Fornix-fimbria section and the partial reinforcement extinction effect.

Journal article

Rats were trained to run in an alley for food reward given on every trial (continuous reinforcement, CR) or on a random 50% of trials (partial reinforcement, PR) and were then extinguished. Sham-operated controls showed the normal partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE), in that PR-trained animals were significantly more resistant to extinction than CR-trained animals. The PREE was significantly reduced by lesions of the fornix-fimbria. The reduction was largely a consequence of a reduction in resistance to extinction in PR-trained rats with fimbria-fornix lesions. These results are discussed in the light of other experiments that have studied disconnections in the septo-hippocampal system.

Authors: Feldon, J; Rawlins, J; Gray, J

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Experimental brain research
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 435-439
• Publication date: 1985-01-01
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00235860
• EISSN: 1432-1106
• ISSN: 0014-4819
• Language: English
• Keywords: Male; Rats, Inbred Strains; Reinforcement Schedule; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Hippocampus; Extinction, Psychological; Rats; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Septal Nuclei