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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 2, 2008, 28(1):258-263; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4922-07.2008

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Brief Communications
The Magnocellular Mediodorsal Thalamus is Necessary for Memory Acquisition, But Not Retrieval

Anna S. Mitchell and David Gaffan

Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Anna S. Mitchell, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK. Email: anna.mitchell{at}psy.ox.ac.uk

Damage to the magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MDmc) in the human brain is associated with both retrograde and anterograde amnesia. In the present study we made selective neurotoxic MDmc lesions in rhesus monkeys and compared the effects of these lesions on memory acquisition and retrieval. Monkeys learned 300 unique scene discriminations preoperatively and retention was assessed in a one-trial preoperative retrieval test. Bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the MDmc, produced by 10 x 1 µl injections of a mixture of ibotenate and NMDA did not affect performance in the postoperative one-trial retrieval test. In contrast, new postoperative learning of a further 100 novel scene discriminations was substantially impaired. Thus, MDmc is required for new learning of scene discriminations but not for their retention and retrieval. This finding is the first evidence that MDmc plays a specific role in memory acquisition.

Key words: mediodorsal thalamus; prefrontal cortex; retrograde amnesia; episodic memory; new learning; primate

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Received Sept. 27, 2007; revised Nov. 28, 2007; accepted Nov. 29, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Anna S. Mitchell, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK. Email: anna.mitchell{at}psy.ox.ac.uk

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. S. Mitchell, P. G. F. Browning, C. R. E. Wilson, M. G. Baxter, and D. Gaffan Dissociable Roles for Cortical and Subcortical Structures in Memory Retrieval and Acquisition J. Neurosci., August 20, 2008; 28(34): 8387 - 8396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. E. Wilson and D. Gaffan Prefrontal-Inferotemporal Interaction Is Not Always Necessary for Reversal Learning J. Neurosci., May 21, 2008; 28(21): 5529 - 5538. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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