Either stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation or a flashing light increases latent inhibition to a tone-conditioned stimulus
Document Type
Article
Department or Administrative Unit
Psychology
Publication Date
7-1981
Abstract
Male Long—Evans rats chronically implanted with an electrode in the mesencephalic reticular formation were tested in a latent inhibition paradigm to contrast the idea that, under our conditions, stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation enhances memory processing with the notion that such stimulation is aversive. In the preexposure phase of the experiment some animals were given experience with the to-be-conditioned stimulus, a tone. Others received the tone followed by stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation or a flashing light. The animals were then fear conditioned by pairing the tone with footshock. In the test, drink latencies in the presence of the tone indicated that animals given preexposure to the tone followed by stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation or the flashing light showed increased latent inhibition relative to controls given preexposure to the tone but no stimulation. These results strongly suggest that stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation is not aversive but, rather, acts to enhance memory processing. The idea that the flashing light may also serve to enhance memory processing is discussed.
Recommended Citation
DeVietti, T. L., Wittman, T. K., Emmerson, R. Y., & Thacher, D. O. (1981). Either stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation or a flashing light increases latent inhibition to a tone-conditioned stimulus. Behavioral and Neural Biology, 32(3), 308–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0163-1047(81)92359-1
Journal
Behavioral and Neural Biology
Rights
Copyright © 1981 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Comments
This article was originally published in Behavioral and Neural Biology. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.
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