Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.

In the last two decades, many experiments have demonstrated that the hippocampus plays a role in the learning and processing of spatial and contextual information. Despite these demonstrations, some recent publications have indicated that the hippocampus is not the only structure involved in spatial...

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Main Authors: Pouzet, B, Zhang, W, Feldon, J, Rawlins, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2002
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author Pouzet, B
Zhang, W
Feldon, J
Rawlins, J
author_facet Pouzet, B
Zhang, W
Feldon, J
Rawlins, J
author_sort Pouzet, B
collection OXFORD
description In the last two decades, many experiments have demonstrated that the hippocampus plays a role in the learning and processing of spatial and contextual information. Despite these demonstrations, some recent publications have indicated that the hippocampus is not the only structure involved in spatial learning and that even after hippocampal lesions, rats can perform spatial tasks. However, it is not well established whether animals with hippocampal dysfunction still have some spatial learning capacities or develop non-spatial solutions; these may require lengthier acquisition training. We now report the effects of conventional, dorsal hippocampal ablation on rats' performance on the water maze. We tested rats using a short (4 days) versus a long (16 days) acquisition period. We demonstrated that animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions have some residual capacity for learning the localization of a hidden escape platform in a pool during both a reference memory task and a working memory task. The animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions learned to escape at a fixed location, but only with extended training. It is suggested that these animals used non-spatial strategies to compensate for a spatial memory impairment. The results are discussed with respect to the experimental procedure and the strategy applied by the lesioned rats.
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spelling oxford-uuid:67d63cdf-8658-4937-a644-5908363c28cd2022-03-26T18:40:57ZHippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:67d63cdf-8658-4937-a644-5908363c28cdEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2002Pouzet, BZhang, WFeldon, JRawlins, JIn the last two decades, many experiments have demonstrated that the hippocampus plays a role in the learning and processing of spatial and contextual information. Despite these demonstrations, some recent publications have indicated that the hippocampus is not the only structure involved in spatial learning and that even after hippocampal lesions, rats can perform spatial tasks. However, it is not well established whether animals with hippocampal dysfunction still have some spatial learning capacities or develop non-spatial solutions; these may require lengthier acquisition training. We now report the effects of conventional, dorsal hippocampal ablation on rats' performance on the water maze. We tested rats using a short (4 days) versus a long (16 days) acquisition period. We demonstrated that animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions have some residual capacity for learning the localization of a hidden escape platform in a pool during both a reference memory task and a working memory task. The animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions learned to escape at a fixed location, but only with extended training. It is suggested that these animals used non-spatial strategies to compensate for a spatial memory impairment. The results are discussed with respect to the experimental procedure and the strategy applied by the lesioned rats.
spellingShingle Pouzet, B
Zhang, W
Feldon, J
Rawlins, J
Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title_full Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title_fullStr Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title_full_unstemmed Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title_short Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies.
title_sort hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non spatial strategies
work_keys_str_mv AT pouzetb hippocampallesionedratsareabletolearnaspatialpositionusingnonspatialstrategies
AT zhangw hippocampallesionedratsareabletolearnaspatialpositionusingnonspatialstrategies
AT feldonj hippocampallesionedratsareabletolearnaspatialpositionusingnonspatialstrategies
AT rawlinsj hippocampallesionedratsareabletolearnaspatialpositionusingnonspatialstrategies