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The Journal of Neuroscience, February 15, 1998, 18(4):1622-1631
Fornix Lesions Can Facilitate Acquisition of the Transverse
Patterning Task: A Challenge for "Configural" Theories of
Hippocampal Function
Timothy J.
Bussey,
E.
Clea
Warburton,
John P.
Aggleton and
Janice L.
Muir
School of Psychology, University of Wales Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
CF1 3YG, United Kingdom
Configural theories of hippocampal function predict that
hippocampal dysfunction should impair acquisition of the transverse patterning task, which involves the concurrent solution of three discrimination problems: A+ versus B ; B+ versus C; and C+ versus A. The present study tested this prediction in rats using
computer-graphic stimuli presented on a touchscreen. Experiment 1 assessed the effects of fornix lesions when the three problems were
introduced sequentially (phase 1: A+ vs B; phase 2: A+ vs B, B+ vs
C; phase 3: A+ vs B, B+ vs C, C+ vs A). Fornix lesions
significantly facilitated acquisition of the complete
transverse patterning task (phase 3) but had no effect on the number of
sessions or errors required to attain criterion during phase 1 or phase
2. In experiment 2, in which all three problems were presented
concurrently from the outset of training, fornix-lesioned animals
outperformed control animals during the seventh block of acquisition
trials and were not impaired during any stage of acquisition.
Importantly, these same animals were significantly impaired on two
allocentric spatial tasks: T-maze alternation (experiments 1 and 2) and
the Morris Swim Task (experiment 1). These results contradict the predictions of configural theories of hippocampal function and cast
doubt on the popular notion that spatial learning is a special case of
configural learning.
Key words:
hippocampus; fornix; learning; memory; discrimination; configural; transverse patterning; spatial learning; rat
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/1841622-10$05.00/0
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