Rats with damage to the hippocampal-formation are impaired on the transverse-patterning problem but not on elemental discriminations

Behav Neurosci. 1995 Apr;109(2):204-11. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.109.2.204.

Abstract

We assessed the effects of hippocampal-formation (HF) damage on the rat's ability to learn two sets of concurrent visual discriminations. Each set included three problems. One set, called the transverse-patterning problem, was constructed so that each choice stimulus was ambiguous; sometimes it was the correct (+) and sometimes it was the incorrect (-) choice as follows: A+ vs. B-, B+ vs. C-, and C+ vs. A-. It could not be solved unless rats used configural associations. The stimuli were not ambiguous in the second, elemental problem set, A+ vs. B-, C+ vs. D-, and E+ vs. F-. Rats could solve this set without the use of configural associations. Rats with HF damage solved the set of elemental problems, but their performance on the transverse-patterning problem was impaired. These results support Sutherland and Rudy's (1989) theory that the hippocampal formation is critical for the acquisition of configural associations.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Association Learning / physiology
  • Attention / physiology
  • Choice Behavior / physiology
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology*
  • Escape Reaction / physiology
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mental Recall / physiology*
  • Orientation / physiology
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
  • Problem Solving / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Retention, Psychology / physiology*