A rat's performance on the Morris water maze, a test of spatial ability and memory, will be affected in what way by a lesion to the amygdala?
A)The rat will be impaired in learning all aspects of the water maze.
B)The rat will not be impaired in a basic water maze task, but it will fail to show the stronger retention that would otherwise be expected if the task includes a physical stressor.
C)The rat will be impaired in the basic aspects of the water maze task, but it will still show an improvement in retention if the task includes a physical stressor.
D)The rat will be unimpaired in learning the water maze task because the amygdala is important only for the expression of previously learned conditioned responses.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lesions to the amygdala do not affect basic learning and performance on the water maze task. However, the rat will show impaired retention of the task if a physical stressor (such as swimming with a weight attached) is added. This suggests that the amygdala is important for the consolidation and expression of memories that involve emotional arousal.

A Rat's Performance on the Morris Water Maze, a Test