Adult-Born Hippocampal Neurons Promote Cognitive Flexibility in Mice

摘要: The hippocampus is involved in segregating memories, an ability that utilizes the neural process of pattern separation and allows for cognitive flexibility. We evaluated a proposed role adult hippocampal neurogenesis flexibility using variants active place avoidance task two independent methods ablating adult-born neurons, focal X-irradiation hippocampus, genetic ablation glial fibrillary acidic protein positive progenitor cells, mice. found did not impair to learn initial location shock zone. However, when conflict was introduced by switching zone opposite side room, irradiated transgenic mice entered new significantly more than their respective controls. This impairment associated with increased upregulation immediate early gene Arc dorsal dentate gyrus, suggesting modulating network excitability and/or synaptic plasticity. Additional experiments revealed were also impaired learning avoid rotating it added initially learned stationary zone, but unimpaired identical simultaneous variant if experience avoidance. Impaired could be attributed deficit extinction or inability different environment. Together these results demonstrate contributes requires changing response stimulus-evoked memory.