Cold-Induced Amnesia Blocks Escape Deficits in the Cockroach (Periplaneta Americana)

Abstract

For three consecutive days, four groups of adult cockroaches ( Periplaneta americana) were yoked to cockroaches receiving escapable shock. The four groups of subjects received either inescapable shock followed by exposure to 12 minutes of cold (2° C), inescapable shock followed by no exposure to cold, no-shock followed by exposure to cold, or no-shock followed by no exposure to cold. 24 hr. later all five groups were run on a different escape task. The cockroaches exposed to inescapable shock followed by no exposure to cold showed the usual escape deficit. The cockroaches exposed to inescapable shock followed by exposure to cold did not differ from the escapable shock cockroaches or the controls.