Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MSc)

Department

Psychology

Program Name/Specialization

Behavioural Neuroscience

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Diano Marrone

Advisor Role

Professor

Abstract

Similar stimuli can create spatial-perceptual challenges, thus leading to errors in recall. To combat this interference, organisms rely on processes within the hippocampal formation (HF) that support the discrimination of highly similar memories. In mammals, memory interference is thought to be reduced by decreasing the correlation between traces of similar events; a process termed pattern separation, often by the dentate gyrus. The extent to which birds, which have granule cells (GCs) but lack a dentate gyrus, utilize HF-dependent mechanisms to mitigate memory retrieval errors remains unclear. This study investigates the role of the triangular region and area V (proposed homologs of the dentate gyrus) in spatial memory discrimination in female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Using a radial arm maze (RAM), quail are trained in a spatial reference memory task across conditions varying in feature distance. Quail began with low-similarity trials and eventually graduated to higher-similarity trials once they reached a pre-established learning criterion. Following lesions to the medial rostral HF, quail are retrained and tested on their abilities to distinguish between both high-similarity and low-similarity options. The experimental design includes two groups: medial rostral HF-lesioned and sham-lesioned. Results suggest that female quail in both groups can discriminate in low-similarity conditions, while lesioned quail are impaired in high-similarity conditions, indicating a potential role for avian GCs of area V in interference reduction. By assessing the extent to which quail rely on GC-dependent processes for task performance, this study contributes to a broader understanding of spatial function in avian species.

Convocation Year

2027

Convocation Season

Spring

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