Paradoxical reversal learning enhancement by stress or prefrontal cortical damage: rescue with BDNF.

Authors

Carolyn Graybeal, Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Michael Feyder, Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Emily Schulman, Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Lisa M Saksida, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, UK
Timothy J Bussey, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, UK
Jonathan L Brigman, Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Andrew Holmes, Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-6-2011

Journal

Nature neuroscience

Volume

14

Issue

12

First Page

1507

Last Page

1509

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1038/nn.2954

Abstract

Stress affects various forms of cognition. We found that moderate stress enhanced late reversal learning in a mouse touchscreen-based choice task. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) lesions mimicked the effect of stress, whereas orbitofrontal and dorsolateral striatal lesions impaired reversal. Stress facilitation of reversal was prevented by BDNF infusion into the vmPFC. These findings suggest a mechanism by which stress-induced vmPFC dysfunction disinhibits learning by alternate (for example, striatal) systems.