Dataset Information

Associative learning during early adulthood enhances later memory retention in honeybees.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Cognitive experiences during the early stages of life play an important role in shaping the future behavior in mammals but also in insects, in which precocious learning can directly modify behaviors later in life depending on both the timing and the rearing environment. However, whether olfactory associative learning acquired early in the adult stage of insects affect memorizing of new learning events has not been studied yet. METHODOLOGY:Groups of adult honeybee workers that experienced an odor paired with a sucrose solution 5 to 8 days or 9 to 12 days after emergence were previously exposed to (i) a rewarded experience through the offering of scented food, or (ii) a non-rewarded experience with a pure volatile compound in the rearing environment. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Early rewarded experiences (either at 1-4 or 5-8 days of adult age) enhanced retention performance in 9-12-day-conditioned bees when they were tested at 17 days of age. The highest retention levels at this age, which could not be improved with prior rewarded experiences, were found for memories established at 5-8 days of adult age. Associative memories acquired at 9-12 days of age showed a weak effect on retention for some pure pre-exposed volatile compounds; whereas the sole exposure of an odor at any younger age did not promote long-term effects on learning performance. CONCLUSIONS:The associative learning events that occurred a few days after adult emergence improved memorizing in middle-aged bees. In addition, both the timing and the nature of early sensory inputs interact to enhance retention of new learning events acquired later in life, an important matter in the social life of honeybees.

SUBMITTER: Arenas A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2779852 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Associative learning during early adulthood enhances later memory retention in honeybees.

Arenas Andrés A Fernández Vanesa M VM Farina Walter M WM

PloS one 20091202 12

<h4>Background</h4>Cognitive experiences during the early stages of life play an important role in shaping the future behavior in mammals but also in insects, in which precocious learning can directly modify behaviors later in life depending on both the timing and the rearing environment. However, whether olfactory associative learning acquired early in the adult stage of insects affect memorizing of new learning events has not been studied yet.<h4>Methodology</h4>Groups of adult honeybee worker ...[more]

PMID: 19956575

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:High blood pressure in middle age is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but the consequences of low-level elevations during young adulthood are unknown. OBJECTIVE:To measure the association between prehypertension exposure before age 35 years and coronary calcium later in life. DESIGN:Prospective cohort study. SETTING:Four communities in the United States. PARTICIPANTS:Black and white men and women age 18 to 30 years recruited for the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study in 1985 through 1986 who were without hypertension before age 35 years. MEASUREMENTS:Blood pressure trajectories for each participant were estimated by using measurements from 7 examinations over the course of 20 years. Cumulative exposure to blood pressure in the prehypertension range (systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 mm Hg, or diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 mm Hg) from age 20 to 35 years was calculated in units of mm Hg-years (similar to pack-years of tobacco exposure) and related to the presence of coronary calcium measured at each participant's last examination (mean age, 44 years [SD, 4]). RESULTS:Among 3560 participants, the 635 (18%) who developed prehypertension before age 35 years were more often black, male, overweight, and of lower socioeconomic status. Exposure to prehypertension before age 35 years, especially systolic prehypertension, showed a graded association with coronary calcium later in life (coronary calcium prevalence of 15%, 24%, and 38% for 0, 1 to 30, and >30 mm Hg-years of exposure, respectively; P < 0.001). This association remained strong after adjustment for blood pressure elevation after age 35 years and other coronary risk factors and participant characteristics. LIMITATION:Coronary calcium, although a strong predictor of future coronary heart disease, is not a clinical outcome. CONCLUSION:Prehypertension during young adulthood is common and is associated with coronary atherosclerosis 20 years later. Keeping systolic pressure below 120 mm Hg before age 35 years may provide important health benefits later in life.

Dataset Information

Associative learning during early adulthood enhances later memory retention in honeybees.

Publications

Associative learning during early adulthood enhances later memory retention in honeybees.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets