Scholarly Commons

Transfer of Latent Inhibition Memory Cues to a New Context: A Case of Erase and Update?

Previous research has demonstrated that contextual cues for latent inhibition can be transferred from one context to another by mere exposure while the memory is still in an active state. Using a latent inhibition paradigm, the present experiment was conducted to determine what would happen when the subject was tested back in the original context, i.e., would the memory for latent inhibition transfer or would the memory also remain in the original context? Using Long-Evans rats, we evaluated the transfer of latent inhibition and whether the memory remained in the original context following the transfer. Results revealed that the transfer of latent inhibition cues was obtained, as well as that the memory for the original context remained. This finding indicates that when tested back in the original context, the subjects treated the two contexts similarly.