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OSR Journal of Student Research

Article Title

Effects of serotonin 5-HT1A/1B activation on working memory in C57BL/6J mice

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessive thoughts, repetitive and compulsive behaviors, uncontrollable urges, and impulses. Ongoing studies highlight alterations in serotonin receptor activation as a possible cause of OCD onset. Previous research has found that through the modulation of serotonin 1B and 1A receptors (5-HT1A/1B) it may be possible to reduce the repetitive behaviors and behavior inflexibility expressed in OCD. The present study probed spatial working memory after treatment with the 5-HT1A/1B receptor agonist RU24969. C57BL/6J mice received systemic injections of 0.1 or 1.0 mg/kg RU24969 in a delayed alternation task (DAT). For DAT, mice were tested in a three arm radial maze. Each mouse started on arm “A” and was trained to visit unexplored arms every trial thereafter. For every correct choice the mouse was reinforced. Testing was completed with 16 trials per day with a minute delay between each trial. Mice received treatment every day until criterion was met which required two consecutive days with minimum 80% correct responding. Findings indicated that the higher dose of the 5-HT1A/1B receptor agonist RU24969 significantly impaired performance on the DAT task. These findings demonstrate that increased 5-HT1A/1B receptor activation lead to impaired working memory performance. This specific modulation maybe the underlying reason for impairments found in OCD individuals.

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