title: Effects of dorsal and ventral vertical lobe electrolytic lesions on spatial learning and locomotor activity in Sepia officinalis.
abstract: This study aims to analyze the effects of electrolytic lesion, restricted to either the ventral or the dorsal parts of the vertical lobe (VL), on the behavior of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Two behavioral tests were performed on sham-operated and lesioned cuttlefish: assessment of locomotor activity in an open field and determination of spatial learning abilities in a T maze. The results showed that ventral lesions of the VL led to marked impairment in the acquisition of spatial learning, whereas dorsal lesions of the VL increased locomotor activity in the open field and impaired long-term retention of spatial learning. This study establishes for the first time the existence of distinct functions in the ventral and the dorsal parts of the VL in cephalopods.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie du Comportement des Cephalopodes, Universite de Caen Basse-Normandie, Caen, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graindorge
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Darmaillacq
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chichery
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dickel
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellanger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D019581:Neuropil / Q000502:physiology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity