Electroshock-Induced Retrograde Amnesia in Seizure-Protected Mice

Abstract

Mice given electroshock following a single conditioning trial showed a retrograde amnesia for the conditioned response as a function of the time interval between training and electroshock. When, under two different conditions, the overt convulsion produced by electroshock was prevented, the retrograde amnesia still was in evidence. The data suggest that current flow through the brain, rather than an overt convulsion, accounts for the amnesic effect of electroshock.