Effects of rhinencephalic lesions on maze learning in rats.

Abstract

This experiment was done to determine if brain lesions which had been shown to impair avoidance learning would also impair positively reinforced maze learning. A control group sustained small cortical lesions while the experimental group sustained large lesions aimed at transection of the rostral parts of the hippocampi. The groups were then trained on an 8-cul maze. The experimental group showed significantly impaired learning on all measures. It was suggested that the lesions produce the effect by interference with mechanisms of secondary reinforcement.