Regional dissociation of paradigm-specific synapse remodeling during memory consolidation in the adult rat dentate gyrus

Arising from studies on the amnesia that follows site-specific physical or chemical lesions, the acquisition and consolidation of certain behavioral tasks has been demonstrated to be associated with different hippocampal subregions. Although not absolute, spatial learning is reliant on the dorsal region of the hippocampus, whereas avoidance- and fear-conditioning tasks appear to be dependent on its more ventral aspects. Thus, if learning-associated synapse remodeling is a true feature of memory consolidation it must also follow these regional dissociations. We therefore determined if the learning-associated increases in synapse density that occur in the mid-molecular layer of the dentate gyrus at the 6-h post-training time and the frequency of polysialylated cells at the infragranular zone that occur at the 12-h post-training time were dissociated to specific hippocampal subregions following training in either a massed water maze task or light–dark passive avoidance response. Synapse remodeling was found to occur only in the dorsal hippocampus following spatial learning. We could not, however, discern any regional dissociation of neural remodeling following avoidance conditioning. These results point to strong associations between learning and specific groups of novel synapses during consolidation of spatial learning and avoidance conditioning paradigms.

Graphical Abstract••• Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (133 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights▶Lesion studies associate behavioral tasks with hippocampal subregions. ▶Learning-associated synapse remodeling must follow these regional dissociations. ▶Remodeling only occurred in the dorsal hippocampus following spatial learning. ▶No regional dissociation of neural remodeling followed avoidance conditioning. ▶The results point to strong associations between learning and specific groups of novel synapses.