MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -This was the high acetylcholine condition. Group 3 was the placebo group, and was injected with an inert saline solution that had no effect on acetylcholine. This was the control condition.

Detailed explanation-2: -The researchers used a rigorously controlled experiment with a placebo condition to avoid the effect of confounding (extraneous) variables. The study is able to establish a cause-and-effect relationship; however, it is a reductionist approach to understanding memory.

Detailed explanation-3: -Limitations: It’s difficult to generalize results from animal studies to humans, because the results may not be wholly applicable. However, the biochemical correlates of memory suggest that acetylcholine impact memory in humans too.

Detailed explanation-4: -Rogers and Kesner (2003) found that scopolamine injected directly into CA3 impaired maze acquisition by means of impaired encoding, whereas injections of physostigmine directly into CA3 impaired acquisition by means of impaired consolidation.

Detailed explanation-5: -They found that when rats were injected with scopolamine which blocked acetylcholine in the brain, it took them longer to navigate the maze and they made more errors despite having been trained already.