Neuropharmacology of Learning and Memory in Honey Bees

Local injections of small quantities (≤10 nl) of drugs reveal a selective facilitatory action of octopamine and noradrenaline, and an inhibitory action of 5-HT and dopamine on particular associative and non-associative components of olfactory learning and memory in bees. It is concluded that the mushroom bodies are the neuropiles in which the antagonistic effects of octopamine and 5-HT act on olfactory memory. A single conditioning trial proceeding or following drug injection enables the distinction of whether a drug affects memory formation or memory recall. Dopamine reduces selectively memory recall, octopamine facilitates both memory recall and formation, and 5-HT also inhibits both memory recall and formation.

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