EFFECT OF LOCAL ELECTROGRAPHIC AFTER-DISCHARGES ON VISUAL LEARNING AND RETENTION IN MONKEY

Abstract

Monkeys failed to learn a two-choice, successive visual discrimination problem when the stimulus-object was presented at the time when bilateral electrographic after-discharges were induced in their temporal cortices. These same animals, however, learned the task under the condition of unilateral temporal after-discharges. Monkeys also failed to remember previously learned visual discrimination tasks when after-discharges appeared bilaterally in the temporal areas. Unilateral temporal after-discharges, however, did not affect their performance. Neither bilateral nor unilateral hippocampal after-discharges prevented monkeys from remembering visual problems. Similarly, electrical shocks to occipital areas did not disturb the monkey''s retention of a visual discrimination habit.