This study investigates the impact of early-life spatial experiences on adult spatial learning in male rats. Infantile exposure to discrete spatial changes enhanced adult spatial memory performance, primarily driven by context memory consolidation. This enhancement was associated with increased c-Fos activity in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during adulthood testing, and inhibiting this region abolished the effect. The beneficial effect was only observed during infancy, not later in development, and was sleep-dependent. These findings highlight the importance of early context memory in shaping adult learning, with the mPFC playing a critical role.

Maria P Contreras, Marta Mendez, Xia Shan, Julia Fechner, Anuck Sawangjit, Jan Born, Marion Inostroza