От "башни молчания" к "движению по форме предметов": идейное наследие Э.В. Ильенкова в современной зоопсихологии

Обсуждается значимость идей Э.В. Ильенкова для современной зоопсихологии и общей психологии. Определяя, как и Э.В. Ильенков, психику животных как их "движение по форме предметов", авторы анализируют релевантные данному определению работы отечественных психологов и антропологов и представляют результаты своих теоретических и эмпирических исследований в контексте идей психологической школы А.Н. Леонтьева, доказывая методологическую несостоятельность весьма распространенного в современной науке "реактивного" понимания психики по схеме "стимул - реакция

Kompleksitas Obyek dan Running-Wheel Mempengaruhi Novel Object Recognition Test pada Mencit (Mus musculus)

This research aimed to confirm the tendency of mice to novel object, effect of exercise (in running-wheel) toward memory of mice and to test tendency of mice in avoiding predator signal in novel object. Novel object recognition test (NORT) used to test the memory the day after acquisition phase (NORT I) and memory one week after exercise was given (running-wheel) (NORT II). The result showed that there was no tendency of mice in exploring toward novel object in both NORT I and NORT II. This might happen because the complexity of familiar object higher than novel object, so the familiar object could accommodate more activities. Exercise using running-wheel in mice had an effect on memory, it could be seen in decreasing duration of object exploration time from NORT I to NORT II. There was no tendency in avoiding predator’s signal on novel object which was attached by urine addition (odor signal)

Perceived location of self.

Evidence suggests that the perceived location of the self is changeable. I replicated Legennhager et al (2007) where participants experienced a perceptual illusion of a relocated self, created by having a participant wear virtual reality goggles that present another's perspective. The goals of this research were to give physiological response evidence to the sentiment that the self is able to be relocated. Many experiments rely only on self-report, despite the wealth of evidence showing that self-report and surveys are often misleading (Dollinger, et al. 2009). Selected from general psychology courses, participants were paired into groups of two. Participants wore virtual reality glasses that were connected by a video cable to a video camera. The camera was fixed on another participant's head, so that the participant was viewing his/her counterpart in three dimensions from above via Vuzix VR (virtual reality) glasses. The researcher appeared to be rubbing the participant on the arm. The BIOPAC system was utilized to measure the physiological response, including galvanic skin response, of the participants, during the experiment. The hypothesis was that the participants would have a physiological response to perceived touch.--Abstract

Exploratory behaviour in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus Linnaeus, 1758: A review

Entende-se comportamento exploratório como uma atividade promovida por um estímulo novo e que consiste em atos e posturas que permitem a coleta de informações sobre um objeto, ou ambiente não familiar. A exploração possui fortes implicações na sobrevivência do indivíduo e na de sua espécie, ao facilitar a familiarização com situações de novidade. Este comportamento tem sido avaliado de forma mais significativa em humanos e só a partir da década de 1950 os estudos com animais não humanos começaram a ocorrer. Para gatos domésticos, a pesquisa nesta área ainda é muito tímida e a compreensão deste comportamento poderá auxiliar nas abordagens relacionadas a enriquecimento ambiental e bem-estar animal. Tendo em vista que o gato é hoje uma espécie de interesse, particularmente como animal de companhia, modelo de estudo para felinos em cativeiro e animal de experimentação, a avaliação da atual situação deste comportamento neste animal poderá auxiliar na busca de uma relação mais adequada com a sua manutenção propiciando um manejo orientado dentro de uma postura ética.It is possible to understand exploratory behaviour as an activity sponsored by a new stimulus, which consists in acts and postures that enable to collect information about an object or an unfamiliar environment. The exploration has strong implications for the survival of the individual and of its specie facilitating familiarization with new situations. This behaviour has been assessed more significantly in humans and only in the 1950 studies with non-human animals began to occur. In cats, research in this area is still very shy, setting a worrying scenario as the understanding of this behaviour may help in the approaches related to environmental enrichment and animal welfare. Considering that the cat is now an animal of interest such as pet, study model for felids in general and animal experimentation, evaluation of the current situation of this behaviour can help the search for a more ethical relationship with these felids

Exploratory behaviour in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus Linnaeus, 1758: A review

Entende-se comportamento exploratório como uma atividade promovida por um estímulo novo e que consiste em atos e posturas que permitem a coleta de informações sobre um objeto, ou ambiente não familiar. A exploração possui fortes implicações na sobrevivência do indivíduo e na de sua espécie, ao facilitar a familiarização com situações de novidade. Este comportamento tem sido avaliado de forma mais significativa em humanos e só a partir da década de 1950 os estudos com animais não humanos começaram a ocorrer. Para gatos domésticos, a pesquisa nesta área ainda é muito tímida e a compreensão deste comportamento poderá auxiliar nas abordagens relacionadas a enriquecimento ambiental e bem-estar animal. Tendo em vista que o gato é hoje uma espécie de interesse, particularmente como animal de companhia, modelo de estudo para felinos em cativeiro e animal de experimentação, a avaliação da atual situação deste comportamento neste animal poderá auxiliar na busca de uma relação mais adequada com a sua manutenção propiciando um manejo orientado dentro de uma postura ética.It is possible to understand exploratory behaviour as an activity sponsored by a new stimulus, which consists in acts and postures that enable to collect information about an object or an unfamiliar environment. The exploration has strong implications for the survival of the individual and of its specie facilitating familiarization with new situations. This behaviour has been assessed more significantly in humans and only in the 1950 studies with non-human animals began to occur. In cats, research in this area is still very shy, setting a worrying scenario as the understanding of this behaviour may help in the approaches related to environmental enrichment and animal welfare. Considering that the cat is now an animal of interest such as pet, study model for felids in general and animal experimentation, evaluation of the current situation of this behaviour can help the search for a more ethical relationship with these felids

Novel Tests of Complex Recognition Memory in Animals and Humans

This thesis sought to address specific methodological issues relating to tasks of recognition memory in animals and humans. Such tasks are very widely used, so the need to reduce variability and improve the translation of animal work to humans is apparent. Study 1 sought to develop a reliable testing method based on the spontaneous recognition paradigm that would reduce the animal numbers required for such tasks. Rats displayed significant performance in multiple recognition tasks carried out in the continual trials apparatus, which allows for multiple trials within a session. Approximately 50% fewer animals were required for statistically meaningful results, compared to studies using the standard one trial a day paradigm. Study 2 sought to further develop the continual trials apparatus for an episodic-like memory task for rodents. This study focussed on the development of an object preference task to investigate the behavioural parameters that would affect recognition in the test phase of the E-maze task. Study 3 aimed to investigate whether the continual trials apparatus could be effectively applied with immediate-early gene imaging during a recognition memory task. Animals tested with novel stimuli showed greater fos expression than animals tested with familiar objects, though not significantly. Finally, Study 4 focussed on the translation of animal models of memory to humans. The analysis of receiver-operating characteristics was used to derive a quantifiable distinction between recollection- and familiarity-based processes of recognition, in a task based on paradigms typically used with rodents. The key findings of the work in this thesis include evidence of substantial animal reduction using a new behavioural apparatus for assessing recognition memory in rodents, and the successful development of an analogous human task of memory in which processes of recognition can be dissociated and quantified. These two key findings make a significant contribution to the field of recognition memory research as the new rodent behavioural tasks are a clear improvement on standard tasks with the potential to reduce variance and animal numbers, and reducing the reliance on human subjects’ introspective accounts of memory in Study 4 provides a shift away towards better controlled behavioural studies in humans, which more closely reflects the studies carried out with animals, and provides strong validation for particular animal models. Through further validation, the simplicity of the human memory task could make it a useful candidate for assessing different forms of recognition memory with neuropsychological subjects

Perceptual Strategies and Neuronal Underpinnings underlying Pattern Recognition through Visual and Tactile Sensory Modalities in Rats

The aim of my PhD project was to investigate multisensory perception and multimodal recognition abilities in the rat, to better understand the underlying perceptual strategies and neuronal mechanisms. I have chosen to carry out this project on the laboratory rat, for two reasons. First, the rat is a flexible and highly accessible experimental model, where it is possible to combine state-of-the-art neurophysiological approaches (such as multi-electrode neuronal recordings) with behavioral investigation of perception and (more in general) cognition. Second, extensive research concerning multimodal integration has already been conducted in this species, both at the neurophysiological and behavioral level. My thesis work has been organized in two projects: a psychophysical assessment of object categorization abilities in rats, and a neurophysiological study of neuronal tuning in the primary visual cortex of anaesthetized rats. In both experiments, unisensory (visual and tactile) and multisensory (visuo-tactile) stimulation has been used for training and testing, depending on the task. The first project has required development of a new experimental rig for the study of object categorization in rat, using solid objects, so as to be able to assess their recognition abilities under different modalities: vision, touch and both together. The second project involved an electrophysiological study of rat primary visual cortex, during visual, tactile and visuo-tactile stimulation, with the aim of understanding whether any interaction between these modalities exists, in an area that is mainly deputed to one of them. The results of both of the studies are still preliminary, but they already offer some interesting insights on the defining features of these abilities

Ustanovení neměnného chování potkanů v nové úloze asociativního učení na jeden pokus (OTTAT)

Animální modely paměti epizodického typu představují důležitou složku výzkumu epizodické paměti. Současně dostupné úlohy testující paměť epizodického typu však zcela nereflektují epizodickou paměť nebo vykazují důležité metodologické nedostatky. V naší laboratoři jsme nedávno vytvořili novou úlohu asociativního učení na jeden pokus (OTTAT), která testuje asociaci časově oddělených stimulů prezentovaných pouze jednou. Tato práce se zabývá zdokonalením protokolu OTTAT prostřednictvím výběru kmene potkanů a charakteristik děliče přihrádek aparátu ("dvířka"), které vedou k optimálnímu ustanovení neměnného chování potkanů v OTTAT. Dále byla testována přesnost asociací vytvořených při OTTAT určením specifity reakce "rychlý únik" vůči podmíněnému podnětu dané zvukové charakteristiky. V experimentu 1 byli potkani (Sprague-Dawley (SD), n = 36; Wistar (WI), n = 17; Long-Evans (LE), n = 8) denně 15 minut po dobu 3 dnů habituováni modifikovanému aparátu se světlou a tmavou přihrádkou (L/D) a se standardními dvířky (otvor 9 x 11 cm). Počty přechodů mezi přihrádkami a časy strávené ve tmavé přihrádce získané ze 3. habituačního sezení byly vyhodnoceny jakožto indikátory neměnného chování potkanů. Zjistili jsme, že potkani WI strávili signifikantně více času ve tmavé přihrádce než potkani LE (p = 0.002) a SD (p =...Animal episodic-like memory tasks represent important component of episodic memory research. However, currently available episodic-like memory tasks are not based on episodic-like memory or encompass important caveats. In our laboratory, we recently devised a novel one-trial trace association task (OTTAT) to examine one-time associations of temporally discontinuous stimuli. This thesis deals with the improvement of OTTAT protocol by rat strain and compartment divider ('doors') selection which optimally promote the establishment of invariable behaviour of rats in OTTAT. Moreover, the accuracy of one-trial associations is also assessed by determining specificity of "rapid escape" response to conditioned stimulus of given sound characteristics. In Experiment 1, rats (Sprague-Dawley (SD), n = 36; Wistar (WI), n = 17; Long-Evans (LE), n = 8) were habituated 15 min daily for 3 days with standard doors (9 x 11 cm opening) to modified light and dark apparatus. The number of transfers between compartments and values of time spent in dark compartment obtained from 3rd habituation session were evaluated as indicators of invariable behaviour of rats. We found WI rats spend significantly more time in dark compartment than LE (p = 0.002) and SD rats (p = 0.001) and have significantly fewer transfers than LE rats...Department of PhysiologyKatedra fyziologieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

The Effects of Acute Nicotine Administration on Memory Formation and Neural Activity in the Hippocampus, Perirhinal Cortex, and Medial Septum: Implications for Neurodegenerative Disorders

Within the general public, nicotine is commonly thought of as a harmful molecule due to its role in tobacco addiction. However, nicotinic stimulation of the cholinergic system has also been shown to enhance cognitive functioning. This enhancement is thought to be caused by an increase in the release of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), which is responsible for mediating a variety of cognitive processes, such as REM sleep and memory formation. Recent research by Melichercik and colleagues shows that systemic nicotine administration enhances memory acquisition for both object location and object recognition memory in rats, as assessed by a modified version of the novel object recognition test (NOR). Using a standard NOR test we were able to reproduce their behavioral results: systemic nicotine administration enhances object recognition memory acquisition. Furthermore, we show for the first time that these behavioral results can be correlated with an increase in neuronal activation in the medial septum using immunohistochemical techniques. This research has implications for understanding the pathology that underlies neurodegenerative disorders with cholinergic involvement such as Alzheimer’s Disease