Executive and social behaviors under nicotinic receptor regulation.
Nicotine enhances several cognitive and psychomotor behaviors, and nicotinic antagonists cause impairments in tasks requiring cognitive effort. To explore the contribution of nicotinic receptors to complex cognitive functions, we developed an automated method to investigate sequential locomotor behavior in the mouse and an analysis of social behavior. We show that, in the beta2-/- mutant, the high-order spatiotemporal organization of locomotor behavior, together with conflict resolution and social interaction, is selectively dissociated from low-level, more automatic motor behaviors. Such deficits in executive functions resemble the rigid and asocial behavior found in some psychopathological disorders such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Granon
Sylvie
S
Department of Neuroscience, Receptors and Cognition (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2182), Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Faure
Philippe
P
Changeux
Jean-Pierre
JP
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D007858:Learning; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine