Influence of Sex, Adolescence, and Aging on the Rat Basolateral Amygdala

These studies represent an exploration of normative effects of sex, adolescence, and aging on the rat basolateral amygdala. Study one was a neuroanatomical Golgi study that examined dendritic material in adult and aged male and female basolateral nucleus, and found significant age-related increases in dendritic material in both sexes, along with a sex difference in spine density across age. In study two, neuron number was quantified with stereological methods in the male and female basolateral amygdala at four different ages across the lifespan. The period between adolescence and adulthood was found to be accompanied by significant neuron loss in both sexes. In contrast, the period between adulthood and old age was accompanied by significant increases in the number of glia cells and in the volume of the basolateral amygdala. No sex differences were found at any of the examined ages. The third study examined behavior of adolescent, adult, and aged male and female rats in performance of a BLA-dependent conditioned place preference task. While aging was accompanied by relatively preserved performance, adolescent rats did not perform this task as well as adult rats. Again, no sex differences were detected in performance. Together, these studies highlight the importance of lifespan changes in the rat basolateral amygdala.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Rubinow, Marisa Jane

Contributors dc:contributor

• Janice Juraska

• Biology, Neuroscience

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3337900

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82167