Perirhinal cortex lesions impair context aversion learning.
Rats with perirhinal cortex lesions were compared with sham controls on a conditional discrimination in which saccharin was paired with LiCl in context 1, but paired with saline in context 2. Perirhinal-lesioned rats were slightly slower to acquire the discrimination but reached control levels by the end of acquisition. Both groups showed transfer to familiar tap water, consuming less in context 1 than in context 2. Unlike sham rats, perirhinal rats failed to show an aversion to context 1 on a place choice test. These data provide neuroanatomical support for the postulated difference between Pavlovian conditioning and conditional learning.
Howse
Dana J
DJ
Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
Squires
Amanda S
AS
Martin
Gerard M
GM
Skinner
Darlene M
DM
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans