HIPPOCAMPAL-LESIONS, SUPERIOR CERVICAL-GANGLIA REMOVAL, AND BEHAVIOR IN RATS

Rats were subjected to either bilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) or to a sham operation of the neck. Subsequently, these rats received either bilateral neopallial lesions, bilateral dorsal hippocampal lesions or no further operation. The SCG removal prevented the anomalous noradrenergic innervation of remaining hippocampal tissue. This anomalous innervation, as reported by Loy and Moore [19], originates from neurons in the SCG. All animals were then evaluated on behaviors previously shown to be sensitive to hippocampal destruction: open field activity, spontaneous alternation and spatial maze learning, in order to determine if any behavioral consequences could be related to the anomalous hippocampal innervation. No statistically significant differences appeared which could be unambiguously related to the anomalous innervation. © 1979.