SULPIRIDE INFUSED INTO THE NUCLEUS-ACCUMBENS POSTTRAINING IMPAIRS MEMORY OF SPATIAL WATER MAZE TRAINING

A variety of nucleus accumbens (NA) manipulations induce deficits in s patial learning and memory tasks. It is not known, however, if these d eficits reflect influences on memory or on other processes affecting p erformance. The experiments in this article were undertaken to examine the involvement of the NA in memory consolidation in a spatial task. Rats were given 1 training session in a spatial water maze immediately followed by intra-NA infusions of sulpiride or saline vehicle. A prob e test 2 days later revealed an impairing effect of sulpiride on sever al retention measures. Sulpiride infused into the NA either 2 hr postt raining in the spatial task or immediately posttraining in a cued wate r maze task did not affect retention performance. These findings sugge st that the impairing effects of immediate posttraining sulpiride in t he spatial task are due to interference with spatial water maze-specif ic consolidation processes involving the NA.