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Psychology ETDs
Publication Date
2-8-2011
Abstract
The hippocampus and dorsolateral striatum have been found to be critical for spatial navigation based on distal and local cues, respectively. Previous reports from our laboratory have indicated that behavior in the Morris water task may be guided by both cue types, and that rats appear to switch from distal to local cues in a sequential manner within a given trial. In two experiments rats with hippocampal or dorsolateral striatal lesions were trained and tested in water task paradigms that involved translations or removal of the cued platform within the pool or translations of the pool itself with respect to the distal reference frame. Results show that the hippocampus is critical for orienting to distal cues at the beginning of the trial, while the dorsolateral striatum is critical for terminal swim segments based on the location of the cued platform. In addition, results also support the theory that the hippocampus, but not the dorsolateral striatum, is critical for directional responding. These results are important for understanding the cooperative interactions between these brain regions involved in learning and memory.
Degree Name
Psychology
Level of Degree
Masters
Department Name
Psychology
First Committee Member (Chair)
Hamilton, Derek
Second Committee Member
Yeo, Ron
Third Committee Member
Wallace, Doug
Language
English
Keywords
Morris water task, hippocampus, striatum, learning and memory, neurobiology
Document Type
Thesis
Recommended Citation
Rice, James. "EVIDENCE FOR COOPERATIVE, SEQUENTIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN HIPPOCAMPAL- AND DORSOLATERAL STRIATAL-DEPENDENT NAVIGATION STRATEGIES IN THE MORRIS WATER TASK." (2011). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/psy_etds/116