Hippocampal stimulation of fornical-lesioned rats improves working memory

Intrinsic rhythmic electrical activity in the brain, such as the hippocampal theta rhythm, might serve important roles in normal cognition. Lesions to the medial septal nuclei, or to the fimbria/fornix, disrupt the hippocampal theta rhythm and lead to memory impairment. We have superimposed an artificial stimulating rhythm to the hippocampus of rats with prior lesion of the fornix, during testing in the Morris water maze. This intervention improves performance in a test of working memory, and lends support to the view that intrinsic rhythmic activity may play an important role in normal physiology, and in certain disease states.