title: Excitatory Transmission to the Lateral Habenula Is Critical for Encoding and Retrieval of Spatial Memory.
abstract: The lateral habenula (LHb) is viewed as a relay between the limbic system, the basal ganglia (BG), and monoaminergic neurons of the midbrain. If a prominent role has been evidenced in BG-mediated functions such as value-based decision-making, very little is known about the involvement of the LHb in limbic functions such as memory processing. In the present study, we used two pharmacological approaches-LHb reversible inactivation with intra-LHb infusion of muscimol, an agonist of the GABA-A receptor, or blockade of excitatory inputs with intra-LHb infusion of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), an antagonist of the glutamatergic AMPA receptor-to investigate the involvement of the LHb in encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of spatial memory in the water maze (WM) in rats. We found that intra-LHb infusion of muscimol or CNQX prevented encoding and retrieval, but not consolidation of spatial information. In addition, muscimol but not CNQX induced impairments during a cued version of the WM task, and marked anxiety in the elevated plus maze. These results confirm the involvement of the LHb in higher cognitive functions. They further suggest a dichotomy between the role of glutamatergic and other inputs to the LHb in hippocampus-dependent memory processing, as well as in emotional aspects of goal-directed behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, 12 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, 12 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cosquer
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, 12 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Martino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avallone
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, 12 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cassel
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, GDR 2905 du CNRS, Faculté de Psychologie, 12 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lecourtier
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019262:Habenula / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D009118:Muscimol; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione