The ventral hippocampus is required for behavioral flexibility but not for allocentric/egocentric learning

Abstract

Behavioral flexibility is a complex cognitive function that allows for the rapid adaptation to a changing environment. This ability is modulated by the proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which receives important projections from the ventral hippocampus (vHPC). In this context, the vHPC might play a very important role in behavioral flexibility. Here, we infused the voltage-gated sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) to bilaterally inactivate the vHPC in adult rats and assessed behavioral flexibility in a spatial setting, using the allocentric-egocentric strategy switching task in the cross-shaped maze. We demonstrate that bilateral inactivation of the vHPC impaired the ability to switch from allocentric to egocentric (Experiment 1), and from egocentric to allocentric (Experiment 2) spatial strategies, as noted by the increased number of trials to reach the learning criterion and of entries into incorrect arms. These results resembled the effects of PFC inactivation by TTX on behavioral flexibility (Experiment 3). Furthermore, TTX infusion in the vHPC did not affect allocentric or egocentric learning per se but the ability to switch between either spatial strategy. Remarkably, inactivation of the vHPC decreased the latency to select an arm during the transition from an allocentric to an egocentric strategy, suggesting that the vHPC might mediate impulsive choices during the acquisition of a novel task. Our results highlight an important role of the vHPC in mediating behavioral flexibility by, most likely, modulating proper PFC function.