Presentation By: Carmine Ciccone Spencer Jenkyns Jared Kunar Brooke MacKinnon Malcolm Pilgrim

1. Summary of: Distinct Components of Spatial Learning Revealed by Prior Training and NMDA Receptor Blockade Presentation By: Carmine Ciccone Spencer Jenkyns Jared Kunar Brooke MacKinnon Malcolm Pilgrim

2. Brooke MacKinnon Overview • Four experiments to come to an accurate conclusion • What is Spatial Learning? • How does the Hippocampus play a role in spatial learning? • What is an LTP? • What role do NMDA receptors play in LTP?

3. Brooke MacKinnon Experiment 1Methods • Lister rats had to complete a Morris Water Maze test • Rats were affixed with minipumps and divided into two groups: AP5 and aCSF • One trial per day and could not complete transfer tests

4. Brooke MacKinnon Experiment 1Results • AP5 prevents learning • ~20µM of AP5 required to block NMDA receptors

5. Brooke MacKinnon Experiment 1Conclusion • AP5 has an affect on learning the task

6. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 2Method • Rats were trained to complete a Morris Water Maze task in a training room • Minipumps with either AP5 and aCSF were added to the test rats and control rats respectively • Rats were tested in a different room than they were trained

7. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 2Results • Rats that received AP5 were still able to learn • Learning was slower than control group • Both control and test rats always looked into the same quadrants as they were trained

8. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 2Conclusions • Spatial pre-training ameliorated AP5 deficit • The level of AP5 given was enough for the prevention of LTP • Was not solely a drug disruption

9. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 3Method • Three groups of rats were made: • Ibutenic acid lesioned group • Sham surgery group • Control group • Rats were trained in a separate room from where they were tested in

10. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 3Results • Lesioned induced deficit in escaped latency and transferred test performance was apparent.

11. Malcolm Pilgrim Experiment 3Conclusion • Spatial learning is dependant of the hippocampus in this task

12. Carmine Ciccone Experiment 4Method • Curtains were placed around the Morris Water Maze to prevent the rats from using outside cues • Platform was placed in different locations within the water maze • Repetition of experiment 1

13. Carmine Ciccone Experiment 4Results • The AP5 Defecit returned

14. Carmine Ciccone Experiment 4 Conclusion • Non-spatial learning is not sufficient to prevent the AP5 deficit.

15. Carmine Ciccone Conclusions • Rats that were not pre-trained with AP5 showed no evidence of learning • Rats with non-spatial pre-training showed an intermediate amount of learning with AP5 • Rats with spatial pre-training largely ameliorated the learning deficit

16. References • Title Slide Image: http://www.6seconds.org/images-static/neuron.jpg • All graphs taken from: Bannerman, D. M., Good, M. A., Butcher, S. P., Ramsay, M., & Morris, R. G. M. (1995). Distinct components of spatial learning revealed by prior training and NMDA receptor blockade. Nature, 378,182-186.