Role of dCA3 efferents via the fimbria in the acquisition of a delay nonmatch to place task

Dorsal CA3, but not dorsal CA1, lesioned rats are impaired in the acquisition of a delay nonmatch to place task. In this study, dorsal CA3 efferent fibers in the fimbria were transected; while taking care to spare afferent fibers from the medial septum. Neurophysiological, anatomical tracing, and histochemical data suggest that the transection was selective to dorsal CA3 efferent fibers and spared afferents from the medial septum. Rats showed a deficit for acquisition, but not for performance once learned. One possible explanation is that a small change to the cholinergic inputs to dCA3 caused by a decrease in dorsal CA3 efferent signals reaching the medial septum may impair new learning but not performance of a task once learned. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.