Here we describe a neuronal analogue of state-dependent learning in which cortical neurons show an acetylcholine-dependent expression of an acetylcholine induced functional plasticity. This was demonstrated on neurons of rat somatosensory barrel cortex, whose tunings to the temporal frequency of whisker deflections were modified by cellular conditioning.
Pairing whisker stimulation with acetylcholine applied iontophoretically yielded selective lasting modification of responses, the expression of which depended on the presence of exogenous acetylcholine. Administration of acetylcholine during testing revealed frequency-specific changes in response that were not expressed when tested without acetylcholine or when the muscarinic antagonist, atropine, was applied concomitantly.
Our results suggest that both acquisition and recall can be controlled by the cortical release of acetylcholine.
Relevant papers
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(2003). Acetylcholine-dependent potentiation of temporal frequency representation in the barrel cortex does not depend on response magnitude during conditioning. Journal Of Physiology-Paris. 97:431-439.