The Effects of Selective Hippocampal Damage on Tests of Oddity in Rhesus Macaques

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Maria C. Alvarado, Emory University; Andrew M. Kazama, Emory University; Alyson Zeamer, Emory University; Jocelyne Bachevalier, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2011-10
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hipo.20827/abstract
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Hippocampus
• ISSN: 1050-9631
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 10
• Start Page: 1137
• End Page: 1146
• Grant/Funding Information: Grant sponsor: NIMH; Grant Number: MH-58846; Grant Sponsor: NICHD; Grant Number: HD-35471.
• Research Categories: Psychology, General; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

The oddity task (e.g. A−, A−, B+) is classified as a conjunctive or relational task in which accurate performance depends upon learning to attend to stimulus relationships, not stimulus identity, and has no retention component as stimuli are presented simultaneously. It has been suggested that the hippocampus may play a particular role in learning this type of task in humans and animals. To test this, we trained adult rhesus macaques with selective neurotoxic damage to the hippocampal formation on their ability to learn and apply an oddity rule. The results suggest that the monkeys were able to adapt simple strategies to solve variations of the oddity task, however as the opportunity for such strategies was reduced, monkeys with hippocampal damage were increasingly impaired.