Effects of Neonatal Bulbectomy on Later Discrimination Learning in Mice

Abstract

The olfactory bulbs of mice were lesioned at 24 h of age and their performance in learning a black-white discrimination task was compared with undernourished mice that grew from birth at the same rate as the bulbectomised animals. The mice were tested at 90 days of age and their behaviour in a Y-maze was compared with that of control operated and unoperated samples. The performance of the bulbectomised mice on the Y-maze was poorer than that of the other samples. The bulbectomised mice spent more time at the choicepoint and frequently failed to run the maze. The error rate reduction shown by the bulbectomised mice was similar to that of the controls and is accounted for in terms of a reduced frequency of entry and reversals into the maze arms. The results are discussed in relation to the size of the lesions and factors affecting the neurogenesis of the olfactory brain early in life.

Neonatal olfactory bulbectomy induces anxiety‐related behavior and modifies dopaminergic receptor expression in post‐pubertal rats

“…Moreover, previous studies evaluated the effect of nOBX in other paradigms in rodents. For example, nOBX in mice resulted in learning deficits in the Y-maze visual discrimination task (Cooper & Cowley, 1979). Mounting behavior was affected in female rats regardless of the time of lesion (nOBX or OBX) (Lumia et al, 1981) F I G U R E 4 Effect of neonatal olfactory bulbectomy lesion on dopaminergic receptors binding in the striatum and nucleus accumbens at post-pubertal age.…”

“…Moreover, previous studies evaluated the effect of nOBX in other paradigms in rodents. For example, nOBX in mice resulted in learning deficits in the Y‐maze visual discrimination task (Cooper & Cowley, 1979). Mounting behavior was affected in female rats regardless of the time of lesion (nOBX or OBX) (Lumia et al., 1981)…”