Appetitive memory restoration after electroconvulsive shock in the rat

Previous studies have demonstrated that noncontingent aversive stimulation can produce recovery from amnesia induced by electroconvulsive shock (ECS) for passive avoidance training. The present 2 experiments with a total of 120 male albino Sprague-Dawley rats examined the stimulus characteristics necessary to restore appetitive memory after ECS. In a 1-trial appetitive task, posttraining ECS proved to be an effective amnestic agent. Memory was restored by (a) 1 60-sec exposure to the appetitive reinforcer outside of the training situation and (b) 3 135-sec exposures to the training apparatus in the absence of the reinforcer. These results indicate that the "reminder effect" is not a consequence of generalization of learning that occurs during the reminder treatment. Data suggest that stimuli specific to the training situation are potential agents for reversing experimental amnesia. It is concluded that this class of recovery agents is better characterized as reminders than as stressors. A mechanism for recovery from experimental amnesia is proposed. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).