Mecanismos cerebrales de la memoria de reconocimiento

Se revisarán resultados obtenidos empleando modelos animales de memoria de reconocimiento visual y gustativa con especial énfasis en la participación de la corteza perirhinal y los cambios asociados a la edad.La memoria es un proceso activo por el que se consolidan y actualizan los cambios en la organización funcional del Sistema Nervioso inducidos por la experiencia. Se trata de un campo de estudio complejo ya que solo tenemos acceso consciente a una parte de la memoria y diversos tipos de memoria dependen de distintos circuitos neuronales. La investigación sobre los mecanismos cerebrales implicados en aprender y recordar exige el empleo de la aproximación psicobiológica que combina estrategias y técnicas aplicables a diversos niveles de análisis del Sistema Nervioso y, en buena medida, se beneficia de la existencia de modelos animales.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Choline: An Essential Nutrient for Human Health

MICIU (Spain), grant number PID2020-114269GB-I00JUNTA DE ANDALUCIA, FEDER (Spain), grant number BSEJ.514.UGR2

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive aging

Aging is a normal developmental process associated with neurobiological changes leading to cognitive alterations with preserved, impaired, and enhanced functions. Evidence from animal and human studies is reviewed to explore the potential role of hippocampal plasticity on age-related cognitive changes with special attention to adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Results from lesion and stimulation strategies, as well as correlation data, support either a direct or modulatory role for adult newborn neurons in cognition at advanced ages. Further research on this topic may help to develop new treatments and to improve the quality of life of older people

Régimen laboral especial en el sistema penitenciario para las personas privadas de libertad

El presente trabajo es producto de una investigación referente a la problemática del trabajo existente dentro del sistema penitenciario peruano, es decir la problemática laboral de las personas privadas de libertad dentro de los establecimientos penitenciarios. es preciso señalar que este trabajo está orientado a proteger el derecho al trabajo en general reconocido como derecho fundamental y un medio de realización de la persona, este trabajo pretende buscar demostrar que mediante el aporte juddico a través de un proyecto de ley que proteja los derechos labora les, benefic ios soc iale s que se puedan dar dentro de la situación de privado de libertad, pudiendo así lograr inculcar amor por el trabajo y lograr el fin de la pena que es la resocialización mediante la protección del trabajo. En este trabajo de investigación se ha tomado al trabajo como derecho fundamental el cual va permitir a los internos dentro de los establecimientos penitenciarios poder lograr realizar una labor y esta podrá ser conseguida mediante su trabajo, así mismo enfatizo en el trabajo para logar el objetivo que es la resocialización del privado de libertad conseguir lograr que la persona pue da tener un modo de vida distinto y que pueda ser logrado por un trabajo. que se respete su derecho al trabajo, mediante la creación de normas laborales aplicables a la situación de privación de libertad, es así que he tomado legislación comparada en donde se aplica actualmente el tema de los derechos laborales y se aplica de manera concreta el derecho al trabajo como tal, siendo primordial para la investigación planteada en el presente trabajo de investigación

Prefrontal cortex activity patterns during taste neophobia habituation in adult and aged rats

Age-related memory decline has been associated with changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) function. In order to explore the role of mPFC in taste recognition memory, we have assessed mPFC c-Fos immunoreactivity in adult (5-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) male Wistar rats during the first (Novel), second (Familiar I), and sixth (Familiar II) exposure to a cider vinegar solution. Adult brains showed higher c-Fos expression in the ventral but not the dorsal region of mPFC during the second taste exposure. Interestingly, old brains exhibited an altered activity pattern selectively in the dorsal peduncular cortex (DP) which can be associated with a delayed attenuation of vinegar neophobia in this group. These results support the involvement of this area in the formation of safe taste memory. Further research is needed for understanding the role of DP in taste recognition memory and the impact of aging on it

Effect of hippocampal 6-OHDA lesions on the contextual modulation of taste recognition memory

Taste recognition memory is evident in rodents because the initial neophobia to novel tastes attenuates across exposures as the taste becomes familiar and safe. This attenuation of taste neophobia (AN) is context-dependent and an auditory background change could induce the recovery of the neophobic response. The AN auditory context-dependency requires the hippocampal integrity but the neurochemical mechanisms underlying the interaction with the taste memory circuit remain unexplored. We have applied pharmacological intervention by 6-hidroxydopamine (6-OHDA) hippocampal lesion for assessing the role of catecholamines in the hippocampal system to Wistar rats that drank a novel 3% vinegar solution for several consecutive days. Additionally, we manipulated the auditory background as a context that could either change or remain constant across all the drinking sessions. We found that a disruption of the context-dependent AN was induced by intracerebral administration of 6-OHDA targeted to the ventral CA1 hippocampus (vCA1). We conclude that the ability of the auditory context to modulate taste recognition memory involves the catecholaminergic activity in the ventral hippocampal circuit for the proper acquisition of safe taste memory.MINECO. Spain PSI2017-86381-PMECD, Spain FPU14/0153

Differential activity pattern of c-Fos in the nucleus accumbens between adult and aged rats during flavor recognition memory

Previous studies have addressed the role of the nucleus accumbens core (NAcbC) and shell (NAcbSh) in taste aversion learning and in the processing of taste palatability which is affected by aging. However, little is known about its implication in safe taste memory and the aging impact. To explore the role of the NAcb in flavor neophobia and its attenuation during aging, we applied c-Fos immunohistochemistry as an index of neural activity of the NAcbC and NAcbSh. Twenty one adult (5-month-old) and 24 aged (24-month-old) male Wistar rats were exposed to a 3% cider vinegar solution for 1, 2 or 6 consecutive days (n = 7 adult and n = 8 aged rats per group). Aged rats exhibited slower attenuation of flavor neophobia than adult rats. Adult rats showed increased NAcbSh c-Fos activity on day 2 compared to days 1 and 6, while this increase was delayed to day 6 in aged rats. There were no differences in the number of NAcbC c-Fos positive cells. This suggests that changes in the activity of neural circuits of palatability processing during normal aging could contribute to the slower attenuation of flavor neophobia in aged rats.PSI2014-57643-P, PSI2017-86381-P (MINECO. Spain) FPU14/01531 (predoctoral fellowship to A.B. Grau-Perales by MECD, Spain)

Increased N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Expression in Amygdala and Perirhinal Cortex during Habituation of Taste Neophobia

Interactions between GluR2 and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) mediate AMPA receptors trafficking. This might be linked with molecular mechanisms related with memory formation. Previous research has shown basolateral amygdala (BLA) dependent activity changes in the perirhinal cortex (PRh) during the formation of taste memory. In the present experiments we investigate both the behavioral performance and the expression profile of NSF and GluR2 genes in several brain areas, including PRh, BLA, and hippocampus. Twenty-one naive male Wistar rats were exposed to a saccharin solution (0.4%) during the first (novel), the second (Familiar I), and the sixth presentation (Familiar II). Total RNA was extracted and gene expression was measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR) using TaqMan gene expression assays. In addition the expression of the synaptic plasticity related immediate early genes, Homer 1 and Narp, was also assessed. We have found increased expression of NSF gene in BLA and PRh in Group Familiar I in comparison with Familiar II. No changes in the expression of GluR2, Homer 1, and Narp genes were found. The results suggest the relevance of a potential network in the temporal lobe for taste recognition memory and open new possibilities for understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating the impact of sensory experience on brain circuit function.This research was supported by Grants PSI2011-23702 and PSI2014-57643-P (MINECO, Spain) and FPI fellowship to B. Gómez-Chacón (MINECO, Spain)

MicroRNA Regulation of the Environmental Impact on Adolescent Neurobehavioral Development: A Systematic Review

Adolescence is a late developmental period marked by pronounced reorganization of brain networks in which epigenetic mechanisms play a fundamental role. This brain remodeling is associated with a peculiar behavior characterized by novelty seeking and risky activities such as alcohol and drug abuse, which is associated with increased susceptibility to stress. Hence, adolescence is a vulnerable postnatal period since short- and long-term deleterious effects of alcohol drinking and drug abuse are a serious worldwide public health concern. Among several other consequences, it has been proposed that exposure to stress, alcohol, or other drugs disrupts epigenetic mechanisms mediated by small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs). During adolescence, this modifies the expression of a variety of genes involved in neurodevelopmental processes such as proliferation, differentiation, synaptogenesis, neural plasticity, and apoptosis. Hence, the effect of miRNAs dysregulation during adolescence might contribute to a long-term impact on brain function. This systematic review focuses on the miRNA expression patterns in the adolescent rodent brain with special interest in the impact of stress and drugs such as amphetamine, cocaine, nicotine, cannabis, and ketamine. The results point to a relevant and complex role of miRNAs in the regulation of the molecular processes involved in adolescent brain development as part of a dynamic epigenetic network sensitive to environmental events with distinctive changes across adolescence. Several miRNAs have been assessed evidencing changing expression profiles during the adolescent transition which are altered by exposure to stress and drug abuse. Since this is an emerging rapidly growing field, updating the present knowledge will contribute to improving our understanding of the epigenetic regulation mechanisms involved in the neurodevelopmental changes responsible for adolescent behavior. It can be expected that increased knowledge of themolecularmechanismsmediating the effect of environmental threats during the adolescent critical developmental period will improve understanding of psychiatric and addictive disorders emerging at this stage.Spanish Government PID2020-114269GB-I00FEDER, Junta de Andalucia, Spain BSEJ.514.UGR20MIU, Spain FPU18/0501

Flavor recognition memory related activity of the posterior piriform cortex in adult and aged rats

The relationship between the piriform cortex and flavor recognition memory was investigated in adult and aged rats. By using c-Fos immunohistochemistry, we assessed the piriform cortex activity induced by flavor familiarity. The results indicated increased activity in the rostral region of the posterior piriform cortex elicited by the most familiar cider vinegar solution after six exposures. Aged rats exhibited overall increased activity in the posterior, but not the anterior piriform cortex, which was not related to flavor familiarity. This suggests that the posterior piriform cortex is related to flavor recognition memory and that aging modifies its activity pattern which might underlie their slower attenuation of flavor neophobia.This work was supported by the research projects PSI2014-57643-P, PSI2017-86381-P (MINECO. Spain) and FPU14/01531 (predoctoral fellowship to A.B. Grau-Perales (MECD, Spain