Response perseveration interpretation of passive avoidance deficits in hippocampectomized rats.

Abstract
Behavior of hippocampectomized rats was compared with that of cortically damaged animals on 2 passive shock avoidance tasks: I required rats to inhibit a previously trained approach response, the other to inhibit an untrained, spontaneous "step-through" response. No differences appeared on the step-through task, while the hippocampectomized Ss[subjects] were significantly poorer in inhibiting the previously trained approach response following shock. These results were interpreted as supporting a response perseveration hypothesis regarding the effects of hippocampal damage in the rat.