[Effects of hippocampal lesions on punishment training in rats (author's transl)]

The present experiment was designed to determine the effect of hippocampal lesions on punishment training and to evaluate the spatial cognition hypothesis. Hippocampectomized and operated control rats were each divided into runway and goal box punishment groups. Food motivated animals were tested in the elevated straight alley on 10 acquisition days and 1 punishment day. Start box latency, runway running time, goal box entry time and goal box time were measured. The controls spent longer time in all measures on the postashock trial. The hippocampals showed no hesitation in the start box latency on the postshock trial, but they spent longer time in other measures. The location of punishment had significant effects only on the start box latency of the controls. These results support the spatial cognition hypothesis.