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The Journal of Neuroscience, 2002, 22:RC201:1-5
RAPID COMMUNICATION
Experience Modifies Olfactory Acuity: Acetylcholine-Dependent
Learning Decreases Behavioral Generalization between Similar
Odorants
Max L.
Fletcher and
Donald A.
Wilson
Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
73019
Perceptual learning has been demonstrated in several
thalamocortical sensory systems wherein experience enhances sensory
acuity for trained stimuli. This perceptual learning is believed to be dependent on changes in sensory cortical receptive fields. Sensory experience and learning also modifies receptive fields and neural response patterns in the mammalian olfactory system; however, to date
there has been little reported evidence of learned changes in
behavioral olfactory acuity. The present report used a bradycardial orienting response and cross-habituation paradigm that allowed assessment of behavioral discrimination of nearly novel odorants, and
then used the same paradigm to examine odorant discrimination after
associative olfactory conditioning with similar or dissimilar odorants.
The results demonstrate that associative conditioning can enhance
olfactory acuity for odors that are the same as or similar to the
learned odorant, but not for odors dissimilar to the learned odorant.
Furthermore, scopolamine injected before associative conditioning can
block the acquisition of this learned enhancement in olfactory acuity.
These results could have important implications for mechanisms of
olfactory perception and memory, as well as for correlating behavioral
olfactory acuity with observed spatial representations of odorant
features in the olfactory system.
Key words:
adaptation; perceptual learning; piriform cortex; olfaction; olfactory memory; scopolamine
Copyright © Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474//$05.00/0
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