Fornix-fimbria section and working memory deficits in rats: stimulus complexity and stimulus size.

Journal article

Rats were trained on delayed matching-to-sample (DMS) with goalboxes containing complex objects as stimuli. On reaching the preoperative learning criterion, the rats were allocated to conventional fornix-lesioned or control groups. In a series of postoperative DMS experiments, different kinds of stimuli were used, ranging from complex object boxes to large, simple black or white goalboxes, with 3 transitional types in between. Lesions impaired choice accuracy whenever the rats were tested with large, simple goalboxes, but not with smaller boxes of otherwise identical construction. A brief, final experiment showed no amelioration of the lesion-induced impairment when complex objects were added to large, simple goalboxes. The results are discussed in terms of spatial and nonspatial accounts of hippocampal function.

Authors: Cassaday, H; Rawlins, J

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Behavioral neuroscience
• Volume: 109
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 594-606
• Publication date: 1995-08-01
• DOI: 10.1037//0735-7044.109.4.594
• EISSN: 1939-0084
• ISSN: 0735-7044
• Language: English
• Keywords: Retention (Psychology); Pattern Recognition, Visual; Brain Mapping; Problem Solving; Discrimination Learning; Animals; Orientation; Hippocampus; Rats; Mental Recall; Attention; Size Perception; Male