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Hippocampal damage attenuates habituation to videos in monkeys
Author(s) -
Brady Ryan J.,
Basile Benjamin M.,
Hampton Robert R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
hippocampus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.767
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1098-1063
pISSN - 1050-9631
DOI - 10.1002/hipo.23155
Subject(s) - hippocampal formation , habituation , hippocampus , psychology , neuroscience , recall , episodic memory , audiology , cognitive psychology , cognition , medicine
Monkeys with selective damage to the hippocampus are often unimpaired in matching‐to‐sample tests but are reportedly impaired in visual paired comparison. While both tests assess recognition of previously seen images, delayed matching‐to‐sample may engage active memory maintenance whereas visual paired comparison may not. Passive memory tests that are not rewarded with food and that do not require extensive training may provide more sensitive measures of hippocampal function. To test this hypothesis, we assessed memory in monkeys with hippocampal damage and matched controls by providing them the opportunity to repeatedly view small sets of videos. Monkeys pressed a button to play each video. The same 10 videos were used for six consecutive days, after which 10 new videos were introduced in each of seven cycles of testing. Our measure of memory was the extent to which monkeys habituated with repeated presentations, watching fewer videos per session over time. Monkeys with hippocampal lesions habituated more slowly than did control monkeys, indicating poorer memory for previous viewings. Both groups dishabituated each time new videos were introduced. These results, like those from preferential viewing, suggest that the hippocampus may be especially important for memory of incidentally encoded events.