Abstract
To test the hypothesis that the hippocampus may be an important site of action for anticholinergic drugs, scopolamine was administered to rats with hippocampal lesions produced by aspiration and to appropriate control groups, and their activity measured. The experimental design was a four-way analysis of variance with three lesion groups, three drug levels, eight measurements in a two-hour session, and four weeks. At the two higher drug doses (0.20 and 1.0 mg/kg), rats with hippocampal or cortical lesions had significantly greater activity than the sham operates (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). A group of Ss with electrolytic hippocampal lesions tested at 0.20 mg/kg scopolamine had transitory activity increases. Therefore the hippocampus is not necessary for the motor activating effects of the drug nor is its ablation unique in producing increases in drug-induced activity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler, M. W.: Changes in sensitivity to amphetamine in rats with chronic brain lesions. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 134, 214–221 (1961).
Carlton, P. L.: The hippocampus, brain-acetylcholine, and habituation. Paper presented at the Symposium on Brain, Biochemistry, and Behavior, at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1965.
Douglas, R. J., Isaacson, R. L.: Hippocampal lesions and activity. Psychon. Sci. 1, 187–188 (1964).
— —: Spontaneous alternation and scopolamine. Psychon. Sci. 4, 283–284 (1966).
Isaacson, R. L., Douglas, R. J., Moore, R. Y.: The effect of radical hippocampal ablation on acquisition of avoidance response. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 54, 625–628 (1961).
Kaplan, J.: Approach and inhibitory reactions in rats after bilateral hippocampal damage. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 65, 274–281 (1968).
Kimble, D. P.: The effects of bilateral hippocampal lesions in rats. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 56, 273–283 (1963).
Mathisen, J. S., Blackstad, T. W.: Cholinesterase in the hippocampal region. Acta anat. (Basel) 56, 216–253 (1964).
Meyers, B.: Some effects of scopolamine on a passive avoidance response in rats. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 8, 111–119 (1965).
—, Domino, E.: The effect of cholinergic blocking drugs on spontaneous alternation of rats. Arch. int. Pharmacodyn. 150, 525–529 (1964).
—, Roberts, K. H., Riciputi, R. H., Domino, E. F.: Some effects of muscarinic cholinergic blocking drugs on behavior and the electrocorticogram. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 5, 289–300 (1963).
Shute, C. D., Lewis, P. R.: The use of cholinesterase techniques combined with operative procedures to follow nervous pathways in the brain. Bibl. anat. (Basel) 2, 34–49 (1961).
Teitelbaum, H., Milner, P.: Activity changes following partial hippocampal lesions in rats. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 56, 284–289 (1963).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph. D. degree granted jointly by the Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Research, University of Rochester. Thanks are due L. G. Abood for his help and encouragement in this research, which was conducted while the author was a USPHS Trainee.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clark, C.V.H. Effect of hippocampal and neocortical ablation on scopolamine-induced activity in the rat. Psychopharmacologia 17, 289–301 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404234
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404234