Perirhinal cortex lesions impair tests of object recognition memory but spare novelty detection. (24th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Olarte‐Sánchez, Cristian M.; Amin, Eman; Warburton, E. Clea; Aggleton, John P.
• Is Part Of: European journal of neuroscience. Volume 42:Number 12(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 3117
• Page End: 3127
• Publication Date: 2015-11-24
• Subjects: familiarity -- habituation -- hippocampus -- parahippocampal cortex -- recognition memory; Nervous system -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13106
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-816X

Abstract

Abstract: The present study examined why perirhinal cortex lesions in rats impair the spontaneous ability to select novel objects in preference to familiar objects, when both classes of object are presented simultaneously. The study began by repeating this standard finding, using a test of delayed object recognition memory. As expected, the perirhinal cortex lesions reduced the difference in exploration times for novel vs. familiar stimuli. In contrast, the same rats with perirhinal cortex lesions appeared to perform normally when the preferential exploration of novel vs. familiar objects was tested sequentially, i.e. when each trial consisted of only novel or only familiar objects. In addition, there was no indication that the perirhinal cortex lesions reduced total levels of object exploration for novel objects, as would be predicted if the lesions caused novel stimuli to appear familiar. Together, the results show that, in the absence of perirhinal cortex tissue, rats still receive signals of object novelty, although they may fail to link that information to the appropriate object. Consequently, these rats are impaired in discriminating the source of object novelty signals, leading to deficits on simultaneous choice tests of recognition. Abstract : Apparently normal novelty discrimination performance by rats with perirhinal cortex lesions on sequential (yes‐no) test of object preference in contrast to their deficit on simultaneous (forced‐choice) object preference (Experiment 4). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01.