Detour problem-solving behavior in rats with early lesions to the “general learning system”

Thompson, Robert G.; Harmon, David; Yü, Jen

doi:10.3758/bf03332189

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The size and locus of the lesions sustained by the rats in Groups GP and SN were generally found to be comparable to those of the corresponding groups examined in earlier studies which produced deficient acquisition of a variety of laboratory tasks (Thompson & Yu, 1983;Thompson, Harmon, & Yu, 1984). Because of the high mortality rate, it was necessary to make somewhat smaller lesions to the MR and PRF than those investigated earlier (Thompson, Harmon, & Yu, 1984;Thompson, Ramsay, & Yu, 1984).…”

Section: Histologymentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Because of the high mortality rate, it was necessary to make somewhat smaller lesions to the MR and PRF than those investigated earlier (Thompson, Harmon, & Yu, 1984;Thompson, Ramsay, & Yu, 1984). Typical lesion placements within these four subcortical regions in the animals of the current study are shown in Figures 1-4.…”

Section: Histologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From a behavioral perspective, however, these brain-damaged rats have the potential to serve as a useful experimental model of certain classes of mental retardation since both the mentally retarded and these subcortically lesioned rats manifest a global learning impairment. Furthermore, there is the distinct possibility that these rats may suffer from deficits in inhibitory and attentional processes (Thompson, Harmon, & Yu, 1984). Establishing the existence of such deficits in these animals would be of considerable interest to the extent that retarded humans have also been characterized as exhibiting inhibitory (Denny, 1964;Heal & Johnson, 1970) and attentional (Krupski, 1980;Zeaman & House, 1963) disorders.…”

Section: Thompson Harmon and Yumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, we have shown that weanling rats prepared with small bilateral electrolytic lesions to the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra (SN), medmn raphe (MR), or pontine reticular formation (PRF) are deficient in learning a wide variety of laboratory tasks, including a visual (white-black) discrimination, a vestibular-proprioceptive-kinesthetic (up-down) discrimination, a maze with three blind alleys, and a series of problem-solving (detour) tasks (Thompson & Yu, 1983;Thompson, Harmon, & Yu, 1984;Thompson, Ramsay, & Yu, 1984). In light of this seemingly generalized learning impairment, these young brain-damaged rats can roughiy be viewed as being mentally retarded.…”

Section: Thompson Harmon and Yumentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deficits in response inhibition and attention in rats rendered mentally retarded by early subcortical brain damage

Thompson

Harmon

Yü

1985

Developmental Psychobiology

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Young rats with lesions to either the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, median raphe, or pontine reticular formation have previously been reported to be deficient in learning a wide variety of laboratory tasks. In the current study, weanling rats subjected to one of these lesions were rested for three weeks, then examined for acquisition and extinction of a water-motivated straight alley task, and finally tested on luminous flux discriminations of increasing difficulty. All brain-damaged groups were slower than the controls in extinguishing the alley task and only the median raphe group failed to show an impairment on the discrimination problems. These results and others suggest that the foregoing lesions produce deficits in inhibitory and attentional processes. The possibility is discussed that young rats bearing these lesions might serve as a model for the investigation of the neurobiological and cognitive disturbances underlying certain classes of mental retardation in children.

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Section: Histologymentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Histologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thompson Harmon and Yumentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thompson Harmon and Yumentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Deficits in response inhibition and attention in rats rendered mentally retarded by early subcortical brain damage

Thompson

Harmon

Yü

1985

Developmental Psychobiology

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“…We observed no abormality in the consistency of fecal droppings, the amount of hair loss, or of amount and distribution of fat in the carcass. Moreover, it has been shown that after SN lesions spontaneous activity by the OpenField test does not differ from controls (14).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Production of Generalized Learning Deficit and Permanent Growth Stunting by Bilateral Brain Stem Lesions

et al. 1990

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ABSTRACT'. Bilateral lesions of the globus pallidus, ventrolateral thalamus, substantia nigra, or the median raphe produce a generalized learning deficit in rats. Bilateral lesions of the dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei stunt growth in rats without significantly disturbing endocrine functions and without producing a generalized learning deficit. Globus pallidus, ventrolateral thalamus, substantia nigra, median raphe, and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei lesions were produced in weanling Sprague-Dawley rats to compare their effect on physical growth. At approximately 72 d of age, all lesions had resulted in reduced body wt, tail length, and tibia1 length. The differences lacked significance only in body wt after median raphe lesions and tail length after ventrolateral thalamus lesions. In rats with the generalized learning deficit, body size was most stunted after substantia nigra lesions. Tibia1 epiphyseal width was modestly increased in rats with the generalized learning deficit. Food intakelaverage body wt ratio in substantia nigra and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleli rats did not differ significantly from control values. Decreases in brain, heart, liver, kidney, and testes tended to occur after all the lesions, but brain and testis organ wtlbody wt ratios were either increased or unchanged. We conclude that brain lesions producing a generalized learning deficit in rats result in impaired physical growth. The results indicated that the stunted animals maintain adequate food intake and have normal growth hormone function. The anatomical substrate for generalized learning impairment may overlap with that of a set point for body size. (Pediatr Res 27: 181-185,1990 and latch-box habits (1, 2). By virtue of this evident generalized learning defect, these young brain-damaged rats have been assumed to be "mentally retarded." This assumption seems reasonably defensible in so far as mentally retarded children also exhibit a generalized learning deficit (3).We have previously shown that irradiation of only a short narrow midline zone of the head of the neonatal rat resets the animal to a smaller body size (4) without producing major alterations of metabolism or nutrition (5). Lesions of the DMH (6), lateral hypothalamic area (7), nigrostriatal bundle (8), striatum (7), medial forebrain bundle (9), and area postrema/caudal medial nucleus (6) also result in a reduced body size, sometimes with major metabolic and behavioral concomitant disturbances.Based on the finding that short stature occurs in combination with mental retardation in humans (lo), the possibility was considered that areas associated with a generalized learning deficit in the rat may overlap with a set point for body size. In other words, those lesions producing a generalized learning deficit might also reduce body size. Therefore, our study was camed out to determine whether selective lesions to the GP, VLT, SN, and MR would reset the animal to a smaller body size. The growth patterns of rats with bilateral DMH lesions were compared with those of rats with...

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The comparative effects of frontal, parietal, occipitotemporal, and limbic forebrain lesions in weanling rats on learning☆

Thompson

Yü

1985

Physiology & Behavior

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Detour problem-solving behavior in rats with early lesions to the “general learning system”

Cited by 13 publications

References 18 publications

Deficits in response inhibition and attention in rats rendered mentally retarded by early subcortical brain damage

Deficits in response inhibition and attention in rats rendered mentally retarded by early subcortical brain damage

Production of Generalized Learning Deficit and Permanent Growth Stunting by Bilateral Brain Stem Lesions

The comparative effects of frontal, parietal, occipitotemporal, and limbic forebrain lesions in weanling rats on learning☆

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