Subsequent to bilateral, single-stage posterior neodecortication, 32 male hooded rats were either retrained on a preoperatively-learned brightness discrimination, or trained on the reversal of the preoperatively-learned discrimination. Postoperative relearning was significantly retarded when the discrimination involved a reversal of the original discrimination. Results suggest that the preoperatively-established brightness habit is not exclusively localized in the neocortex and that postoperative recovery of the discrimination does not involve relearning a new and independent memory engram. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)