Transient cerebral ischemia inhibits juvenile recognition in the Mongolian gerbil

This study introduces a social recognition test for Mongolian gerbils and describes the effect of transient global cerebral ischemia in this model. Adult male gerbils were exposed to an unfamiliar juvenile stimulus animal in two successive trials. The difference between the first and second exposures in duration of social investigation of the stimulus animal was used as a measure of social recognition. Recognition of the stimulus animal was seen after interexposure intervals (IEI) of 5 and 30 min, but not after 120 min. This is in concordance with data obtained in rats in a similar model. The capacity for social recognition was subsequently investigated in gerbils 1 week after 0 (sham), 4, or 8 min of bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries. An IEI of 30 min was used, as this IEI was within the time limit for recognition of the stimulus animal. Social recognition was impaired in both occlusion groups. The results suggest that the juvenile recognition test is a suitable model for testing amnesia in gerbils and that social olfactory memory is impaired by global cerebral ischemia.