Interaction of septal lesions and experience on the suppression of punished responses.

Abstract

Abstract Four groups of rats were used to assess the effects of septal damage and prior experience on passive-avoidance behavior. After nine days of 23 1/2 hour water deprivation, all animals were required to avoid shock by suppressing drinking for three successive days. A final test was given after allowing ad libitum drinking followed by further deprivation. Water consumption and unpunished responses were recorded during deprivation periods. The passive-avoidance deficit commonly reported for septal damaged animals was observed only when the animals had been allowed prior unpunished drinking from the water source which resulted in shock on test days. The deficit was absent on the two days succeeding the first test, even though deprivation levels had increased up to 72 hr, but was reestablished by giving the animals further unpunished experience drinking from the water source. Although septal animals drank more water and made more unpunished drinking responses than normals, these measures did not correlate with passive-avoidance performance.