Effects of dorsal and ventral vertical lobe electrolytic lesions on spatial learning and locomotor activity in Sepia officinalis.

Nicolas Graindorge (1) , Christelle Jozet-Alves (1) , Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq (1) , Raymond Chichery (1) , Ludovic Dickel (1) , Cécile Bellanger (1)

1 EA3211 Physiologie du Comportement des Céphalopodes

This study aims to analyze the effects of electrolytic lesion, restricted to either the ventral or the dorsal parts of the vertical lobe (VL), on the behavior of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Two behavioral tests were performed on sham-operated and lesioned cuttlefish: assessment of locomotor activity in an open field and determination of spatial learning abilities in a T maze. The results showed that ventral lesions of the VL led to marked impairment in the acquisition of spatial learning, whereas dorsal lesions of the VL increased locomotor activity in the open field and impaired long-term retention of spatial learning. This study establishes for the first time the existence of distinct functions in the ventral and the dorsal parts of the VL in cephalopods.

Mots clés: electrolytic lesion; cephalopods; vertical lobe; locomotor activity; spatial learning

Domaines: Neurosciences

Nicolas Graindorge, Christelle Jozet-Alves, Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq, Raymond Chichery, Ludovic Dickel, et al.. Effects of dorsal and ventral vertical lobe electrolytic lesions on spatial learning and locomotor activity in Sepia officinalis.. Behavioral Neuroscience, 2006, 120 (5), pp.1151-8. ⟨10.1037/0735-7044.120.5.1151⟩. ⟨hal-00865371⟩