Critical role of the parahippocampal region for paired-associate learning in rats

摘要: Human amnesics are severely impaired in learning arbitrary associations between word pairs. This report examines the role of hippocampal system an analog paired-associate developed for rats. Subjects with selective damage to parahippocampal region and controls were tested on odor-guided task. Normal rats readily learned distinguish paired associates from various mispairings same odors, whereas most animals failed learn. Lesioned were, however, able acquire correct responses stimulus pairs which association odors was not required. These findings extend usefulness olfactory as a model studies higher order capacity rodents indicate that rats, humans, areas critical nonspatial relationships stimuli.