Back to Search Start Over

Contributions of striatal dopamine signaling to the modulation of cognitive flexibility.

Authors :
Darvas M
Palmiter RD
Source :
Biological psychiatry [Biol Psychiatry] 2011 Apr 01; Vol. 69 (7), pp. 704-7. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Nov 11.
Publication Year :
2011

Abstract

Background: Although cognitive flexibility is mediated by different areas of the prefrontal cortex, evidence from patients with Parkinson's disease suggests an additional involvement of striatal dopamine (DA) signaling. Because both dorsal and ventral striatum receive prefrontal cortex projections, it is unclear whether DA signaling to either one or both of these regions is required for cognitive flexibility.<br />Methods: Cognitive flexibility was examined with a water U-maze paradigm in which mice had to shift from an initially acquired escape strategy to a new strategy or to reverse the initially learned strategy. We tested mice with conditionally inactive tyrosine hydroxylase genes that can be activated by Cre recombinase. With region-specific viral gene therapy we selectively restricted DA signaling to either dorsal or ventral striatum.<br />Results: Restricting DA signaling to the ventral striatum did not impair learning of the initial strategy or reversal-learning but strongly disrupted strategy-shifting. In contrast, mice with DA signaling restricted to the dorsal striatum had intact learning of the initial strategy, reversal-learning, and strategy-shifting.<br />Conclusions: Dopamine signaling in both dorsal and ventral striatum is sufficient for reversal-learning, whereas only DA signaling in the dorsal striatum is sufficient for the more demanding strategy-shifting task.<br /> (Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1873-2402
Volume :
69
Issue :
7
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Biological psychiatry
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
21074144
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.033