title: Delay eyeblink classical conditioning is impaired in Fragile X syndrome.
abstract: The authors examined 400 ms delay eyeblink classical conditioning in 20 participants with Fragile X syndrome ages 17 to 77 years, and 20 age-matched, healthy control participants. The participants in the Fragile X group demonstrated impaired learning and abnormal conditioned response timing. Adults with Fragile X (n=16) were also tested at two successive 12-month follow-up sessions to examine reacquisition and long-term retention. Participants in groups who were older and younger than 45 years demonstrated significant learning during each reacquisition session. Younger participants demonstrated greater retention of the conditioned stimulus/unconditioned stimulus association at each follow-up session than older participants. Fragile X impairs the acquisition and timing of conditioned eyeblink responses, but with repeated training adults with Fragile X syndrome show significant plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. mtobia@temple.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tobia
authors.forename: Diana S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Woodruff-Pak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001245:Association Learning; D001767:Blinking; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003215:Conditioning, Eyelid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult