title: Effect of destruction of the 5-hydroxytryptaminergic pathways on temporal memory: quantitative analysis with a delayed interval bisection task.
abstract: This experiment examined the effect of destruction of the ascending 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5HTergic) pathways on memory for duration, using a delayed interval bisection task. Rats that had received injections of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine into the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, and sham-lesioned control rats, were trained in a series of discrete trials to press lever A following a 2-s presentation of a light stimulus, and lever B following an 8-s presentation of the same stimulus. Following stimulus offset a response on a panel placed midway between the two levers was required in order to initiate lever presentation; a single response on either lever resulted in withdrawal of both levers and, in the case of a "correct' response, reinforcer delivery. When > 90% correct choices had been attained, an 8-s (phase I) or a 12-s (phase II) delay was interposed between stimulus offset and lever presentation in 50% of the trials, and probe trials (10% of both non-delay and delay trials) were introduced in which the light was presented for intermediate durations. Logistic functions were derived relating percent choice of lever B to stimulus duration. In both groups, the imposition of post-stimulus delays displaced the bisection point (duration yielding 50% choice of lever B) towards longer durations; this effect was significantly greater in the lesioned group than in the control group. Imposition of post-stimulus delays resulted in increases in the Weber fraction, which did not differ significantly between the two groups. The levels of 5HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were reduced in the brains of the lesioned rats, but the levels of noradrenaline and dopamine were not altered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, UK.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: al-Zahrani
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: al-Ruwaitea
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szabadi
mesh_terms: D015116:5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013998:Time Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018490:Serotonin Agents; D015116:5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine; D012701:Serotonin