PRefrontal cortex and hippocampus in behavioural flexibility and posttraumatic functional recovery: Reversal learning and set-shifting in rats.

PRefrontal cortex and hippocampus in behavioural flexibility and posttraumatic functional recovery: Reversal learning and set-shifting in rats. Brain Res Bull. 2015 May 29; Authors: Malá H, Andersen LG, Christensen RF, Felbinger A, Hagstrøm J, Meder D, Pearce H, Mogensen J Abstract Within one experiment and one T-maze, we examined the consequences of i) bilateral lesions of the anteromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), ii) bilateral transections of the fimbria-fornix (FF), or iii) combined lesions of both PFC and FF (COMB) on rats' ability to perform reversal or set-shifting. Postoperatively, the animals were trained to perform a spatial discrimination go-right task. This was followed by 1) a spatial reversal go-left task (reversal learning), or 2) a visual pattern discrimination task (set-shift). Neither single (PFC or FF) lesion nor combined (COMB) lesions affected the animals' ability to acquire the original spatial discrimination task. Regarding the reversal learning, the performance of the PFC and the FF groups was not significantly different from that of the sham operated control animals (Sham). In contrast, animals with combined lesion of both structures were impaired on both error rate and acquisition speed relative to all other groups. Regarding the set-shifting, all lesioned groups were impaired relative to the Sham group both regarding the error rate and the acquisition speed. There was, however, no difference in the degree ...
Source: Brain Research Bulletin - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Brain Res Bull Source Type: research