Nucleus basalis lesions fail to induce senile plaques in the rat

Fourteen months after receiving bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellaris (NBM), male rats demonstrated impairment in spatial learning in a water maze task, increased incidence of high voltage spindles, and significant depletion of cortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity. Histological evaluation revealed decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining but no plaque-like structures in the cortex.