Memory Deficits and Cytokines in the Hippocampus in a Rat Model of ADHD

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dc.contributorSchwartzer, Jared
dc.contributorFefer, Sarah
dc.contributor.advisorSabariego, Marta
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Lucy
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-12T20:16:12Z
dc.date.available2023-05-12T20:16:12Z
dc.date.gradyear2023en_US
dc.date.issued2023-05-12
dc.description.abstractAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention, and deficits in working memory and time perception. While animal models have contributed to our neurobiological understanding of this condition, there are limited and inconsistent data on working memory and memory for time deficits. Inflammatory signaling has been identified as a key factor in memory and cognitive impairments, but its role in ADHD remains unclear. Additionally, the disproportionate investigation of male subjects in ADHD research has contributed to a poor understanding of the disorder in females. This study sought to investigate the potential connections between memory, neuroimmunology, and ADHD in animals of both sexes. Specifically, we utilized the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), one of the most extensively studied animal models of ADHD. Compared to their control, the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, male SHR have been previously reported to exhibit several behavioral phenotypes associated with ADHD, including hyperactivity, impulsivity, and poor sustained attention, along with impairments in learning and memory. As the hippocampus is a key brain region for learning and memory, we examined the behavior of male and female SHR and WKY rats in multiple hippocampal-dependent memory tasks. Our findings revealed that SHR had delay-dependent working memory deficits that were similar to, albeit less severe than, those seen in hippocampal-lesioned rats. We also observed impairments in elapsed time processing in female SHR, particularly in longer time durations. To investigate the impact of inflammatory signaling on memory in these rats, we analyzed the levels of several cytokines in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of SHR and WKY. Though we found some sex and genotype differences, concentrations were generally similar between groups. Taken together, our results indicate that SHR exhibit deficits in spatial working memory and memory for time, as well as some differences in hippocampal cytokine concentrations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiological basis of ADHD and may inform future research aimed at developing effective treatments for the disorder. Nonetheless, the potential mediating role of neuroinflammation in the memory symptomatology of SHR requires further investigation.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNeuroscience and Behavioren_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10166/6404
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rights.restrictedpublicen_US
dc.subjectSpontaneously Hypertensive Raten_US
dc.subjectADHDen_US
dc.subjectWorking Memoryen_US
dc.subjectHippocampusen_US
dc.subjectCytokinesen_US
dc.titleMemory Deficits and Cytokines in the Hippocampus in a Rat Model of ADHDen_US
dc.typeThesis
mhc.degreeUndergraduateen_US
mhc.institutionMount Holyoke College

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