Retardation of rabbit nictitating membrane conditioning by subseizure electrical stimulation of hippocampus.

The experiment involved classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of rabbits with subseizure, posttrial electrical stimulation of hippocampus. Hippocampal electrical activity was recorded before, during and after each trial to assure that no seizure activity was present. Stimulated animals, in comparison with unstimulated controls, showed a marked retardation of CR onset which paralleled that of previous research employing seizure producing stimulation. This implies that brain seizures are not the critical element in the disruption effect, but rather the anatomical locus of stimulation. Results are discussed in the context of recent lesion, recording and stimulation research employing the conditioned nictitating membrane response of rabbits as a model system.