Differential involvement of the dorsal anterior cingulate and prelimbic-infralimbic areas of the rodent prefrontal cortex in spatial working memory

Behav Neurosci. 1998 Apr;112(2):293-303. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.112.2.293.

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of quinolinic acid lesions of the dorsal anterior cingulate and prelimbic-infralimbic cortices on spatial working memory and spatial discrimination using go/no-go procedures. All testing occurred in a 12-arm radial maze. In a working memory task, rats were allowed to enter 12 arms for a cereal reward. Three or 4 arms were presented for a 2nd time in a session, which did not result in a reward. In a spatial discrimination task, rats had successive access to 2 different arms. One arm always contained a reward, and the other never contained a reward. Prelimbic-infralimbic lesions impaired spatial working memory but only produced a transient spatial discrimination deficit. Dorsal anterior cingulate lesions did not induce a deficit in either task. These findings suggest that the prelimbic-infralimbic cortices, but not the anterior cingulate cortex, are important in spatial working memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Cerebral Decortication / adverse effects
  • Gyrus Cinguli / pathology
  • Gyrus Cinguli / physiology*
  • Gyrus Cinguli / surgery
  • Male
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / pathology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / surgery
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Space Perception / physiology*