Here, we discuss the major players in cell death pathways, the physiological implications of chronic stress and depression, chronic stress models
in animals which result in cell death and the different classes of antidepressants and mood stabilizers that have been shown to prevent cell death. We discuss the cellular effects of antidepressants and possible modes of action in preventing apoptosis. Investigations on the role of apoptosis in mediating the molecular, physiological and behavioural effects of antidepressants may help gain a better mechanistic insight into drug action and allow refinement of current therapeutics in order to target these pathways in a specific manner. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The neural structures involved in ongoing INK1197 concentration appetitive and/or observational learning behaviors remain largely unknown. Operant conditioning and observational learning were evoked and recorded in a modified Skinner box provided with an on-line video recording system. Mice improved their acquisition of a simple operant conditioning task by observational learning.
Electrical stimulation of the observer’s medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) at a key moment of the demonstration (when the demonstrator presses a lever in order to obtain a reward) cancels out the benefits of observation. In contrast, electrical stimulation of the observer’s selleck kinase inhibitor nucleus accumbens (NAc) enhances observational learning. Ongoing cognitive processes in the demonstrator could also be driven by electrical stimulation of these two structures, preventing the proper execution of the ongoing instrumental task (mPFC) or stopping pellet
intake (NAc). Long-term potentiation (LTP) evoked in these two cortical structures did not prevent Phloretin the acquisition or retrieval process-namely, mPFC and/or NAc stimulation only prevented, or modified, the ongoing behavioral process. The dorsal hippocampus was not involved in either of these two behavioral processes. Thus, both ongoing observational learning and performance of an instrumental task require the active contribution of the mPFC and/or the NAc.”
“Auditory feedback plays an important role in monitoring vocal output and determining when adjustments are necessary. In this study a group of untrained singers participated in a frequency altered feedback experiment to examine if accuracy at matching a note could predict the degree of compensation to auditory feedback that was shifted in frequency. Participants were presented with a target note and instructed to match the note in pitch and duration. Following the onset of the participants’ vocalizations their vocal pitch was shifted down one semi-tone at a random time during their utterance. This altered auditory feedback was instantaneously presented back to them through headphones.