DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Assessing the Effects of Stress Physiology on Long-lasting Memory in a Free-living Animal

论文研究：评估应激生理学对自由生活动物持久记忆的影响

• 批准号: 1501933
• 负责人: Stephan Schoech
• 金额: $ 1.63万
• 依托单位: University of Memphis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-15 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1501933&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Assessing; Effects; Stress

Glucocorticoids, commonly known as "stress hormones", can affect the formation of short-term memories (i.e., memories that last from seconds to days), but the effects of stress hormones on memories that persist for months to years are unknown. Additionally, many memory studies use laboratory animals, which often have different behaviors and physiologies than their free-living counterparts. This research will assess the effects of stress hormones on the long-lasting memory of free-living Florida scrub-jays, a long lived bird that retains memories for years. A better understanding of how stress mediates memory may improve the post-release survival of captive-bred endangered species. Many conservation programs teach endangered animals the dangers of predators prior to release into natural habitats, and a strong memory of the identity of potential predators is essential for an animal's survival. This research may also have impacts on the study of human disorders that impair long-lasting memory, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, this research will provide research opportunities for University of Memphis undergraduates, over 40% of which are from groups underrepresented in science.Stress can mediate memory function via glucocorticoids (GCs), which are released at low baseline concentrations, but increase in response to a stressor. For example, exposure to increased levels of circulating GCs shortly after learning typically enhances long-term memory formation. Long-term memories last hours to weeks, whereas memories that persist for months to years are known as long-lasting memories. Despite the robust knowledge of the effects of GCs on short- and long-term memory, the understanding of the effects of GCs on long-lasting memory is essentially nonexistent. The goal of this study is to understand how circulating glucocorticoids affect the long-lasting memory of an emotionally arousing event. The researchers will manipulate circulating levels of GCs in free-living Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) during a fear conditioning protocol wherein subjects will be either conditioned to avoid an artificial, novel predator or exposed to a non-threatening control. The researchers will then measure subjects' avoidance of the novel predator 48 hours and 10 months post-conditioning to assess the role of GCs in consolidation and retention of the associative memory. All data and analysis from this research will be made publically and freely available on GitHub, a free, web-based Git repository hosting service, at https://github.com/Jonesbc.

糖皮质激素，俗称“压力荷尔蒙”，可影响短期记忆的形成(即持续数秒至数天的记忆)，但压力荷尔蒙对持续数月至数年的记忆的影响尚不清楚。此外，许多记忆研究使用的是实验室动物，它们的行为和生理通常与自由生活的动物不同。这项研究将评估压力荷尔蒙对自由生活的佛罗里达灌木鸟长期记忆的影响，这是一种能保留多年记忆的长寿鸟类。更好地了解压力是如何调节记忆的，可能会改善圈养繁殖的濒危物种在释放后的存活率。许多保护项目在放生到自然栖息地之前，向濒危动物传授捕食者的危险，而对潜在捕食者身份的强烈记忆对动物的生存至关重要。这项研究还可能对损害长期记忆的人类疾病的研究产生影响，例如创伤后应激障碍和阿尔茨海默病。此外，这项研究将为孟菲斯大学的本科生提供研究机会，其中超过40%的本科生来自科学界代表性较低的群体。压力可以通过糖皮质激素(GC)调节记忆功能，糖皮质激素在基线浓度较低时释放，但对应激源的反应会增加。例如，在学习后不久，接触到更高水平的循环GC通常会增强长期记忆的形成。长期记忆持续数小时到数周，而持续数月到数年的记忆被称为长期记忆。尽管GCs对短期和长期记忆的影响有很强的知识，但对GCs对长期记忆的影响的了解基本上是不存在的。这项研究的目的是了解循环中的糖皮质激素如何影响情绪唤醒事件的长期记忆。研究人员将在恐惧条件调节方案中操纵自由生活的佛罗里达林鸦(Aphelooma Delulescens)体内循环中的GC水平，在该方案中，受试者要么被调节以躲避人造的新型捕食者，要么暴露在非威胁的控制之下。然后，研究人员将在条件作用后48小时和10个月测量受试者对这种新型捕食者的回避程度，以评估GC在巩固和保持联想记忆中的作用。这项研究的所有数据和分析将在GitHub上公开并免费提供，GitHub是一家免费的基于网络的Git存储库托管服务，网址为https://github.com/Jonesbc.