A role for hippocampal adult neurogenesis in shifting attention toward novel stimuli

Abstract

New granule neurons are born in the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus throughout life. Behavioral effects of slowing or stopping this ongoing neurogenesis are generally observed only in complex cognitive tasks involving high levels of cue or memory interference or in tests of emotion presented after stress exposure. Here, we tested the role of new neurons in naïve rats in a simple, one-trial orienting task previously shown to be affected by hippocampal lesions. Using a pharmacogenetic method to inhibit adult neurogenesis, we found that loss of new neurons decreased orienting toward a novel auditory cue. Rats lacking new neurons showed this change in orienting only when they were drinking from a water bottle and not when they were exploring an empty arena, suggesting that the deficit is not in the ability to orient to a novel sound but in shifting of attention toward a second stimulus. Orienting was reduced to the same extent after 4 or 8 weeks of neurogenesis reduction but was not detectably altered after 2 or 3 weeks of treatment, suggesting that new neurons must mature for approximately a month before functioning in this behavior. These findings demonstrate that adult-born neurons affect behavior in a simple attention reorienting task in naïve animals with no prior stress or task-related learning.