Effect of combined medial thalamic and septal lesions on active-avoidance behavior.

Abstract

Rats that fail on a simple active-avoidance test because of the presence of medial thalamic damage will often avoid if the septal area is damaged in a 2nd operation. Thus supports an earlier hypothesis that rats with medial thalamic lesions can learn an active-avoidance habit but are incapable of quick voluntary movements when frightened. Since septal lesions alone (thalamus intact) impair avoidance performance, it may be that septal damage has 2 independent effects: (a) impairment of an inhibitory system, and (b) impairment of learning ability. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)