THE CAUDATE-NUCLEUS AND ACQUISITION OF WIN SHIFT RADIAL-MAZE BEHAVIOR - EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO THE REINFORCER DURING MAZE ADAPTATION Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Rats with lesions of the caudate nucleus or sham lesions were trained on a win-shift radial-maze task following one of two types of maze-adaptation trials. In one adaptation condition, rats were allowed to obtain food from maze arms on an unlimited basis for 5 min on 2 consecutive days prior to the start of win-shift food trials. In this maze-adaptation condition, rats with lesions of the caudate nucleus exhibited a transient impairment in the acquisition of win-shift behavior. In a second maze-adaptation condition, different groups of caudate or sham rats were allowed to explore an empty maze for 5 min on 2 consecutive days prior to the start of win-shift food trials. In this maze-adaptation condition, caudate rats were not impaired in the acquisition of win-shift behavior. The role of reinforcers may be one difference in the operating principles that distinguish between caudate-nucleus and hippocampal memory systems. 1992, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • PSYCHOBIOLOGY

author list (cited authors)

  • PACKARD, M. G., WINOCUR, G., & WHITE, N. M.

citation count

  • 10

complete list of authors

  • PACKARD, MG||WINOCUR, G||WHITE, NM

publication date

  • January 1992