Nucleus basalis magnocellularis electrical stimulation facilitates two-way active avoidance retention, in rats.
We studied the effects of post-training intracranial electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis on two-way active avoidance retention. After the acquisition, rats were stimulated for 20 min, and they were tested again after 24 h or 11 days. The treatment improved memory consolidation, especially in animals with a low initial learning ability. These facilitative effects could be attributed to an enhancement of cortical and/or amygdala activation, leading to an improvement in associative processes and/or cortical plasticity.
Montero-Pastor
A
A
Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Edifici B, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
Vale-Martínez
A
A
Guillazo-Blanch
G
G
Nadal-Alemany
R
R
Martí-Nicolovius
M
M
Morgado-Bernal
I
I
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D020532:Basal Nucleus of Meynert / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*