Visual learning and retention examined with reversible cold lesions of the anterior temporal lobe

Learning and retention of visual discriminations and delayed match-to-sample (DMS) performance were examined in monkeys while cooling the anterior temporal lobe. Four cryodes were bilaterally implanted on the dura overlying the anterior temporal cortex, an anterior pair covered the temporal pole (TP) and a posterior pair covered the anterior inferior temporal cortex (AIT). The visual discriminations were examined under 4 different test combinations of cooling and not cooling the anterior temporal lobe. Learning deficits were produced by cooling either TP or AIT. Once learned, there was no difficulty recalling discriminations under cooling or control conditions for either TP or AIT. There was a deficit during cooling in the recall of discriminations that had been learned prior to cooling TP or AIT. The animals were then trained and tested on a DMS task at a 0-s and 10-s delay. They performed at chance when either TP or AIT was cooled in the 0-s delay. Only TP was cooled at the 10-s delay and it also resulted in chance performance. The cold lesions demonstrated that the anterior temporal cortex, i.e. TP and AIT, has an important role in the processes of learning and, to a lesser extent, retention of visual information. The results also support previous findings regarding the participation of this area in DMS performance. The findings were discussed in relation to the amnesic syndrome.