Dg. Mumby et Mj. Glenn, Anterograde and retrograde memory for object discriminations and places inrats with perirhinal cortex lesions, BEH BRA RES, 114(1-2), 2000, pp. 119-134
Three experiments examined the effects of perirhinal cortex lesions on rats
' retrograde and anterograde memory for object-discriminations and water-ma
ze place-memory problems. In Experiment 1, rats learned two object-discrimi
nations - the first was learned 2 weeks before surgery and the second 24 h
before surgery. Rats with perirhinal cortex lesions displayed mildly impair
ed retention of both object discriminations, with no evidence of a temporal
gradient. They also learned a new discrimination at a normal rate, but wer
e impaired on a retention test 24 fi later. In Experiment 2, rats learned t
wo water-maze place problems, conducted in different rooms - the first was
learned 4 weeks before surgery and the second during the week immediately b
efore surgery. Rats with perirhinal cortex lesions displayed deficits on th
e early retention trials of both place problems, but they quickly relearned
both problems. In Experiment 3, rats with perirhinal cortex lesions learne
d a new place problem at a normal rate and performed as well as control rat
s on a retention test 3 weeks later. Although some of the results are consi
stent with the conclusion that perirhinal damage disrupts storage or retrie
val of place information acquired before surgery, additional considerations
suggest instead a role for perirhinal cortex in the representation of nons
patial information that makes a useful but nonessential contribution to wat
er-maze performance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.