Prefrontal cortex and working memory for spatial response, spatial location, and visual object information in the rat

Cereb Cortex. 1996 Mar-Apr;6(2):311-8. doi: 10.1093/cercor/6.2.311.

Abstract

In the first experiment, rats were trained on a working memory task for a spatial response (right-left turn) information using a delayed matching-to-sample procedure. Following lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPF), which includes anterior cingulate and medial precentral cortex, there was a profound working memory deficit even at the shortest delay. In the second experiment, rats were trained on a working memory task for spatial location information using a delayed matching-to-sample procedure. Following lesions of the MPF, there was only a mild working memory deficit, whereas following dorsal hippocampal lesions there was a profound working memory deficit even at the shortest delay. In the third experiment, rats were trained on a working memory task for visual object information using a delayed nonmatching-to-sample procedure. Following lesions of the MPF, there were no working memory deficits, whereas following lesions of the prelimbic and infralimbic cortex there was a profound working memory deficit even at the shortest delay. The results suggest that different neural subregions of the prefrontal cortex mediate working memory for specific attribute information.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Visual Pathways / physiology*