Bailey AM, Rudisill ML, Hoof EM, Loving ML (2001) The effects of 192 IgG-saporin lesions to the nucleus basalis magnocellularis/substantia innominata (nBM/SI) on two learning set formation tasks and open field activity. Neuroscience 2001 Abstracts 85.13. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
Summary: Male Long Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus) were used to investigate the role of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis/substantia innominata (nBM/SI) in learning set formation. Rats with bilateral 192 IgG-Saporin lesions to the nBM/SI were tested on olfactory discrimination learning set, discrimination reversal learning set, and open field activity. Assessment of open field activity indicated no group differences in general activity levels. Control animals performed significantly better than chance on trial 2 across the 50 problems given in the olfactory discrimination learning set paradigm, suggesting evidence of learning set formation. The nBM/SI lesion group did not perform significantly above chance on trial 2 overall; however, they did perform above chance on trial 2 over the last 10 problems in the olfactory discrimination learning set task. Discrimination reversal followed testing on the olfactory discrimination learning set task. No group differences were seen in discrimination reversal performance. Both control and nBM/SI lesioned animals performed well on the discrimination reversal learning set task, improving with each reversal, and both groups performed significantly higher than expected by chance on trial 2 in the discrimination reversal paradigm, indicating learning set formation. Results suggest that removal of the nBM/SI cholinergic system through 192 IgG-Saporin lesions impairs early acquisition of learning set compared to control animals, but does not interrupt later use of learning set formation.
Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01)