The anterior claustrum and spatial reversal learning in rats

Title
The anterior claustrum and spatial reversal learning in rats
Publication Date
2013
Author(s)
Grasby, Katrina
Talk, Andrew
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3449-5756
Email: atalk@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:atalk
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Place of publication
Netherlands
DOI
10.1016/j.brainres.2013.01.014
UNE publication id
une:12231
Abstract
The claustrum is a small structure of poorly understood function situated subcortically in the basal forebrain. The fact that it is extensively and reciprocally connected with the cerebral cortex has led to suggestions that it is involved in coordination of cortical activity. In this study, we created excitotoxic lesions to the anterior claustrum of rats and tested performance on three tasks that involve neural processing in one or more frontal and limbic cortical structures. We tested reversal learning and spatial working memory in a water maze and tested latent inhibition using conditioned taste aversion. Lesioned rats were not impaired at acquiring the initial location of the platform in a water maze, but were impaired at acquiring a switched location in the reversal phase. The lesioned rats also exhibited an increased rate of perseverance errors compared to control rats during reversal. Lesioned rats were not impaired in the working memory task or latent inhibition. These results indicate that cell loss in the claustrum may lead to deficits in behavioral flexibility, and are consistent with theories of claustral function that suggest it may help coordinate information necessary for at least some cortical-dependent tasks.
Link
Citation
Brain Research, v.1499, p. 43-52
ISSN
1872-6240
0006-8993
Start page
43
End page
52

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink