The present experiments determined the consequences of blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors of the prelimbic (PL) cortex in the acquisition and retention of an odor-reward associative task. Rats underwent a training test (five trials) and a 24-h retention test (two retention trials and two relearning trials). In the first experiment, rats were bilaterally infused with scopolamine (20 or 5 μg/site) prior to training. Although scopolamine rats showed acquisition equivalent to PBS-injected controls, they exhibited weakened performance in the 24-h retention test measured by number of errors. In the second experiment, rats were injected with scopolamine (20 μg/site) immediately or 1 h after training and tested 24 h later. Scopolamine rats injected immediately showed severe amnesia detected in two performance measures (errors and latencies), demonstrating deficits in retention and relearning, whereas those injected 1 h later showed good 24-h test performance, similar to controls. These results suggest that muscarinic transmission in the PL cortex is essential for early memory formation, but not for acquisition, of a rapidly learned odor discrimination task. Findings corroborate the role of acetylcholine in consolidation processes and the participation of muscarinic receptors in olfactory associative tasks.

Executive functions (EFs) are essential cognitive processes involved in concentration, planning, decision-making, and impulse control during adolescence. Executive Dysfunction (ED) can lead to significant academic and socio-emotional difficulties, particularly with impairments in emotion regulation (ER). This study aims to assess a virtual reality (VR) cognitive training intervention on EFs, ER, and internalizing symptoms in adolescents at risk for ED. Thirty-eight adolescents aged 12–14 years, identified as being at moderate to high risk for ED, were randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group (n = 22) received gamified VR cognitive training, while the control group (n = 16) received VR nature-based relaxation training. Both interventions lasted five weeks, twice a week for 30 min each. Pre- and post-assessments included ER skills, internalizing symptoms, and cognitive performance measures. Two-way mixed ANOVAs showed significant group × time interactions (p < 0.05) in measures of depression and internalizing symptoms. The experimental group showed significant reductions in these symptoms compared with the control group. Significant main effects of time (p < 0.05) were also found on some measures. Both groups experienced reduced anxiety, improved emotional control and cognitive functioning, and VR cognitive training was particularly effective in reducing internalizing symptoms, while both interventions showed promising results in improving some ER skills and cognitive performance. The findings demonstrate the preliminary effects of VR-based cognitive training in improving the psychological and cognitive well-being of adolescents at risk for ED and suggest that integrating VR technologies into educational settings can effectively address the cognitive and emotional challenges faced by these students.

Neuroscientific advances applied to education are often susceptible to misinterpretation by teaching professionals. However, the accuracy of neuromyths can change as neuroscientific research advances. The goals of this study were to identify teachers' beliefs about brain functioning, as well as to examine predictors of scientifically unsupported beliefs and to examine the degree of alignment between teachers' responses and experts' perspectives. After a review of the literature, the 58-item Neurobeliefs in Education Questionnaire (NEQ) was created and administered to nine neuroeducation experts and 1,139 teachers from Argentina and other Latin American countries (86.1% women). Teachers demonstrated high variability in their beliefs about brain functioning, with only 16% of items showing strong agreement among them and 43% showing strong disagreement. In contrast, neuroeducation experts showed greater internal consensus, especially on items supported by strong scientific evidence. When comparing the two groups, 60% of items revealed disagreement, with over a third showing large discrepancies driven by higher teacher endorsement of well-established neuromyths. A regression revealed that preschool teachers and those who had received neuroscience instruction as part of their academic degrees were more likely to endorse neuromyths, while university-level educators and those with neuroscience training outside their degree programs were significantly less likely to do so. The results support that continuous training in neuroscience and psychology may be a protective factor against endorsement of neuromyths among teachers in Latin America.