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J Exp Biol

Title:		Social snails: the effect of social isolation on cognition is dependent on environmental context
Author(s):		Dalesman S; Lukowiak K;
Address:		"Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. sarah.dalesman@ucalgary.ca"
Journal Title:		J Exp Biol
Year:		2011
Volume:		214
Issue:		Pt 24
Page Number:		4179 - 4185
DOI:		10.1242/jeb.064857
ISSN/ISBN:		1477-9145 (Electronic) 0022-0949 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Social isolation is often considered to have negative effects on cognitive function in a wide range of species. Here we assess how environmental context alters the effect of isolation on long-term memory formation (24 h) in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. We operantly trained snails to reduce aerial respiration in hypoxia following exposure to one of three social conditions: (1) maintained and trained in groups; (2) maintained in groups, trained in isolation; or (3) maintained and trained in isolation. In addition, snails also experienced four stress exposure levels: control, exposure to low calcium availability, predator kairomone exposure during training or a combination of low calcium and predator kairomones. Snails isolated during training alone demonstrated no difference in memory formation compared with the snails trained in groups. Maintaining snails in social isolation for 8 days prior to training had a neutral effect on memory in control conditions or in the presence of predator kairomones alone. However, social isolation enhanced long-term memory formation in snails exposed to low calcium conditions, a stress that blocks memory formation in snails maintained in groups. Conversely, when exposed to low calcium and predator kairomones combined, grouped snails normally demonstrate long-term memory, but following maintenance in isolation long-term memory was blocked. Therefore, the effect of social isolation on cognitive function is highly dependent on the environmental context in which it is experienced"
Keywords:		"Animals Behavior, Animal Calcium/metabolism Conditioning, Operant Environment Lymnaea/*physiology Memory Memory, Long-Term Social Isolation Stress, Physiological;"
Notes:		"MedlineDalesman, Sarah Lukowiak, Ken eng Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2011/11/26 J Exp Biol. 2011 Dec 15; 214(Pt 24):4179-85. doi: 10.1242/jeb.064857"