Changes in spatial learning ability in female rats due to neonatal transplantation of male hippocampal tissue

It has long been acknowledged that sex differences occur in the performance of learning tasks. Specifically, it has been found that males typically outperform females in spatial learning tasks such as maze tasks. Recently, evidence has emerged which directly links sex differences in behavior to specific regions of the central nervous system (CNS). This evidence indicates that sexually dimorphic behaviors may be altered by the neonatal transplantation of opposite sex brain tissue. This research sought to extend these findings by examining the effects of neonatal transplantation of male hippocampal tissue on the spatial learning ability of adult females in three different spatial learning tasks. It was expected that such transplants would enhance the spatial learning ability of the host animals. The results indicate such enhancement may occur, however more research may be necessary to add strength to these findings. Possible explanations for the observed results are discussed