Transferability of electro-convulsive shock induced short term memory impairment by brain homogenates in rats

Six rats were subjected to a series of five electro-convulsive shocks. Their brain extracts were injected intraperitoneally into six other rats trained to perform a short term memory task. They showed a significant short term memory impairment after twentyfour hours and fortyeight hours and also, a difficulty in learning the task. The controls which consisted of rats injected with brain extracts of rats not subjected to any fits showed good memory trace and capacity to build up their memory. In this connection a new single-trial technique for short term memory was devised and standardised based on rat-trap principle and avoidance of unpleasant experience. Further, it was noticed that rats subjected to direct fits ate less and consumed less water. Those injected with brain homogenates of convulsed rats however, seemed not to deviate from the normal.