Abstract
Various methods have been developed to investigate the functional involvement of brain structures in learning and memory. In the present article, we introduce both traditional and sophisticated current techniques for brain surgery and drug administration in rats. These techniques can be divided into two categories : techniques for permanent brain damages such as aspiration, electrolytic lesion, and neurotoxin; and techniques for transient suppression of brain function using drugs. In addition, novel techniques to detect neurogenesis were also introduced using immunohistochemical staining. This last method is a typical interdisciplinary development that brings cell biology into the realm of physiological psychology. (Japanese Journal of Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology, 26 (1) : 49-59, 2008.)
