Involvement of the rat medial prefrontal cortex in novelty detection

The prefrontal cortex in humans has been implicated in processes that underlie novelty detection and attention. This study examined the contribution of the rat medial prefrontal cortex to novelty detection using the targeting, or orienting, response (OR) as a behavioral index. Lesions to the medial prefrontal cortex (specifically the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices) influenced neither the OR to a novel visual stimulus from a localized light source (V1), nor the change in this OR over the course of a series of exposures to V1. However, after exposure to V1, the OR to a 2nd visual stimulus from the same source, V2, was more pronounced in control rats than in lesioned rats. These results suggest that the medial prefrontal cortex in the rat contributes to the process of novelty detection.