Intergenerational effects of overfeeding on aversive learning in zebrafish ().

The obesity epidemic is concerning as obesity appears to negatively impact cognition and behavior. Furthermore, some studies suggest that this negative effect could be carried across generations from both mothers and fathers although evidence is not consistent. Here, we attempt to address how obesogenic diets in the parental generation (F0) can impact offspring's cognition and anxiety intergenerationally (F1) in a zebrafish model.

Transgenerational effects of obesogenic diets in rodents: A meta-analysis.

Obesity is a major health condition that affects millions worldwide. There is an increased interest in understanding the adverse outcomes associated with obesogenic diets. A multitude of studies have investigated the transgenerational impacts of maternal and parental obesogenic diets on subsequent generations of offspring, but results have largely been mixed.

Low repeatability of aversive learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Aversive learning - avoiding certain situations based on negative experiences - can profoundly increase fitness in animal species, yet no studies have systematically quantified its repeatability. Therefore, we assessed the repeatability of aversive learning by conditioning approximately 100 zebrafish (Danio rerio) to avoid a colour cue associated with a mild electric shock. Across eight different colour conditions, zebrafish did not show consistent individual differences in aversive learning (R=0.

Beneficial intergenerational effects of exercise on brain and cognition: a multilevel meta-analysis of mean and variance.

Physical exercise not only helps to improve physical health but can also enhance brain development and cognition. Recent reports on parental (both maternal and paternal) effects raise the possibility that parental exercise may provide benefits to offspring through intergenerational inheritance. However, the general magnitude and consistency of parental exercise effects on offspring is still controversial.

An efficient new assay for measuring zebrafish anxiety: Tall tanks that better characterize between-individual differences.

Background: Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are increasingly being used to model anxiety. A common behavioral assay employed for assessing anxiety-like behaviors in zebrafish is the "novel tank test". We hypothesized that using deeper tanks in this test would result in greater between-individual variation in behavioral responses and a more 'repeatable' assay.