Research articleFilling the gap: Evidence for a spatial differentiation in trace eyeblink conditioning

- Airpuff application side was differentially coded trough conditioned stimuli.
- Conditioned reactions were stronger on the side cued by the conditioned stimuli.
- This depended on conscious awareness of the spatial contingency.
- Spatial memory may be created and assessed in trace eyeblink conditioning.

Trace eyeblink conditioning is used as a translational model of declarative memory but restricted to the temporal domain. Potential spatial aspects have never been experimentally addressed. We employed a spatiotemporal trace eyeblink conditioning paradigm in which a spatial dimension (application side of the unconditioned stimulus) was differentially coded by tone frequency of the conditioned stimulus and recorded conditioned reactions from both eyes. We found more and stronger conditioned reactions at the side predicted by the conditioned stimulus but only in aware participants. Thus, spatial effects are present in trace eyeblink conditioning and may be differentially conditioned depending on the awareness about the spatial relation between conditioned and unconditioned stimulus.