Examination of configural association theory and conflict resolution model through hippocampal theta activity

The configural association theory and the conflict resolution model both propose a hippocampal function in the non-spatial Go/No-go stimulus discrimination task. The first theory suggests a critical role of the hippocampus in the formation of configural representations for compound stimuli in which multiple stimuli are simultaneously presented. The second theory relates to explaining how the hippocampus is important in no-go response for conflict stimulus with incompatible goals or response tendencies. While the theories presented have been perceived in different contexts towards joining the hippocampal functions and the associated non-spatial discrimination tasks, together they also indicate that hippocampus is associated with learning a negative patterning task. Current update in the context of electrophysiological approaches is indicative of reductions in hippocampal theta power due to the compound stimulus of negative patterning tasks. However, this is indicative of hippocampal theta powers not being relational to compound stimulus of feature negative task. These results showed that the decline in hippocampal theta activity was elicited by behavioral inhibition for conflict stimuli having overlapping elements. This finding strongly supports the conflict resolution model and suggests a hippocampal role in learning of behavioral inhibition for conflict stimulus during non-spatial stimulus discrimination tasks.