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Perhirhinal cortex resolves feature ambiguity in configural object recognition and perceptual oddity tasks

Bartko, Susan J., Winters, Boyer D., Cowell, Rosemary A., Saksida, Lisa M., Bussey, Timothy J. (2007) Perhirhinal cortex resolves feature ambiguity in configural object recognition and perceptual oddity tasks. Learning and Memory, 14 (12). pp. 821-832. ISSN 1072-0502. (doi:10.1101/lm.749207) (KAR id:24042)

Abstract

The perirhinal cortex (PRh) has a well-established role in object recognition memory. More recent studies suggest that PRh is also important for two-choice visual discrimination tasks. Specifically, it has been suggested that PRh contains conjunctive representations that help resolve feature ambiguity, which occurs when a task cannot easily be solved on the basis of features alone. However, no study has examined whether the ability of PRh to resolve configural feature ambiguity is related to its role in object recognition. Therefore, we examined whether bilateral excitotoxic lesions of PRh or PPRh (perirhinal plus post-rhinal cortices) in the rat would cause deficits in a configural spontaneous object recognition task, and a configural simultaneous oddity discrimination task, in which the task could not be solved on the basis of features, but could only be solved using conjunctive representations. As predicted by simulations using a computational model, rats with PPRh lesions were impaired during a minimal-delay configural object recognition task. These same rats were impaired during a zero-delay configural object recognition task. Furthermore, rats with localized PRh lesions were impaired in a configural simultaneous oddity discrimination task. These findings support the idea that PRh contains conjunctive representations for the resolution of feature ambiguity and that these representations underlie a dual role for PRh in memory and perception.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1101/lm.749207
Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 76 Software, computer programming,
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Computing
Depositing User: Mark Wheadon
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2010 12:11 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:02 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/24042 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Cowell, Rosemary A..

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