Neurogenesis and learning: Acquisition and asymptotic performance predict how many new cells survive in the hippocampus

Dalla, Christina; Bangasser, Debra A.; Edgecomb, Carol; Shors, Tracey J.

doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2007.02.003

Cited by 64 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…Nevertheless, the correlation between performance and cell survival was evident in the first experiment when neurons were <2 wk of age, and again in the second experiment, when neurons were mature at nearly 4 wk of age. The data presented here are consistent with a recent report in which individual differences in learning related to the number of cells that survive after training (Dalla et al 2007). In that study, animals were exposed to either trace eyeblink conditioning or contiguous trace conditioning.…”

Section: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press On May 11 2018 -Publishsupporting

confidence: 92%

Neurogenesis and the spacing effect: Learning over time enhances memory and the survival of new neurons

Sisti¹,

Glass²,

Shors³

2007

Learn. Mem.

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158

111

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Information that is spaced over time is better remembered than the same amount of information massed together. This phenomenon, known as the spacing effect, was explored with respect to its effect on learning and neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation. Because the cells are generated over time and because learning enhances their survival, we hypothesized that training with spaced trials would rescue more new neurons from death than the same number of massed trials. In the first experiment, animals trained with spaced trials in the Morris water maze outperformed animals trained with massed trials, but there was not a direct effect of trial spacing on cell survival. Rather, animals that learned well retained more cells than animals that did not learn or learned poorly. Moreover, performance during acquisition correlated with the number of cells remaining in the dentate gyrus after training. In the second experiment, the time between blocks of trials was increased. Consequently, animals trained with spaced trials performed as well as those trained with massed, but remembered the location better two weeks later. The strength of that memory correlated with the number of new cells remaining in the hippocampus. Together, these data indicate that learning, and not mere exposure to training, enhances the survival of cells that are generated 1 wk before training. They also indicate that learning over an extended period of time induces a more persistent memory, which then relates to the number of cells that reside in the hippocampus.

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Section: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press On May 11 2018 -Publishsupporting

confidence: 92%

Neurogenesis and the spacing effect: Learning over time enhances memory and the survival of new neurons

Sisti¹,

Glass²,

Shors³

2007

Learn. Mem.

Self Cite

158

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In previous studies, the increase in cell survival after training was preferentially expressed in animals that learned, defined as those animals that expressed CRs on at least 60% of the trials in a session. The increase in survival did not occur in animals that were exposed to the same number of trials but did not learn to express the CR (8). In the present study, we replicated this finding and extend it to include females; the number of surviving cells was elevated in animals emitting CRs on at least 60% of the trials within a session (n ϭ 7 males and n ϭ 7 females) (F (1,27) ϭ 7.4, P ϭ 0.01) ( Fig.…”

Section: Females Outperform Males During Training With Trace Eyeblinkmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Adult neurogenesis in the rat hippocampus is affected by learning and is perhaps involved in related processes (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Specifically, it has been shown that learning a new task enhances the survival of the new cells that were generated in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus 1 week before the training began (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13), while it has no effect on other neurogenic regions, such as the subventricular zone (11). The vast majority of these surviving cells differentiate into neurons and many are incorporated into the circuitry of the hippocampus (7,12,14,15).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vast majority of these surviving cells differentiate into neurons and many are incorporated into the circuitry of the hippocampus (7,12,14,15). However, this effect of training on cell survival only occurs if animals are trained on a relatively difficult task and only if they learn the task well (8,13,16). Learning a trace eyeblink conditioning task is relatively difficult and successful learning ensures the survival of many, if not most, of the new cells that are available for rescue at the time of training (8,(11)(12)(13)17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this effect of training on cell survival only occurs if animals are trained on a relatively difficult task and only if they learn the task well (8,13,16). Learning a trace eyeblink conditioning task is relatively difficult and successful learning ensures the survival of many, if not most, of the new cells that are available for rescue at the time of training (8,(11)(12)(13)17). Learning a similar task, known as delay conditioning, is much easier and does not rescue new neurons from death (11,13,17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female rats learn trace memories better than male rats and consequently retain a greater proportion of new neurons in their hippocampi

Dalla

Papachristos

Whetstone

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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107

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Learning increases the survival of new cells that are generated in the hippocampal formation before the training experience, especially if the animal learns to associate stimuli across time [Gould E, Beylin A, Tanapat P, Reeves A, Shors TJ (1999) Nat Neurosci 2:260 -265]. All relevant studies have been conducted on male rats, despite evidence for sex differences in this type of learning. In the present study, we asked whether sex differences in learning influence the survival of neurons generated in the adult hippocampus. Male and female adult rats were injected with one dose of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; 200 mg/kg), to label one population of dividing cells. One week later, half of the animals were trained with a temporal learning task of trace eyeblink conditioning, while the other half were not trained. Animals were killed 1 day after training (12 days after the BrdU injection). Hippocampal tissue was stained for BrdU and a marker of immature neurons, doublecortin. Both sexes learned to emit the conditioned eyeblink response during the trace interval. As a consequence, more new neurons remained in their hippocampi than in sex-matched controls. In individual animals, the number of surviving cells correlated positively with asymptotic performance; those that expressed more learned responses retained more new neurons. However, animals that learned very well retained even more new cells if they required many trials to do so. Because females emitted more learned responses than males did, they retained nearly twice as many new cells per unit volume of tissue. This effect was most evident in the ventral region of the hippocampal formation. Thus, sex differences in learning alter the anatomical structure of the hippocampus. As a result, male and female brains continue to differentiate in adulthood.eyeblink conditioning ͉ learning ͉ neurogenesis ͉ sex differences ͉ stem cell

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The XVth World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, October 7–11, 2007: Rapporteur summaries of oral presentations

Alkelai

Baum

Carless

et al. 2008

American J of Med Genetics Pt B

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The World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG) has become an annual event since the early 1990's sponsored by the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG). Each year the latest published and unpublished findings are aired for discussion by representatives of the majority of research programs on this topic world-wide. The 2007 congress was held in New York City and attracted over 1000 researchers. The topics emphasized included results from whole genome association studies, the significance of copy number variation and the important contributions of epigenetic events to psychiatric disorders. There were over 20 oral sessions devoted to these and other topics of interest. Young investigator recipients of travel awards served as rapporteurs to summarize sessions and these summaries follow.

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Neurogenesis and learning: Acquisition and asymptotic performance predict how many new cells survive in the hippocampus

Cited by 64 publications

References 29 publications

Neurogenesis and the spacing effect: Learning over time enhances memory and the survival of new neurons

Neurogenesis and the spacing effect: Learning over time enhances memory and the survival of new neurons

Female rats learn trace memories better than male rats and consequently retain a greater proportion of new neurons in their hippocampi

The XVth World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, October 7–11, 2007: Rapporteur summaries of oral presentations

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