Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Psychological Science

Department

Psychology

First Reader/Committee Chair

Amodeo, Dionisio

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) function is critical in the regulation and homeostasis of several neural systems. Alterations in 5-HT levels can directly impact the presence of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. With a wide range of 5-HT receptors, the potential impact each of these modulators have on behavior is important to better understand. The 5-HT7 receptor is the most recently identified 5-HT receptor. 5-HT7 receptors can be found in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and several areas of the hippocampus. Modulation of these receptors impact circadian rhythms, hormonal regulation and memory function. Previous research has that 5-HT7 antagonist compounds lead to conflicting results, highlighting the need for more research. The current set of studies examined the impact of 5-HT7 receptor blockade on spatial working memory and anxiety. Mice received acute treatment of the 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB269970 before being tested on the spatial spontaneous alternation task and the elevated plus maze. Results show that percent alternation was impaired in mice treated with 5 mg/kg dose of SB269970 compared to vehicle treated mice in the first 5 minutes of the task. The high dose of 10 mg/kg did not impair percent alternation in the first 5 minutes. These findings suggest that 5-HT7 receptor blockade impairs working memory, while the highest dose of 10 mg/kg did not lead to the same impairment. For the elevated plus maze, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg of SB26670 reduced open arm durations. These findings suggest 5-HT7 receptor blockade has an anxiogenic effect in C57BL/6J mice. These findings contribute to our understanding of 5-HT7 receptor modulation on working memory and a measure of anxiety.

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