Biomaterial Database

Memory and the septo-hippocampal cholinergic system in the rat. 1983

G N Brito, and B J Davis, and L C Stopp, and M E Stanton

This study examined the effects of intrahippocampal injections of scopolamine (a muscarinic antagonist drug) on performance of a working-memory task (contingently reinforced T-maze alternation) and a reference-memory task (visual discrimination) by the same rats in the same maze. Rats in the first shipment were trained in delayed alternation, received bilateral implantation of cannulae aimed at the CA 3 field of the dorsal hippocampus, and were tested for retention with 1 microliter microinjections of scopolamine (35 micrograms) and saline on alternate days. These rats were then trained on visual discrimination and tested alternately under scopolamine or saline as described above. It was found that scopolamine impaired performance of delayed alternation to a greater extent than performance of visual discrimination. Data from rats in the second shipment replicated this finding, with the order of the tasks reversed, and, additionally, showed that delayed alternation, but not visual discrimination, was impaired at a dose of 12 micrograms/microliter. A dose of 4 micrograms/microliter had no effect on either task. It is concluded that performance of a working-memory task is significantly more sensitive to disruption of cholinergic mechanisms in the hippocampus than performance of a reference-memory task.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008568	Memory	Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D010275	Parasympathetic Nervous System	The craniosacral division of the autonomic nervous system. The cell bodies of the parasympathetic preganglionic fibers are in brain stem nuclei and in the sacral spinal cord. They synapse in cranial autonomic ganglia or in terminal ganglia near target organs. The parasympathetic nervous system generally acts to conserve resources and restore homeostasis, often with effects reciprocal to the sympathetic nervous system.	Nervous System, Parasympathetic,Nervous Systems, Parasympathetic,Parasympathetic Nervous Systems,System, Parasympathetic Nervous,Systems, Parasympathetic Nervous
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D004193	Discrimination Learning	Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli.	Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D006624	Hippocampus	A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation.	Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001522	Behavior, Animal	The observable response an animal makes to any situation.	Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus