Selective lesions limited to neuroanatomically discrete areas within the hippocampal formation and sensitive behavioral testing procedures, will be used by Dr. Leonard Jarrard to study the involvement of these different areas in learning and memory. His previous research demonstrated the feasibility of selectively lesioning these areas with neurotoxins and his behavioral research has indicated important functional differences. The proposed research centers around the following areas: 1) the utilization of spatial and intramaze cue information, 2) object recognition memory, and 3) the role of hippocampal formation structures in elementary learning processes. The proposed experiments will add to our understanding of structure-function relations within the hippocampal formation, will help clarify the rather confusing literature on the effects of hippocampal lesions on learning and memory, and will provide information relevant to recent theorizing and modeling in the learning and memory field.
