Retention of an Avoidance Response Learned under Bilateral Spreading Depression

Abstract

An experiment investigated the effect of recovery or no recovery from bilateral spreading depression (BSD) during the retention interval on an avoidance response learned and tested for retention under BSD. One group experienced BSD throughout the retention interval, another had cortical recovery. A third group had a sham BSD treatment before each training session and between sessions. A fourth group was treated like Group 1 except it was given no original training. Only Group 3 showed significant retention between training sessions. Group 1 showed negative transfer and did not differ from Group 4 in Session 2. Group 4 was significantly inferior to Groups 1 and 2 in original learning. Prolonged BSD treatment appears to interfere with the learning and/or retention of an avoidance response.

References

Bures

Reversible decortication and behavior. In Brazier

M. A.

(Ed.), Conference on the central nervous system and behavior. New York: Josiah Macey, Jr. Found., 1959. Pp. 207–248.

Bures

Buresova

The use of Leao's spreading cortical depression in research on conditioned reflexes. EEG clin. Neurophysiol., 1960, 13, 359–376.

Ruediger

Fifkova

Operant behavior and subcortical drive during spreading depression. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1963, 56, 375–379.

Siegel

Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956.

Thompson

R. W.

Transfer of avoidance learning between normal and functionally decorticate states. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1964, 57, 321–325.

Travis

R. P.

Sparks

D. L.

The influence of unilateral and bilateral spreading depression during learning upon subsequent relearning. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1963, 56, 56–59.