The motor learning induces plastic changes in dendritic spines of Purkinje cells from the neocerebellar cortex of the rat

Article type: Research Article

Authors: González-Tapia, David^{a; b} | Velázquez-Zamora, Dulce A.^{a; b} | Olvera-Cortés, María Esther^c | González-Burgos, Ignacio^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Laboratorio de Psicobiología, División de Neurociencias, CIBO, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, México | [b] Universidad Politécnica de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jal, México | [c] Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Experimental, CIBIMI, IMSS, Morelia, Mich, México

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Ignacio González-Burgos Ph.D., Laboratorio de Psicobiología, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Sierra Mojada #800, Col. Independencia, C.P. 44340, Guadalajara, Jal., México. Tel.: +52 33 36683000/31950; Fax: +52 33 36181756; igonbur@hotmail.com

Abstract: Purpose: The presynaptic stimulatory activity of parallel fibers on the dendritic spines of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC) has a strong influence on the organization of motor learning. Motor learning has been shown to modify the synapses established on PC dendritic spines but the plastic changes of the different spine types, possibly underlying motor learning, have not been studied. Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained daily for 26 days using an acrobatic paradigm (AC), at the end of which dendritic spine density and the proportion of the different types of spines was assessed. Results: The learning curves of AC rats reflected a robust decrease in the latency for resolution and in the errors committed during the first week of training, which subsequently stabilized until the end of training. Dendritic spine density was greater in these AC rats, reflected in a larger proportion of thin, mushroom and stubby spines. Conclusions: Since thin spines are associated with acquiring novel information whilst mushroom spines are associated with long-term information storage, there appears to be a strong relationship between AC motor learning and consolidation. The increase in stubby spines could be related to the regulation of excitatory stimulation underlying motor overactivity.

Keywords: Cerebellum, Purkinje, motor learning, plasticity, dendritic spines

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-140462

Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 639-645, 2015