Circadian Phase-Shifted Rats Show Normal Acquisition but Impaired Long-Term Retention of Place Information in the Water Task

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 51 - 62
• Main Authors: Devan, Bryan D., Goad, Emily H., Petri, Herbert L., Antoniadis, Elena A., Hong, Nancy S., Ko, Caroline H., Leblanc, Lucie, Lebovic, Shoshana S., Lo, Queenie, Ralph, Martin R., McDonald, Robert J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.01.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal; Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; circadian rhythms; consolidation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hippocampus; Hippocampus - physiology; Learning - physiology; Learning. Memory; Male; Memory; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; relational; Retention (Psychology); spatial; Spatial Behavior - physiology; Time Factors; Water; relational; memory; hippocampus; consolidation; circadian rhythms; spatial; Rat; Memory; Rodentia; Spatial orientation; Environmental factor; Spatial ability; Biological rhythm; Circadian rhythm; Experimental study; Learning; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Acquisition process; Coding; Animal; Illumination
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1006/nlme.1999.3957

It is thought that circadian rhythms may influence learning and memory processes. However, research supporting this view does not dissociate a mnemonic impairment from other performance deficits. Furthermore, published reports do not specify the type of memory system influenced by the circadian system. The present study assessed the effects of phase shifting on acquisition and expression of place navigation in the water maze, a task sensitive to hippocampal dysfunction. The results showed that phase-shifting circadian rhythms in rats impaired the expression of place information on a retention test but not initial acquisition or encoding of place information. These results suggest that disruption of circadian rhythms may impair consolidation of previously encoded hippocampal place information.