The Effects of Bilateral Stimulation of the Hippocampus on Persevarative Neural Processes

Abstract

In recent years there has been a significant amount of' work done in the f ield of memory and the physiological processes that are involved. One main area of research has been connected with perseveration theory. The first clear statement of the perseveration - consolidation theory was made by Muller and Pilzecker (1900). They stated that previous to consolidation of memory traces the traces perseverate over neural pathways . They further stated that these neural perseverative processes were requisite to the consolidation of the memory trace for recently acquired memory; and that these pr ocesses may be subject to external interference. . . . The present study is a further attempt to localize the specific area of the brain which controls perseveration. Attempted localization of perseveration in the hippocampus is suggested in Glickman's review (1961). Glickman, referring to Milner and F nfield (1955) and Scoville and Milner (1957), points out that experiments using hippocampal lisions indicate that subjects are unable to learn postoperative material, but retain material learned preoperatively. Although the specific areas controlling such phenomena are not definitely known, Glickman points to a need for research in the hippocampus. The present experiment is designed to measure the effects of bilateral stimulation of the hippocampal area of the white rat on the acquisition of a Lashley Maze Type III. With stimulation at a sufficiently low level to eliminate spreading, and administered at an interval long enough to eliminate assochtion, it was assumed that any memory deficit could be attributed to a disturbance of the perseverative neural processes. [From Introduction]