Previous Spatial Memory Training and Nicotine Administration Alleviates Cognitive Deficits Produced by Medial Frontal Cortex Lesions in Rats

Rats were administered nicotine (0.3 mg/kg) for 11 consecutive days before and after an electrolytic medial frontal cortex lesion. Behavioral testing was arranged so that the rats were tested on the RAM 1 day after drug administration followed by behavioral testing on the MWT 19 days after drug treatment, or tested on the MWT 1 day after drug administration followed by testing on the RAM4 days after drug treatment. Results of MWT testing showed that regardless of the drug/behavioral testing interval, lesioned rats given nicotine demonstrated enhancement relative to saline-treated animals. Results of RAM testing showed that nicotine improved performance in non-lesioned rats compared to non-lesioned rats given saline. Four days after drug administration, nicotine improved performance in lesioned rats to levels of non-lesioned rats regardless of drug treatment. A second experiment was implemented to determine if the previous training on the MWT affected performance on the RAM. 3 CONTENTS