Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.

Monkeys with aspiration lesions of the magnocellular division of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDmc) are impaired in object-in-place scene learning, object recognition, and stimulus-reward association. These data have been interpreted to mean that projections from MDmc to prefrontal cortex are required...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mitchell, A, Baxter, MG, Gaffan, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2007
_version_ 1797090805558542336
author Mitchell, A
Baxter, MG
Gaffan, D
author_facet Mitchell, A
Baxter, MG
Gaffan, D
author_sort Mitchell, A
collection OXFORD
description Monkeys with aspiration lesions of the magnocellular division of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDmc) are impaired in object-in-place scene learning, object recognition, and stimulus-reward association. These data have been interpreted to mean that projections from MDmc to prefrontal cortex are required to sustain normal prefrontal function in a variety of task settings. In the present study, we investigated the extent to which bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the MDmc impair a preoperatively learnt strategy implementation task that is impaired by a crossed lesion technique that disconnects the frontal cortex in one hemisphere from the contralateral inferotemporal cortex. Postoperative memory impairments were also examined using the object-in-place scene memory task. Monkeys learnt both strategy implementation and scene memory tasks separately to a stable level preoperatively. Bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the MDmc, produced by 10 x 1 microl injections of a mixture of ibotenate and NMDA did not affect performance in the strategy implementation task. However, new learning of object-in-place scene memory was substantially impaired. These results provide new evidence about the role of the magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in memory processing, indicating that interconnections with the prefrontal cortex are essential during new learning, but are not required when implementing a preoperatively acquired strategy task. Thus, not all functions of the prefrontal cortex require MDmc input. Instead, the involvement of MDmc in prefrontal function may be limited to situations in which new learning must occur.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T03:24:00Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:b8654fa5-8120-4e59-80dd-ab3869dc321d
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T03:24:00Z
publishDate 2007
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:b8654fa5-8120-4e59-80dd-ab3869dc321d2022-03-27T04:55:35ZDissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b8654fa5-8120-4e59-80dd-ab3869dc321dEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2007Mitchell, ABaxter, MGGaffan, DMonkeys with aspiration lesions of the magnocellular division of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDmc) are impaired in object-in-place scene learning, object recognition, and stimulus-reward association. These data have been interpreted to mean that projections from MDmc to prefrontal cortex are required to sustain normal prefrontal function in a variety of task settings. In the present study, we investigated the extent to which bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the MDmc impair a preoperatively learnt strategy implementation task that is impaired by a crossed lesion technique that disconnects the frontal cortex in one hemisphere from the contralateral inferotemporal cortex. Postoperative memory impairments were also examined using the object-in-place scene memory task. Monkeys learnt both strategy implementation and scene memory tasks separately to a stable level preoperatively. Bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the MDmc, produced by 10 x 1 microl injections of a mixture of ibotenate and NMDA did not affect performance in the strategy implementation task. However, new learning of object-in-place scene memory was substantially impaired. These results provide new evidence about the role of the magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in memory processing, indicating that interconnections with the prefrontal cortex are essential during new learning, but are not required when implementing a preoperatively acquired strategy task. Thus, not all functions of the prefrontal cortex require MDmc input. Instead, the involvement of MDmc in prefrontal function may be limited to situations in which new learning must occur.
spellingShingle Mitchell, A
Baxter, MG
Gaffan, D
Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title_full Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title_fullStr Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title_full_unstemmed Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title_short Dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
title_sort dissociable performance on scene learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus
work_keys_str_mv AT mitchella dissociableperformanceonscenelearningandstrategyimplementationafterlesionstomagnocellularmediodorsalthalamicnucleus
AT baxtermg dissociableperformanceonscenelearningandstrategyimplementationafterlesionstomagnocellularmediodorsalthalamicnucleus
AT gaffand dissociableperformanceonscenelearningandstrategyimplementationafterlesionstomagnocellularmediodorsalthalamicnucleus