Date of Award
Spring 4-30-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
June 2026
College Granting Degree
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Robert W. Stackman, Jr.
Abstract
Long-term memories are encoded within the hippocampus, but some are quickly forgotten. Brief exposure of mice to a novel context following encoding of object memory significantly enhances consolidation of the object memory. The memory-enhancing effect of post-training novelty may rely on locus coeruleus tyrosine-hydroxylase expressing neurons which co-release norepinephrine and dopamine in the hippocampus. To test the contribution of norepinephrine to this novelty effect, mice received propranolol, a synthetic beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist (10 mg/kg), to block norepinephrine or 0.9% saline as a control post-training. Pre-novel context exposure and object memory was tested 24 hr later. Results revealed that propranolol did not block the memory-enhancing effect of post-training novel context exposure. Further, the memory performance of the propranolol-treated mice was comparable to that of saline-treated mice. These findings support the view that enhanced consolidation of object memory brought about by post-training novel context exposure is not dependent upon norepinephrine neurotransmission.
Recommended Citation
Lurie, Eleonora, "NOVEL CONTEXT EXPOSURE ENHANCES OBJECT RECOGNITION MEMORY: ASSESSING INVOLVEMENT OF NOREPINEPHRINE NEUROTRANSMISSION" (2022). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses. 13.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors/13