Topic: second-order conditioning

Associative learning entails lasting changes in multiple, distributed neural circuits in different areas of the brain. Understanding the nature of information stored in individual memory circuits and how they interact cooperatively and competitively to function as one network are key but highly challenging problems. In Drosophila mushroom body (MB), ~20 pairs of dopamine neurons (DANs) and mushroom body output neurons (MBON) together form compartmental units of associative learning. Each DAN cell type is selectively tuned to rewards or punishments and write and update memories with cell-type-s

Animals and humans adapt to environmental changes by encoding prior experiences. While classical conditioning paradigms like fear conditioning have been the main focus in the learning and memory field, other forms of associative learning are gaining attention. One example is higher-order conditioning, mediated learning, which allows non-reinforced neutral stimuli to induce attraction or aversion through associations with directly reinforced cues. In rodents, sensory preconditioning, and second-order conditioning tasks have been used to assess higher-order conditioning. In this study, we develo