The food-conditioned place preference task in adolescent, adult and aged rats of both sexes.
The rat basolateral amygdala shows neuroanatomical sex differences, continuing development after puberty and aging-related alterations. Implications for amygdala-dependent memory processes were explored here by testing male and female hooded rats in adolescence, adulthood and old age on the food-conditioned place preference task. While aged rats were unimpaired, adolescents failed to learn the task. This finding may be related to ongoing development of the basolateral amygdala and related memory systems during the adolescent period.
Rubinow
Marisa J
MJ
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
Hagerbaumer
Diana A
DA
Juraska
Janice M
JM
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012737:Sex Factors