Effects of quisqualic acid nucleus basalis lesioning on cortical EEG, passive avoidance and water maze performance

The study examines the effects of unilateral quisqualic acid nucleus basalis (NB) lesioning on cortical EEG and learning behavior. Lesions produced both gliosis in the ventral pallidum and a marked reduction in the cortical ChAT activity. Normal cortical EEG activity was abolished on the side of NB lesion, i.e., slow wave activity and the incidence of high voltage spindles was higher on the side of lesion compared with the control side. NB lesioning impaired passive avoidance retention, but not spatial learning ability. These results suggest that EEG and passive avoidance deficits induced by NB quisqualic acid lesion may result from the damage specifically to cholinergic neurons. Thus, the restoration of EEG and passive avoidance performance defects in quisqualic-lesioned rats may be used as an index of the efficacy of the cholinergic replacement therapies.