Exploratory behavior in rats following bilateral lesions of the anterodorsal caudate nuclei

9 rats received bilateral lesions to the anterodorsal caudate nuclei and 9 rats underwent sham operation procedures. After recovery the subjects were observed in an apparatus allowing access to familiar or novel stimuli. The caudotomized rats spent a significantly greater proportion of time exploring the novel stimuli. The results were not consistent with the suggestions that following damage to the caudate nucleus animals were unresponsive to novelty, however, they did support earlier findings implicating the caudate nucleus in learning and memory processes.