title: Involvement of retrosplenial cortex in classical conditioning.
abstract: The cingulate cortex, which comprises of two major subdivisions - anterior cingulate cortex (CG) and retrosplenial cortex (RSP), is implicated in many cognitive functions. The RSP is an important node in the systemic integration network. Studies point to its role in learning that involves spatial stimuli and navigation. Relatively little is known about its involvement in simple learning such as classical conditioning. We examined the involvement of the two cytoarchitectonic divisions, agranular and granular, of the rostral and caudal RSP in a delay conditioning, where stimulation of the facial vibrissae was paired with a tail shock. During the conditioning session the [(14)C]-2-deoxyglucose (2DG) brain mapping was performed. Effectiveness of conditioning was assessed with frequency of head movements, which decreased in the course of the conditioning. 2DG uptake in RSP and additionally in CG was examined in conditioned, pseudoconditioned and stimulated control groups. The metabolic labeling was elevated in caudal and rostral both RSP and CG in the conditioned group, but not in animals which received CS or UCS alone. Comparison between conditioned and pseudoconditioned groups showed the specific activation by associative learning in both divisions of the rostral RSP and rostral CG. Counts of c-Fos expressing nuclei confirmed activation of the rostral RSP in the CS+UCS group. These data support the concept of RSP as structure that, besides its recognized role in visuospatial learning, monitors and reacts to activity of brain systems responsible for other types of learning and, together with CG, subserve cognitive processes, with simple associative learning among them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, 3 Pasteur str., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radwanska
authors.forename: Weronika
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Debowska
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liguz-Lecznar
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brzezicka
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kossut
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cybulska-Klosowicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003847:Deoxyglucose