Aging in zebrafish is associated with reduced locomotor activity and strain dependent changes in bottom dwelling and thigmotaxis.

Aging is associated with a wide range of physiological and behavioral changes in many species. Zebrafish, like humans, rodents, and birds, exhibits gradual senescence, and thus may be a useful model organism for identifying evolutionarily conserved mechanisms related to aging. Here, we compared behavior in the novel tank test of young (6-month-old) and middle aged (12-month-old) zebrafish from two strains (TL and TU) and both sexes. We find that this modest age difference results in a reduction in locomotor activity in male fish. We also found that background strain modulated the effects of age on predator avoidance behaviors related to anxiety: older female TL fish increased bottom dwelling whereas older male TU fish decreased thigmotaxis. Although there were no consistent effects of age on either short-term (within session) or long-term (next day) habituation to the novel tank, strain affected the habituation response. TL fish tended to increase their distance from the bottom of the tank whereas TU fish had no changes in bottom distance but instead tended to increase thigmotaxis. Our findings support the use of zebrafish for the study of how age affects locomotion and how genetics interacts with age and sex to alter exploratory and emotional behaviors in response to novelty.

Paradoxical Boosting of Weak and Strong Spatial Memories by Hippocampal Dopamine Uncaging.

The ability to remember changes in the surroundings is fundamental for daily life. It has been proposed that novel events producing dopamine release in the hippocampal CA1 region could modulate spatial memory formation. However, the role of hippocampal dopamine increase on weak or strong spatial memories remains unclear. We show that male mice exploring two objects located in a familiar environment for 5 min created a short-term memory (weak) that cannot be retrieved 1 d later, whereas 10 min exploration created a long-term memory (strong) that can be retrieved 1 d later. Remarkably, hippocampal dopamine elevation during the encoding of weak object location memories (OLMs) allowed their retrieval 1 d later but dopamine elevation during the encoding of strong OLMs promoted the preference for a familiar object location over a novel object location after 24 h. Moreover, dopamine uncaging after the encoding of OLMs did not have effect on weak memories whereas on strong memories diminished the exploration of the novel object location. Additionally, hippocampal dopamine elevation during the retrieval of OLMs did not allow the recovery of weak memories and did not affect the retrieval of strong memory traces. Finally, dopamine elevation increased hippocampal theta oscillations, indicating that dopamine promotes the recurrent activation of specific groups of neurons. Our experiments demonstrate that hippocampal dopaminergic modulation during the encoding of OLMs depends on memory strength indicating that hyperdopaminergic levels that enhance weak experiences could compromise the normal storage of strong memories.

Mindfulness, curiosity, and creativity.

Curiosity and creativity are manifestations of novelty-seeking mechanisms, closely intertwined and interdependent. This principle aligns seamlessly with the foundational tenets of Langerian mindfulness, which places novelty seeking as a cornerstone. Creativity, curiosity, openness, and flexibility all harmoniously converge in this framework. Spanning over four decades, research in the realm of mindfulness has diligently delved into the intricate interplay among these constructs.

Distinct neurocognitive pathways underlying creativity: An integrative approach.

By examining the shared neuro-cognitive correlates of curiosity and creativity, we better understand the brain basis of creativity. However, by only examining shared components, important neuro-cognitive correlates are overlooked. Here, we argue that any comprehensive brain model of creativity should consider multiple cognitive processes and, alongside the interplay between brain networks, also the neurochemistry and neural oscillations that underly creativity.

Application of scaling to mouse spontaneous movement: Path curvature varies with speed and linear distance features isochrony.

To conserve sequential behavior in relation to the topographic challenges of space, it is proposed that humans and nonhuman animals can organize behavior using different scaling principles. To deal with increases in linear distance, isochrony suggest that there is a corresponding increase in speed, whereas to deal with changes in curvature, speed is adjusted according to a power function. The present study investigates whether these principles provide a framework for describing the organization of mouse behavior in a variety of standard experimental tasks. The structure of movement was examined in ambulation during open field exploration; manipulation in a string-pulling task, in which a string is advanced hand over hand to retrieve food; and rung-walking, in which the limbs successively step from rung to rung on a horizontal ladder. Both principles were found to be conserved in the organization of mouse behavior across scales of movement. These principles provide novel measures of the temporal and geometric features of movement in the mouse and insights into how the temporal and geometric features of movement are conserved within different species.

5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor effects on recognition memory, motor/exploratory behaviors, emotionality and regional dopamine transporter binding in the rat.

Both dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) play key roles in numerous functions including motor control, stress response and learning. So far, there is scarce or conflicting evidence about the effects of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor (R) agonists and antagonists on recognition memory in the rat. This also holds for their effect on cerebral DA as well as 5-HT release. In the present study, we assessed the effects of the 5-HT1AR agonist 8-OH-DPAT and antagonist WAY100,635 and the 5-HT2AR agonist DOI and antagonist altanserin (ALT) on rat behaviors. Moreover, we investigated their impact on monoamine efflux by measuring monoamine transporter binding in various regions of the rat brain. After injection of either 8-OH-DPAT (3 mg/kg), WAY100,635 (0.4 mg/kg), DOI (0.1 mg/kg), ALT (1 mg/kg) or the respective vehicle (saline, DMSO), rats underwent an object and place recognition memory test in the open field. Upon the assessment of object exploration, motor/exploratory parameters and feces excretion, rats were administered the monoamine transporter radioligand N-o-fluoropropyl-2b-carbomethoxy-3b-(4-[123I]iodophenyl)-nortropane ([123I]-FP-CIT; 8.9 ± 2.6 MBq) into the tail vein. Regional radioactivity accumulations in the rat brain were determined post mortem. Compared vehicle, administration of 8-OH-DPAT impaired memory for place, decreased rearing behavior, and increased ambulation as well as head-shoulder movements. DOI administration led to a reduction in rearing behavior but an increase in head-shoulder motility relative to vehicle. Feces excretion was diminished after ALT relative to vehicle. Dopamine transporter (DAT) binding was increased in the caudateputamen (CP), but decreased in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) after 8-OH-DPAT relative to vehicle. Moreover, DAT binding was decreased in the NAC after ALT relative to vehicle. Findings indicate that 5-HT1AR inhibition and 5-HT2AR activation may impair memory for place. Furthermore, results imply associations not only between recognition memory, motor/exploratory behavior and emotionality but also between the respective parameters and the levels of available DA in CP and NAC.

A shared novelty-seeking basis for creativity and curiosity: Response to the commentators.

In our target article, we proposed that curiosity and creativity are both manifestations of the same novelty-seeking process. We received 29 commentaries from diverse disciplines that add insights to our initial proposal. These commentaries ultimately expanded and supplemented our model. Here we draw attention to five central practical and theoretical issues that were raised by the commentators: (1) The complex construct of novelty and associated concepts; (2) the underlying subsystems and possible mechanisms; (3) the different pathways and subtypes of curiosity and creativity; (4) creativity and curiosity "in the wild"; (5) the possible link(s) between creativity and curiosity.

Toward a causal model of curiosity and creativity.

We extend Ivancovsky et al.'s finding on the association between curiosity and creativity by proposing a sequential causal model assuming that (a) curiosity determines the motivation to seek information and that (b) creativity constitutes a capacity to act on that motivation. This framework assumes that both high levels of curiosity and creativity are necessary for information-seeking behavior.

Novelty seeking is neither necessary nor sufficient for curiosity or creativity, instead both curiosity and creativity may reflect an epistemic drive.

Novelty is neither necessary nor sufficient to link curiosity and creativity as stated in the target article. We point out the article's logical shortcomings, outline preconditions that may link curiosity and creativity, and suggest that curiosity and creativity may be expressions of a common epistemic drive.

Prediction error minimization as a common computational principle for curiosity and creativity.

We propose expanding the authors' shared novelty-seeking basis for creativity and curiosity by emphasizing an underlying computational principle: Minimizing prediction errors (mismatch between predictions and incoming data). Curiosity is tied to the anticipation of minimizing prediction errors through future, novel information, whereas creative AHA moments are connected to the actual minimization of prediction errors through current, novel information.

Is a wandering mind a novelty-seeking mind? The curious case of incubation.

The Novelty-Seeking Model can explain incubation's effect on creativity by assuming an adaptive decision threshold. During an impasse, the threshold for novelty becomes too high and biased to previous neural activity, hindering progress. Incubation "resets" this threshold through attentional decoupling, allowing for spontaneous ideas to emerge from subsequent mind wandering or other activities that attract attention, facilitating progress.

Creativity is motivated by novelty. Curiosity is triggered by uncertainty.

Although creativity and curiosity can be similarly construed as knowledge-building processes, their underlying motivation is fundamentally different. Specifically, curiosity drives organisms to seek information that reduces uncertainty so that they can make a better prediction about the world. On the contrary, creative processes aim to connect distant pieces of information, maximizing novelty and utility.

Breaking down (and moving beyond) novelty as a trigger of curiosity.

The Novelty Seeking Model (NSM) places "novelty" at center stage in characterizing the mechanisms behind curiosity. We argue that the NSM's conception of novelty is too broad, obscuring distinct constructs. More critically, the NSM underemphasizes triggers of curiosity that better unify these constructs and that have received stronger empirical support: those that signal the potential for useful learning.

A developmental account of curiosity and creativity.

Ivancovsky et al.'s Novelty-Seeking Model suggests several mechanisms that might underlie developmental change in creativity and curiosity. We discuss how these implications both do and do not align with extant developmental findings, suggest two further elements that can provide a more complete developmental account, and discuss current methodological barriers to formulating an integrated developmental model of curiosity and creativity.

Curiosity is more than novelty seeking.

The novelty-seeking model (NSM) does not offer a compelling unifying framework for understanding creativity and curiosity. It fails to explain important manifestations and features of curiosity. Moreover, the arguments offered to support a curiosity-creativity link - a shared association with a common core process and various superficial associations between them - are neither convincing nor do they yield useful predictions.

Mood regulation as a shared basis for creativity and curiosity.

We extend the work of Ivancovsky et al. by proposing that in addition to novelty seeking, mood regulation goals - including enhancing positive mood and repairing negative mood - motivate both creativity and curiosity. Additionally, we discuss how the effects of mood on state of mind are context-dependent (not fixed), and how such flexibility may impact creativity and curiosity.

Exploratory exploitation and exploitative exploration: The phenomenology of play and the computational dynamics of search.

I argue for a more complicated but nonetheless computationally feasible and algorithmically intelligible interplay between exploration and exploitation and for admitting into our conceptual toolkit regimes of exploitative exploration and exploratory exploitation that can enhance the novelty and usefulness of the results of either problemistic or serendipitous search.

Ignoring the role of reiterative processing and worldview transformation leads to exaggeration of the role of curiosity in creativity.

The Novelty-Seeking Model does not address the iterative nature of creativity, and how it restructures one's worldview, resulting in overemphasis on the role of curiosity, and underemphasis on inspiration and perseverance. It overemphasizes the product; creators often seek merely to express themselves or figure out or come to terms with something. We point to inconsistencies regarding divergent and convergent thought.

Beyond novelty: Learnability in the interplay between creativity, curiosity and artistic endeavours.

Using art and aesthetics as context, we explore the notion that curiosity and creativity emanate from a single novelty-seeking mechanism and outline support for the idea. However, we also highlight the importance of learning progress tracking in exploratory action and advocate for a nuanced understanding that aligns novelty-seeking with learnability. This, we argue, offers a more comprehensive framework of how curiosity and creativity are related.

Curious? The relationship between curiosity and creativity is likely NOT novelty.

The target article tackles an important and complicated issue of the underlying links between curiosity and creativity. Although thought-provoking, the target article overlooks contemporary theories and research on these constructs. Consequently, the proposed model is inconsistent with prior research in the developmental and educational fields and would benefit from better specification and clarity around key constructs and processes.