title: Neuroprotective effects of behavioural training and nicotine on age-related deficits in spatial learning.
abstract: Studies in humans and animals show a clear decline in spatial memory with age and several approaches have been adopted to alleviate this impairment. The purpose of our review is to assess the studies that have suggested the possible neuroprotective actions of behavioural training and nicotine-applied both independently and in conjunction-on age-related deficits in spatial learning. Both spatial pretraining and nonspatial experiences influence an animal's performance in spatial tasks. In aged rats, the experience of training in the water maze task increases the number of newly generated neurons in the hippocampus. The neuroprotective effects of nicotine have been demonstrated in both in-vitro and in-vivo models, although the molecular mechanisms underlying these actions are not yet fully understood. It had been concluded in different studies that nicotine can improve, impair or have no effect on performance in the water maze. Neurobiological data also suggest an interaction between nicotine and prior experience in complex tasks, although few studies have raised the question of whether nicotine treatment and training in spatial tasks may contribute in an interactive manner to alleviate spatial cognition impairment associated with the ageing process. Different findings suggest that past experience could be a confounding variable in longitudinal studies that aim to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of nicotine on age-related deficits in spatial learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Blasco Ibañez 21, Valencia 46010, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vicens
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Redolat
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine