Social memory is impaired in neonatally ibotenic acid lesioned rats

Postnatal lesion with ibotenic acid in the ventral hippocampus produces sev eral behavioural effects that resemble the symptoms of schizophrenia. In th e present study, we tested neonatally lesioned 1-year-old Sprague-Dawley ra ts for their social memory. It was found that social memory is worsened in lesioned rats. Subchronic treatment with haloperidol (0.025 mg/kg body weig ht) partly ameliorated this impairment. It was suggested that social memory might be a useful paradigm to test clinically used and potential antipsych otic drugs for their effects on learning and memory processes. (C) 2000 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.