Behavioural investigation of the mammillary region in the rat

• Main Author: Sziklas, Viviane
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 1991
• Subjects: Rats > Behavior.; Memory > Physiological aspects.; Learning > Physiological aspects.; Perceptual learning.; Korsakoff's syndrome.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=70274

The experiments reported in the present dissertation investigated the contribution of the mammillary region to several classes of learning and memory: spatial memory, nonspatial memory, and conditioned aversion learning. It was demonstrated that such lesions impair performance on tasks that require memory for spatial information but that the deficit depends on both the amount of damage within the region as well as the degree of difficulty of the task. A dissociation in the effect of such lesions on performance of comparable spatial and nonspatial memory tasks was shown. In contrast to the severe deficits observed on spatial memory tasks, the acquisition and retention of a complex nonspatial memory task was not impaired after extensive damage to the mammillary region. Such lesions also did not impair performance on two conditioned aversion tasks. These experiments suggest that the mammillary region may be selectively involved in spatial learning and memory. The relevance of these findings to Korsakoff's syndrome is discussed.