Hippocampal lesions and inhibition of avoidance behavior.

Abstract

Found in an experiment with 40 female wistar rats that facilitation of a shuttle-box avoidance response in ss with hippocampal lesions was attributable to a significantly higher probability of running to a cs which predicted shock. This higher probability of running created a situation whereby ss with hippocampal lesions received less informational feedback regarding the changes in the avoidance contingency during extinction. A 2nd experiment with 21 ss indicated that when immediate information was provided, ss with hippocampal lesions were able to extinguish as rapidly as normal ss. These findings weaken inhibitory interpretations of hippocampal function and support a stress-arousal interpretation of hippocampal function in situations employing noxious stimulation. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)