Olfactory Learning and Memory Impairments Following Lesions to the Hippocampus and Perirhinal-Entorhinal Cortex.

The role of the hippocampus and perirhinal-entorhinal cortex was examined in an olfactory discrimination paradigm. Small neurotoxic lesions of the hippocampus (21% tissue damage) yielded relatively unimpaired olfactory retention across brief (30 s), intermediate (approximately 5 min), and 24-hr dela...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral Neuroscience Vol. 117; no. 2; pp. 304 - 320
Main Authors: Kant, Kevin P., Bunsey, Michael D., Riccio, David C.
Format: Article
Published: American Psychological Association April 2003
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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Summary:The role of the hippocampus and perirhinal-entorhinal cortex was examined in an olfactory discrimination paradigm. Small neurotoxic lesions of the hippocampus (21% tissue damage) yielded relatively unimpaired olfactory retention across brief (30 s), intermediate (approximately 5 min), and 24-hr delays, whereas impairments were noted at 5-day retention intervals. Larger hippocampal lesions (63% tissue damage) spared memory at intermediate delays, with no impact at 8-day retention intervals. Aspiration lesions directed at the perirhinal-entorhinal cortex produced a variable performance pattern, with impairments noted at intermediate, 24-hr, and 5-day delays. Results suggest the hippocampus is not specifically involved in retaining olfactory information, with additional consideration given to the relationship between lesion size and memory impairment. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.