DORSAL STRIATAL LESIONS IN RATS .2. EFFECTS ON SPATIAL AND NONSPATIALLEARNING

Rats with small electrolytic lesions of the dorsal striatum were evalu ated in acquisition of spatial learning, sensorimotor learning, and a straight runway food approach response and its extinction. No differen ces were detected between rats with dorsal striatal lesions and sham-o perated controls during acquisition of hidden and visible trials in th e Morris water maze. Neither was an intergroup difference observed dur ing acquisition of the rotorod test of motor coordination. Lesioned ra ts were not impaired in running for a food reward, but their running l atencies on day 2 of extinction were lower than those of controls, an indication of perseveration. These results indicate that perseverative responding may occur in dorsal striatal lesioned rats in the absence of spatial or sensorimotor defects.