Serotonin transporter knockout rats show improved strategy set-shifting and reduced latent inhibition

Learn Mem. 2012 Apr 13;19(5):190-3. doi: 10.1101/lm.025908.112.

Abstract

Behavioral flexibility is a cognitive process depending on prefrontal areas allowing adaptive responses to environmental changes. Serotonin transporter knockout (5-HTT(-/-)) rodents show improved reversal learning in addition to orbitofrontal cortex changes. Another form of behavioral flexibility, extradimensional strategy set-shifting (EDSS), heavily depends on the medial prefrontal cortex. This region shows functional changes in 5-HTT(-/-) rodents as well. Here we subjected 5-HTT(-/-) rats and their wild-type counterparts to an EDSS paradigm and a supplementary latent inhibition task. Results indicate that 5-HTT(-/-) rats also show improved EDSS, and indicate that reduced latent inhibition may contribute as an underlying mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins