Alternation and exploration in rats with hippocampal lesions.

Abstract

Rats with hippocampal lesions were compared with rats with neocortical lesions and sham operates on 2 tests of exploratory behavior. The hippocampals alternated at chance levels, and thus less than the controls, in a T-maze spontaneous alternation test. In a T-maze or Y-maze locomotor exploration test, the groups were initially equally active, but the hippocampals failed to show the normal reduction in activity over time. It is suggested that the hippocampus is involved in "processes controlling familiarization, among which . . . are recent memory and inhibitory processes." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)