Basal forebrain lesions in monkeys disrupt attention but not learning and memory [published erratum appears in J Neurosci 1995 Mar;15(3): following table of contents]

ML Voytko, DS Olton, RT Richardson, LK Gorman, JR Tobin et al.

Journal of Neuroscience • 1994

DOI PMC

Spatial Discrimination Task

behavioralcynomolgus monkeys

Objective: Evaluate the effects of basal forebrain cholinergic system lesions on spatial discrimination abilities in monkeys

Materials & Equipment Checklist

2 items

Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.

Materials2

Ibotenic acid

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Scopolamine

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Protocol Steps

Surgical lesioning procedure

Ibotenic acid injections administered to medial septum, nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis of Meynert in cynomolgus monkeys

Note: This is a surgical intervention to create basal forebrain cholinergic system lesions

View evidence from paper

“ibotenic acid injections in the medial septum, nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis of Meynert in cynomolgus monkeys”

Spatial discrimination task administration

Monkeys were tested on spatial discrimination tasks as part of a large series of cognitive tasks examining different mnemonic and attentional abilities

Note: Task was administered to assess spatial discrimination abilities following lesioning

View evidence from paper

“a large series of cognitive tasks that examined different mnemonic and attentional abilities”

Scopolamine sensitivity assessment

Scopolamine injections administered in delayed nonmatching-to-sample task to assess central cholinergic system compromise

Note: Increased sensitivity to scopolamine indicated compromised central cholinergic system

View evidence from paper

“BFCS lesions increased sensitivity to injections of the cholinergic antagonist scopolamine in a delayed nonmatching-to-sample task”