Estrogen can influence the expression of behaviors not associated directly with
reproduction, including learning and memory. However, the effects of estrogen on learning
and memory in mammals are complex, dependent on a variety of factors. The radial arm
maze is a traditional experimental task that takes advantage of the natural foraging strategy
of rats and provides an appropriate measure for studying the effects of estrogen on working
memory in this species. In the experiments reported here, ovariectomized rats were …