subject is immediately reinforced. Instrumental Learning,Learning, Instrumental,Operant Conditioning,Conditionings, Operant,Instrumental Learnings,Learnings, Instrumental,Operant Conditionings
D004195 Disease Models, Animal Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases. Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D006224 Cricetinae A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS. Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001362 Avoidance Learning A response to a cue that is instrumental in avoiding a noxious experience. Aversion Behavior,Aversion Learning,Aversive Behavior,Aversive Learning,Avoidance Behavior,Aversion Behaviors,Aversive Behaviors,Avoidance Behaviors,Behavior, Aversion,Behavior, Aversive,Behavior, Avoidance,Behaviors, Aversion,Behaviors, Aversive,Behaviors, Avoidance,Learning, Aversion,Learning, Aversive,Learning, Avoidance
D013493 Suprachiasmatic Nucleus An ovoid densely packed collection of small cells of the anterior hypothalamus lying close to the midline in a shallow impression of the OPTIC CHIASM. Hypothalamic Suprachiasmatic Nuclei,Hypothalamic Suprachiasmatic Nucleus,Suprachiasmatic Nuclei,Suprachiasmatic Nuclei, Hypothalamic,Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Hypothalamic

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