title: Learning deficiencies in Borna disease virus-infected but clinically healthy rats.
abstract: Borna disease (BD) virus, a still unclassified neurotropic agent, causes either fatal encephalomyelitis or persistent asymptomatic infection in a variety of animal species. We monitored the neuronal functions of intracerebrally infected but healthy rats with three types of learning experiments. Spatial discrimination learning, using the y maze and the hole board, was significantly less successful in BD virus-infected (I) compared with mock-infected (M) rats. Similarly, I rats tended to show a certain emotional disturbance (reduced resting behavior and less anxiety) as evaluated by open-field and neophobia tests. Furthermore, in two aversive learning experiments (taste aversion and reaction suppression via Skinner box), it appeared that the I rats expressed a significantly diminished ability to learn pain avoidance compared with M rats. In conclusion, we found specific learning deficiencies together with subtle behavioral alterations suggesting that BD virus causes certain modulations of high integrative brain functions which are only detectable under experimental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, FRG.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dittrich
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D014713:Viruses, Unclassified / Q000472:pathogenicity*