Facilitation of long-delay conditioned taste aversion in weanling rats

The impact of prior odor or taste conditioning on long-delay conditioned taste aversion in weanling rats was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, target conditioning consisted of saccharin paired 1.5 h later with an injection of LiCl. Weanlings given an odor or a different taste paired immediately with LiCl prior to long-delay conditioning showed significantly stronger saccharin aversions than did subjects exposed to the odor or taste unpaired with LiCl. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that the delay facilitation was not the result of any residual effect of LiCl; LiCl alone the day before delay conditioning did not enhance conditioned saccharin aversions. The results are discussed with respect to maturational and experiential interpretations of age-related differences in transfer of training and short-term memory.