@article {1468,
	title = {Neurotransmitter Switching Regulated by miRNAs Controls Changes in Social Preference.},
	journal = {Neuron},
	volume = {95},
	year = {2017},
	month = {2017 Sep 13},
	pages = {1319-1333.e5},
	abstract = {<p>Changes in social preference of amphibian larvae result from sustained exposure to kinship odorants. To understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of this neuroplasticity, we investigated the effects of olfactory system activation on neurotransmitter (NT) expression in accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) interneurons during development. We show that protracted exposure to kin or non-kin odorants\&nbsp;changes the number of dopamine (DA)- or gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-expressing neurons, with\&nbsp;corresponding changes in attraction/aversion behavior. Changing the relative number of dopaminergic and GABAergic AOB interneurons or locally introducing DA or GABA receptor antagonists alters kinship preference. We then isolate AOB microRNAs (miRs) differentially regulated across these conditions. Inhibition of miR-375 and miR-200b reveals that they target Pax6 and Bcl11b to regulate the dopaminergic and GABAergic phenotypes. The results illuminate the role of NT switching governing experience-dependent social preference. VIDEO ABSTRACT.</p>
},
	keywords = {Animals, Choice Behavior, Dopamine, Dopamine Antagonists, GABA Antagonists, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Interneurons, MicroRNAs, Neurons, Neurotransmitter Agents, Olfactory Bulb, PAX6 Transcription Factor, Pheromones, Siblings, Social Behavior, Transcription Factors, Xenopus laevis, Xenopus Proteins},
	issn = {1097-4199},
	doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2017.08.023},
	author = {Dulcis, Davide and Lippi, Giordano and Stark, Christiana J and Do, Long H and Berg, Darwin K and Spitzer, Nicholas C}
}
@article {195,
	title = {Rat performance on visual detection task modeled with divisive normalization and adaptive decision thresholds.},
	journal = {J Vis},
	volume = {11},
	year = {2011},
	month = {2011},
	abstract = {<p>Performance on any perceptual task depends on both the perceptual capacity and the decision strategy of the subject. We provide a model to fit both aspects and apply it to data from rats performing a detection task. When rats must detect a faint visual target, the presence of other nearby stimuli ("flankers") increases the difficulty of the task. In this study, we consider two specific factors. First, flankers could diminish the sensory response to the target via spatial contrast normalization in early visual processing. Second, rats may treat the sensory signal caused by the flankers as if it belonged to the target. We call this source confusion, which may be sensory, cognitive, or both. We account for contrast normalization and source confusion by fitting model parameters to the likelihood of the observed behavioral data. We test multiple combinations of target and flanker contrasts using a yes/no detection task. Contrast normalization was crucial to explain the rats{\textquoteright} flanker-induced detection impairment. By adding a decision variable to the contrast normalization framework, our model provides a new tool to assess differences in visual or cognitive brain function between normal and abnormal rodents.</p>
},
	keywords = {Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Choice Behavior, Cognition, Conditioning (Psychology), Contrast Sensitivity, Male, Models, Neurological, Photic Stimulation, Psychomotor Performance, Rats, Rats, Long-Evans, Visual Perception},
	issn = {1534-7362},
	doi = {10.1167/11.9.1},
	author = {Meier, Philip and Reinagel, Pamela}
}
