Papers by Alberto Oliverio
Rationale Accumulating evidence supports the involvement of the ventral striatum (VS) in spatial ... more Rationale Accumulating evidence supports the involvement of the ventral striatum (VS) in spatial information processing. The multiple cortical glutamatergic and mesolimbic dopaminergic (DAergic) afferences on the same neurons in the ventral striatum provide the neuroanatomical substrate for glutamate and dopamine functional interaction. However, there is little evidence in the literature on how this interaction affects the ability to encode spatial information.
Musical improvisation is a sophisticated activity in which a performer realizes,
real-time, melod... more Musical improvisation is a sophisticated activity in which a performer realizes,
real-time, melodic, and rhythmic sequences in harmony with those from other
musicians. The study of musical improvisation helps one to understand not only
the cognition of creativity, but also the complex neuronal basis of executive functions,
the relation between conscious and unconscious action, and even more. So
far, the prevailing models, founded on the brain imaging method, have focused
on the connection between the cortical areas and their cognitive processes. Little
attention, on the other hand, has been given to the huge variety of subcortical
activities, especially in the basal ganglia. This fundamental subcortical component,
through its implicit procedures and the role it plays in memory, is responsible
to produce new information all the time, allowing the prefrontal cortex to
transform a huge and disordered amount of data in explicit creative acts. The
basal ganglia are strongly related to the activation of chemical signals generated
by dissonance or lack of symmetry between perception and expectation, participating
even in the responses to environmental demands according to the circumstances.
Thus, they interact with the frontal cortex and with the limbic system,
playing a key role in planning and selecting appropriate actions and in decision
making. In this text, we try to explain in which sense improvisation is connected
to the processes of executive functions, to creativity and to the integrated activity
of cortical–subcortical areas controlling the free flow of ideas and to expressive
spontaneity. Eventually, we purpose a model according to which structure
(improvisational field) and process (improvisational time) take part at the centrencephalic
space of functional integration, which, through both competing and
cooperating dynamics, gives way to spontaneous composition.
AI & Society, 1988
ABSTRACT There is much interest in moving AI out into real world applications, a move which has b... more ABSTRACT There is much interest in moving AI out into real world applications, a move which has been encouraged by recent funding which has attempted to show industry and commerce can benefit from the Fifth Generation of computing. In this article I suggest that the legal application area is one which is very much more complex than it might — at first sight — seem. I use arguments from the sociology of law to indicate that the viewing of the legal system as simply a rule-bound discipline is inherently nave. This, while not new in jurisprudence, is — as the literature of AI and law indicates — certainly novel to the field of artificial intelligence. The socio-legal argument provided is set within the context of AI as one more example of the failure of scientific success and method to easily transmit itself over into the social sciences.
Neuroreport, 2002
mdx mice are considered as a genetic homologous of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Recent evid... more mdx mice are considered as a genetic homologous of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Recent evidence demonstrates that in mouse sympathetic ganglion dystrophin is involved in the stabilization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor clusters. The purpose of this study was to verify possible effects of dystrophin alterations at the central level. This was assessed by evaluating the response to nicotine administration in mdx and wild-type mice. Thus the effects of post-training nicotine administrations (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) were tested in mice subjected to a passive avoidance memory task, that measures the ability of mice to remember on test day a shock received 24 h before. Nicotine enhanced memory in wild-type as well as in mdx mice. However, the doses needed to increase memory in mdx were higher than in wild-type. These results are discussed in terms of possible functional changes in central nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in mdx mice.
Rationale Accumulating evidence supports the involvement of the ventral striatum (VS) in spatial ... more Rationale Accumulating evidence supports the involvement of the ventral striatum (VS) in spatial information processing. The multiple cortical glutamatergic and mesolimbic dopami-nergic (DAergic) afferences on the same neurons in the ventral striatum provide the neuroanatomical substrate for glutamate and dopamine functional interaction. However, there is little evidence in the literature on how this interaction affects the ability to encode spatial information. Objective First, we evaluated the effect of intra-VS bilateral infusion of different doses of amphetamine (0.3, 0.75, and 1.5 μg/side) on the ability to detect spatial novelty in mice. Next, we examined the impact produced on the same abilities by intra-VS infusion of ineffective doses of amphetamine (0.3 μg/side) in association with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (3.125 ng/side) or α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyli-soxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) (0.25 ng/side) receptor antagonist. Results The results show that infusion of amphetamine impairs detection of spatial novelty, affecting also exploratory activity and marginally the detection of nonspatial novelty. In contrast, an association of subthreshold doses of amphetamine with NMDA or AMPA receptor antagonists exerted a selective effect on reactivity to a spatial change. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that enhanced DAergic activity in the VS enhances glutamate receptor antagonist-induced impairment in learning and memory.
Physiology & Behavior, 1980
ABSTRACT
Psychopharmacology, 2000
Some evidence suggests an involvement of nucleus accumbens in spatial learning. However, it is co... more Some evidence suggests an involvement of nucleus accumbens in spatial learning. However, it is controversial whether the mesoaccumbens dopaminergic pathways play a specific role in the acquisition of spatial information. The goal of these experiments was to investigate the effect of dopaminergic manipulations in the nucleus accumbens on a non-associative task designed to estimate the ability to encode/transmit spatial and non-spatial information. The effects of focal administrations of the D1 and D2 dopamine receptor antagonists, SCH 23390 (6.25, 12.5, 50 ng/side) and sulpiride (12.5, 50, 100 ng/side), respectively, and dopamine (DA; 1.25 and 2.5 microg/side) into the nucleus accumbens were studied on reactivity to spatial and non-spatial changes in an open field with objects. Both SCH 23390 and sulpiride impaired reactivity to spatial change. However, several differences were found in the effects induced by the two DA antagonists. SCH 23390 did not affect locomotor activity and only slightly impaired exploration of the novel object. On the contrary, the D2 antagonist, induced a general, dose-dependent, impairment on all variables measured. Local administration of DA increased locomotor activity, but did not affect reactivity to spatial and non-spatial changes. These results demonstrate a facilitatory role of mesoaccumbens dopamine in the acquisition of spatial information. Moreover, they suggest that nucleus accumbens D1 DA receptors, play a more selective role in the modulation of spatial learning than accumbens D2 DA receptors.
Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1971
Individual variability and heritability were studied in 360 GDI random-bred mice and 360 SEC/lReJ... more Individual variability and heritability were studied in 360 GDI random-bred mice and 360 SEC/lReJ inbred mice in a measure of avoidance learn-ing (shuttle box). Analysis of variance indicated that a random-bred pop-ulation of mice is characterized by extremely variable-...
Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach, 1987
Theoretical Advances in Behavior Genetics, 1979
Behavioral and Neural Biology, 1991
Psychobiology of Stress, 1990
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 15, 2001
Most of the research on ventral striatal functions has been focused on their role in modulating r... more Most of the research on ventral striatal functions has been focused on their role in modulating reward and motivation. More recently, a possible role of this structure in cognitive functions has been suggested. However, very little information is available on the involvement of the nucleus accumbens in the different stages of the consolidation process. In this study, the effect of focal injections of AP-5 and DNQX, competitive antagonists at the NMDA and AMPA receptors, respectively, was examined in a nonassociative task designed to estimate the ability of mice to react to spatial changes. The task consists of placing the animals in an open field containing five objects; after three sessions of habituation, their reactivity to object displacement was examined 24 hr later. AP-5 injections administered after training impaired the ability of mice to detect the spatial novelty but did not affect response when injected 120 min after training or before testing. On the contrary, DNQX did n...
Physiology & Behavior, 1975
Tube-dominance behavior differed significantly in C57BL/6By and BALB/cBy mice. Evaluation of thes... more Tube-dominance behavior differed significantly in C57BL/6By and BALB/cBy mice. Evaluation of these two inbred strains, and their recently developed recombinant inbred strains permitted the derivation of an hypothesis regarding possible genetic control of this ...
Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de thérapie, 1980
Spontaneous locomotor activity has been studied, in three strains of mice, following the administ... more Spontaneous locomotor activity has been studied, in three strains of mice, following the administration of morphine and chlordiazepoxide, given alone or in combination. The results demonstrate that chlordiazepoxide enhances the morphine-induced locomotor stimulation in C57/BL/6 and BALB/c mice and counteracts the depressant effect exerted by morphine in DBA/2 mice.
Polish journal of pharmacology and pharmacy
Clonidine, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg, depressed significantly the running fit induced by 10 or 20 mg/kg ... more Clonidine, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg, depressed significantly the running fit induced by 10 or 20 mg/kg of morphine in C57BL/6 mice, but did not affect morphine analgesia measured by the "hot plate" test. The results confirm the hypothesis that different mechanisms are involved in the two types of response to morphine, and the running fit response is mediated via a noradrenergic mechanism of action.
In C57BL/6 mice caffeine antagonized morphine-induced hyperactivity. This effect was most evident... more In C57BL/6 mice caffeine antagonized morphine-induced hyperactivity. This effect was most evident when caffeine was used in doses that slightly increased locomotor activity. Given at the same dose caffeine did not affect morphine-induced analgesia. Two possibilities of explanation of this effect are discussed: action of caffeine on dopaminergic mechanisms responsible for morphine-induced running fit through its effect on cyclic AMP level, and a direct action of caffeine on delta opiate receptors involved in the stimulatory effect of morphine.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 1984
Morphine, beta-endorphin and [D-Ala2, D-Leu5] enkephalin administered intracerebroventricularly e... more Morphine, beta-endorphin and [D-Ala2, D-Leu5] enkephalin administered intracerebroventricularly exerted a protective effect on electroconvulsive shock (ECS)-induced seizures in mice. This effect was reversed by intraperitoneal injections of naltrexone. The role of mu and delta receptors in ECS-induced convulsions is discussed.
Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica, 1967
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Papers by Alberto Oliverio
real-time, melodic, and rhythmic sequences in harmony with those from other
musicians. The study of musical improvisation helps one to understand not only
the cognition of creativity, but also the complex neuronal basis of executive functions,
the relation between conscious and unconscious action, and even more. So
far, the prevailing models, founded on the brain imaging method, have focused
on the connection between the cortical areas and their cognitive processes. Little
attention, on the other hand, has been given to the huge variety of subcortical
activities, especially in the basal ganglia. This fundamental subcortical component,
through its implicit procedures and the role it plays in memory, is responsible
to produce new information all the time, allowing the prefrontal cortex to
transform a huge and disordered amount of data in explicit creative acts. The
basal ganglia are strongly related to the activation of chemical signals generated
by dissonance or lack of symmetry between perception and expectation, participating
even in the responses to environmental demands according to the circumstances.
Thus, they interact with the frontal cortex and with the limbic system,
playing a key role in planning and selecting appropriate actions and in decision
making. In this text, we try to explain in which sense improvisation is connected
to the processes of executive functions, to creativity and to the integrated activity
of cortical–subcortical areas controlling the free flow of ideas and to expressive
spontaneity. Eventually, we purpose a model according to which structure
(improvisational field) and process (improvisational time) take part at the centrencephalic
space of functional integration, which, through both competing and
cooperating dynamics, gives way to spontaneous composition.
real-time, melodic, and rhythmic sequences in harmony with those from other
musicians. The study of musical improvisation helps one to understand not only
the cognition of creativity, but also the complex neuronal basis of executive functions,
the relation between conscious and unconscious action, and even more. So
far, the prevailing models, founded on the brain imaging method, have focused
on the connection between the cortical areas and their cognitive processes. Little
attention, on the other hand, has been given to the huge variety of subcortical
activities, especially in the basal ganglia. This fundamental subcortical component,
through its implicit procedures and the role it plays in memory, is responsible
to produce new information all the time, allowing the prefrontal cortex to
transform a huge and disordered amount of data in explicit creative acts. The
basal ganglia are strongly related to the activation of chemical signals generated
by dissonance or lack of symmetry between perception and expectation, participating
even in the responses to environmental demands according to the circumstances.
Thus, they interact with the frontal cortex and with the limbic system,
playing a key role in planning and selecting appropriate actions and in decision
making. In this text, we try to explain in which sense improvisation is connected
to the processes of executive functions, to creativity and to the integrated activity
of cortical–subcortical areas controlling the free flow of ideas and to expressive
spontaneity. Eventually, we purpose a model according to which structure
(improvisational field) and process (improvisational time) take part at the centrencephalic
space of functional integration, which, through both competing and
cooperating dynamics, gives way to spontaneous composition.