Cockroaches Don’t Do Mornings

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Professor Terry L. Page

It’s not just night owls who have trouble being alert in early morning hours. According to new research by Professor Terry L. Page, then-student Susan Decker BS’07, and student Shannon McConnaughey, cockroaches trained in the evening retain knowledge for several days, but are incapable of forming new memories during morning hours. “This is the first example of an insect whose ability to learn is controlled by its biological clock,” says Page, professor of biological sciences.

Studies such as this one seek to gain information on just how the circadian cycle regulates various aspects of learning and memory, and how that may relate to humans.

Photo by Daniel Dubois.