Electrolytic lesions of the medial septum enhance latent inhibition in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm

The effects of medial septal lesions on latent inhibition (LI) were assesse d in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm. Animals were tested in a LI par adigm 2 weeks after receiving medial septal or sham lesions. The LI paradig m involved a pre-exposure phase in which water-deprived rats were allowed a ccess to either water (non-pre-exposed; NPE) or 5% sucrose (pre-exposed; PE ), followed by a conditioning phase in which animals were allowed access to sucrose and subsequently injected with lithium chloride, and a test phase in which animals were allowed access to both sucrose and water. LI was asse ssed by comparing the %-sucrose consumed in PE and NPE groups on the test d ay. There was a significantly greater LI effect in the lesion group than in the sham group, suggesting that electrolytic lesions to the medial septum can enhance LI in a CTA paradigm. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.