The roles of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in fear and memory of a shock probe experience

• Author / Creator

  McEown, Kristopher

• This thesis examined the effects of temporary inactivation of the dorsal or ventral hippocampus on unconditioned and conditioned fear, using the shock-probe test. Rats received either dorsal or ventral hippocampal infusions of Lidocaine, muscimol or saline, before or after exposure to an electrified shock-probe. A retention test in the same apparatus was given 24 hr later, at which time the hippocampus was no longer inactivated, and the probe was disconnected from the shock-source. We found that ventral hippocampal inactivation impaired fear behaviour during acquisition, and dorsal hippocampal inactivation impaired fear behaviour during retention. We conclude that the: 1) ventral hippocampus mediates unconditioned fear behaviour, 2) the dorsal hippocampus mediates fear memory and 3) afferent input from brain structures located outside of the hippocampus are not responsible for the differential effects of dorsal and ventral hippocampal inactivation on fear and memory.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Fear
  • Memory
  • Hippocampus

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3XS7T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.