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Basal forebrain infusions impair delayed-non-match-to-sample radial arm maze performance
James J Chrobak1, T Celeste Napier
1Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|March 20, 2002
Summary
Infusing fluids into the ventral pallidum (VP) of rat brains impaired cognitive tasks for days. This study shows the VP is uniquely sensitive to even non-drug infusions, impacting brain function research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuropharmacology
Background:
- Direct drug infusion into the brain aids in studying specific brain region functions.
- Initial observations indicated the ventral pallidum (VP) was sensitive to vehicle infusions during cognitive assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of vehicle infusions into the ventral pallidum (VP) on cognitive performance.
- To characterize the sensitivity of the VP to fluid infusions in a radial arm maze task.
Main Methods:
- A within-subjects design was employed using male Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Rats were trained on a delayed-non-match-to-sample (DNMTS) radial arm maze (RAM) task with a 1-hour delay.
- Bilateral cannulae were implanted targeting the VP, followed by intra-VP treatments (sham and vehicle infusions).
Main Results:
- Vehicle infusions into the VP caused significant cognitive deficits on the day of infusion and for two subsequent testing days.
- Sham infusions did not produce similar performance deficits.
- These results indicate a persistent effect of fluid infusions in the VP.
Conclusions:
- The ventral pallidum (VP) exhibits a unique and persistent sensitivity to fluid perturbation, not just to drugs.
- This sensitivity has implications for interpreting results from studies involving direct brain infusions.
- The VP's response to non-specific fluid challenges appears distinct from other basal forebrain regions.