Journal article
Influence of contextual exposure on memory strength and precision for inhibitory avoidance in male and female rats
Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), Vol.32(11-12), a054104.125
11/2025
DOI: 10.1101/lm.054104.125
PMCID: PMC12649789
PMID: 41167727
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
Aversive associative learning paradigms such as inhibitory avoidance (IA) are frequently used to examine episodic-like memories in rodents. In IA, rodents learn to associate a context with a footshock, with testing for memory strength in the original training context and memory precision in a similar yet distinct neutral context. The present work assessed how different contextual exposure procedures affect memory strength and precision in IA at both recent and remote time points using male and female Long-Evans rats. An initial experiment found that rats kept in the lit (non-shock) compartment of the IA apparatus for 60 sec during training, as opposed to 10 sec, displayed enhanced memory strength, with discrimination between both chambers at the recent retention test and generalization at the remote retention test. Subsequent experiments investigated the effects of contextual pre-exposure the day before training. The results indicate that pre-exposure to the neutral context promoted generalization without altering memory strength compared to the first experiment, whereas pre-exposure to the aversive chamber promoted discrimination and memory strength. Notably, the different procedures yielded similar effects in both sexes. However, the results also indicate an overall pattern of greater contextual discrimination in females compared to males. These findings provide evidence for how different contextual exposures influence the degree of encoding at the time of training and a behavioral foundation for future studies examining the neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory strength and precision in IA, while highlighting the importance of using both sexes in initial behavioral work.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Influence of contextual exposure on memory strength and precision for inhibitory avoidance in male and female rats
- Creators
- Aspen R Holm - University of IowaJason J Radley - University of IowaRyan T LaLumiere - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), Vol.32(11-12), a054104.125
- DOI
- 10.1101/lm.054104.125
- PMID
- 41167727
- PMCID
- PMC12649789
- NLM abbreviation
- Learn Mem
- ISSN
- 1072-0502
- eISSN
- 1549-5485
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Grant note
- National Institutes of Health: MH132223
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant MH132223 (J.J.R. and R.T.L.). We thank Matthew McGregor, Alexa Zimbelman, Hanxiao Liu, Kaitlyn Jones, and Chris Nguyen for their helpful comments on a draft of the manuscript.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/2025
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9985024253102771
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