BIOL 1F25 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Time Point, Nucleus Accumbens, Neocortex
25 Feb 2016
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Animal studies looking at links between learning and drug addiction. Amphetamine or cocaine limits the ability of later experience to promote structural plasticity in the neocortex and nucleus accumbens (nac) Data from 1960s showed that experience produces more extensive branching of dendrites. Increased length of dendrites and increased density of spines: Changes in dendrites also occurs after drugs: Study: set out to find how two processes may interact. Any scientific study: must have a reasonable rationale, must have a testable hypothesis, must have appropriate controls. Rationale: both learning and memory and drugs of abuse cause structural changes in dendrites. Hypothesis: exposure to drugs e. g. cocaine might influence later experience-dependent morphological changes in brain cells. Two environments: (for next 3 months: exposed to rich environment to stimulate experience-dependent changes, standard lab cages (act as controls) Expectations based on previous findings: rats placed in complex cages and experiencing more stimulation will show more complex dendritic branching than those placed in standard cages.
