Pavlov's Cockroach: Classical Conditioning Of Salivation In An Insect

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Veterinary;  Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 13 Jun 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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A new study, led by Makoto Mizunami and colleagues at Tohoku University in Japan, demonstrates classical conditioning of salivation in cockroaches, for the first time in species other than dogs and humans, and its underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive because of the complexity of the mammalian brain. This study demonstrates, for the first time, classical conditioning of salivation in species other than dogs and humans, thereby providing the first evidence of sophisticated neural control of autonomic function in insects. The results provide a useful model system for studying cellular basis of conditioning of salivation in the simpler nervous system of insects.

The paper, "Pavlov's Cockroach: Classical Conditioning of Salivation in an Insect," appears in the June 13th issue of PLoS ONE, the online, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science.

Citation:
Watanabe H, Mizunami M (2007)
Pavlov's Cockroach: Classical Conditioning of Salivation in an Insect
PLoS ONE 2(6): e529. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000529
http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0000529

http://www.plosone.org

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