Subdivisions of inferior temporal cortex in squirrel monkeys make dissociable contributions to visual learning and memory.
Inferior temporal cortex of squirrel monkeys consists of caudal (ITC), intermediate (ITI), and rostral (ITR) subdivisions, possibly homologous to TEO, posterior TE, and anterior TE of macaque monkeys. The present study compared visual learning in squirrel monkeys with ablations of ITC; ITI and ITR (group ITRd); or ITI, ITR, and more ventral cortex, including perirhinal cortex (group ITR+), with visual learning in unoperated controls. The ITC monkeys had significant impairments on pattern discriminations and milder deficits on delayed non-matching to sample (DNMS) of objects. The ITRd monkeys had deficits on some pattern discriminations but not on DNMS. The ITRd monkeys were significantly impaired on DNMS and some pattern discriminations. These results are similar to those found in macaques and support the proposed homologies.
Weller
Rosalyn E
RE
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA. reweller@uab.edu
LeDoux
Mark S
MS
Toll
Lisa M
LM
Gould
Michelle K
MK
Hicks
R Alan
RA
Cox
James E
JE
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012453:Saimiri / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*