@article{c1db67b3ef584becb86e95ac06d36223,
title = "Hippocampal lesioned rats are able to learn a spatial position using non-spatial strategies",
abstract = "In the last two decades, many experiments have demonstrated that the hippocampus plays a role in the learning and processing of spatial and contextual information. Despite these demonstrations, some recent publications have indicated that the hippocampus is not the only structure involved in spatial learning and that even after hippocampal lesions, rats can perform spatial tasks. However, it is not well established whether animals with hippocampal dysfunction still have some spatial learning capacities or develop non-spatial solutions; these may require lengthier acquisition training. We now report the effects of conventional, dorsal hippocampal ablation on rats' performance on the water maze. We tested rats using a short (4 days) versus a long (16 days) acquisition period. We demonstrated that animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions have some residual capacity for learning the localization of a hidden escape platform in a pool during both a reference memory task and a working memory task. The animals with dorsal hippocampal lesions learned to escape at a fixed location, but only with extended training. It is suggested that these animals used non-spatial strategies to compensate for a spatial memory impairment. The results are discussed with respect to the experimental procedure and the strategy applied by the lesioned rats.",
keywords = "Hippocampus, Lesion, Morris water maze, Spatial learning",
author = "Bruno Pouzet and Zhang, {Wei Ning} and Joram Feldon and Rawlins, {J. Nicholas P.}",
note = "Funding Information: Over the trials and the 9 days, the Sham rats reduced their latency to find the platform as training progressed, but DHE rats did not show an equivalent overall improvement. This was supported by the 2×9×4 ANOVA (Lesion×Day×Trial), which yielded a main effect of Lesion (F1,9=34.45, P<0.001), of Day (F8,72=7.54, P<0.001), of Trial (F3,27=35.50, P<0.001), an interaction of Lesion×Day (F8,72=2.65, P<0.02), and an interaction of Lesion×Trial (F3,27=5.98, P<0.003). The overall mean latency, collapsed over 9 days of training, was 25.61±0.78 s for the Sham and 43.27±2.65 s for the DHE rats. ",
year = "2002",
month = jul,
day = "18",
doi = "10.1016/S0166-4328(02)00007-4",
language = "אנגלית",
volume = "133",
pages = "279--291",
journal = "Behavioural Brain Research",
issn = "0166-4328",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
number = "2",
}