Estrogen has mnemonic-enhancing effects in the inhibitory avoidance task.

Gonadal hormones, such as estrogen, can alter cognitive performance. The present studies investigated the relationship between performance on the inhibitory avoidance task and endogenous fluctuations in ovarian hormones and estrogen replacement. In Experiment 1, proestrous or diestrous I female, or male, rats were trained in the inhibitory avoidance task. Following a 24-h intertrial delay, when female rats were tested in metestrus or diestrus II, no differences in crossover latencies were observed among groups. In Experiment 2, female rats in proestrus or diestrus I, and male rats, were trained in the inhibitory avoidance task and were tested following a 4-h intertrial delay (so that training and testing were accomplished in the same phase of the cycle). In this paradigm, proestrous rats had significantly longer crossover latencies than did either diestrous I or male rats. Posttraining administration of estrogen, but not progesterone, to ovariectomized rats increased crossover latencies compared to vehicle with a 4-h (Experiment 3) or 24-h (Experiment 4) intertrial delay. In Experiment 5, estrogen administration to ovariectomized rats immediately, but not 1, 2, or 3 h posttraining, increased crossover latencies compared to vehicle. Together, these data suggest that estrogen can have positive mnemonic effects in the inhibitory avoidance task.