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Perinatal decortication impairs performance on an 8-arm radial maze task.
R A Deyo1, J Panksepp, B Abbott
1Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, OH 43403.
Physiology & Behavior
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Perinatally decorticated rats showed spatial learning deficits but improved with training. Their hyperactivity, not impaired learning, likely caused initial poor performance on the radial maze.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Rodent Models
Background:
- The neocortex is crucial for complex cognitive functions, including spatial learning.
- Understanding the neocortex's role in spatial learning is vital for cognitive research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the neocortex in spatial learning in rats.
- To determine if extended training can overcome performance deficits in decorticated rats.
- To explore the relationship between spontaneous activity levels and spatial learning in decorticated rats.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments using perinatally decorticated rats and sham-operated controls.
- Radial arm maze task with 10 training sessions, extended in the second experiment.
- Measurement of spontaneous activity levels and correlation with maze performance.
Main Results:
- Decorticated rats initially made more errors than controls but improved with training.
- Over half of the decorticated rats reached criterion performance with extended training.
- Decorticated rats exhibited significantly elevated spontaneous activity levels, correlated with performance deficits.
Conclusions:
- Extended training allows decorticated rats to learn spatial tasks, suggesting functional plasticity.
- Performance deficits in decorticated rats may be primarily due to hyperactivity, not a specific spatial learning impairment.
- These findings offer insights into the neocortex's contribution to spatial cognition and the impact of motor activity.