Enhanced DRL and impaired forced-choice alternation performance following hippocampal lesions in the pigeon.
In four experiments, pigeons with bilateral lesions of the hippocampus were compared to unoperated control birds and operated control subjects that received bilateral lesions of the neostriatum on tasks sensitive to hippocampal damage in mammals. Consistent with the mammalian literature, hippocampal birds were impaired on forced-choice alternation in the T-maze, although they were unimpaired on spatial alternation and reversal learning in an operant chamber. Furthermore, in contrast to hippocampal mammals, hippocampal pigeons showed enhanced performance on a differential reinforcement of low-rates of responding schedule of reinforcement. The results are discussed with respect to a behavioural homology between the avian and mammalian hippocampal formations.
Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, Yorkshire, U.K.
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D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010856:Columbidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012193:Reversal Learning / Q000502:physiology