Early Postnatal Neuroactive Steroid Manipulation Differentially Affects Recognition Memory and Passive Avoidance Performance in Male Rats

The study explored how altering neuroactive steroids (NAS) in early postnatal male rats affected their learning and memory. Finasteride, which inhibits 5α-reductase, and allopregnanolone (ALLO) were administered to rats from postnatal days 5-9. In adulthood, finasteride-treated rats showed improved recognition memory in the object recognition test (ORT) but impaired aversive learning in the passive avoidance test (PA), with no change in anxiety-like behavior. ALLO treatment did not impact recognition memory or aversive learning but increased exploration in familiar settings, suggesting reduced neophobia. The study, which involved 78 male Wistar rats, concluded that early postnatal NAS manipulation has different effects on learning types, particularly in relation to the emotional content of the task.