Spatial learning and memory processes: the search for their neurobiological mechanisms in the rat

There are a number of ways to approach the problem of how nervous systems are modified in response to an organism's interaction with its environment. One of these has been the study of learning and memory processes in the rat and their underlying physiological mechanisms, an endeavor that has contributed significantly to the overall understanding of the neural basis of behavior. As an example, the neurobiological properties of the rat hippocampal formation in relation to spatial information processing are reviewed, including a variety of behavioral analyses in conjunction with lesion and electrophysiological recording techniques. These approaches have furthered our understanding of cognitive operations that involve the integration of multiple sensory stimuli leading to the production of complex adaptive responses.