Enhanced neural response by adult rats to odors experienced early in life.

The enhanced olfactory bulb neural response to familiar odors by young rats persists into adulthood. Ninety-day-old rats who had received neonatal odor exposure had an enhanced uptake of [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) when exposed to the familiar odor. The odor-familiar rats did not have an increased respiration rate during the 2-DG test. A long-lasting change in neuronal response is consistent with the observation of behavioral effects of early odor experience persisting into adulthood.