Amphetamine Sensitization - Post-training
Objective: To examine whether amphetamine sensitization administered between instrumental training and testing affects established goal-directed behavior in rats using an instrumental devaluation task
This is a Amphetamine Sensitization - Post-training protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 5 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 2 materials. Extracted from a 2006 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • unknown • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~1 week study window
Core workflow
Amphetamine Sensitization (Post-training Protocol) • Instrumental Training • Outcome Devaluation
Primary readouts
- Lever pressing behavior during extinction testing
- Sensitivity to outcome devaluation
- Persistence of responding despite changed reward value
- Goal-directed versus habit-based responding patterns
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Amphetamine Sensitization (Post-training Protocol)
Administer amphetamine sensitization between the completion of instrumental training and the testing phase
Note: This is Experiment 2 - post-training sensitization. Sensitization occurs after rats have completed three training sessions of lever pressing
View evidence from paper
“Animals were either sensitized (7 d, 2 mg/kg/d) before training (experiment 1) or sensitized between training and testing (experiment 2)”
Instrumental Training
Train rats to press a lever for a reward
Note: Training must be completed before sensitization begins in this post-training protocol
View evidence from paper
“Rats were trained to press a lever for a reward (three sessions)”
Outcome Devaluation
Devalue the instrumental outcome (reward) to test goal sensitivity
Note: This tests whether animals can use representations of the outcome to guide behavior
View evidence from paper
“Rats were trained to press a lever for a reward (three sessions) and were then given a test of goal sensitivity by devaluation of the instrumental outcome before testing in extinction”
Extinction Testing
Test lever pressing behavior in extinction after outcome devaluation
Note: Measure whether rats show selective sensitivity to devaluation
View evidence from paper
“Rats were trained to press a lever for a reward (three sessions) and were then given a test of goal sensitivity by devaluation of the instrumental outcome before testing in extinction”
Reacquisition Test
Confirm that animals have acquired an aversion to the reinforcer
Note: This validates that outcome devaluation was effective
View evidence from paper
“a reacquisition test confirmed that all of the animals had acquired an aversion to the reinforcer”