Source Paper
Differential involvement of NMDA, AMPA/kainate, and dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens core in the acquisition and performance of pavlovian approach behavior.
P Di Ciano, R N Cardinal, R A Cowell, S J Little, B J Everitt
PubMed • 2001
Autoshaping Task with Pharmacological Manipulations
Objective: To investigate the effects of glutamatergic and dopaminergic receptor antagonists infused into the nucleus accumbens core on the acquisition and performance of Pavlovian discriminated approach behavior in rats
This is a Autoshaping Task with Pharmacological Manipulations protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 6 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 4 materials. Extracted from a 2001 paper published in PubMed.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • unknown • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Autoshaping task setup • Negative stimulus presentation • Pharmacological manipulation - NMDA antagonist
Primary readouts
- Approaches to CS+ (conditioned stimulus paired with food)
- Approaches to CS− (conditioned stimulus not paired with food)
- Discriminated approach performance (selective approach to CS+ vs CS−)
- Acquisition of autoshaping behavior
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Autoshaping task setup
Rats were trained on an autoshaping task in which a conditioned stimulus (CS+; a lever) was inserted into the operant chamber for 10 seconds, after which a food pellet was delivered
Note: CS+ was a lever that predicted food delivery
View evidence from paper
“a conditioned stimulus (CS+; a lever) was inserted into the operant chamber for 10 sec, after which a food pellet was delivered”
Negative stimulus presentation
Presentation of another lever (CS−) was never followed by food delivery
Note: CS− served as a discriminative stimulus without reinforcement
View evidence from paper
“Presentation of another lever (CS−) was never followed by food”
Pharmacological manipulation - NMDA antagonist
AP-5 (NMDA receptor antagonist) was infused into the nucleus accumbens core during acquisition and performance phases
Note: AP-5 impaired only acquisition, not performance of autoshaping
View evidence from paper
“the NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5 impaired only the acquisition, but not performance, of autoshaping”
Pharmacological manipulation - AMPA/kainate antagonist
LY293558 (AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist) was infused into the nucleus accumbens core during acquisition and performance phases
Note: LY293558 disrupted performance but not acquisition, evidenced by increased approaches to CS−
View evidence from paper
“The AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist LY293558 disrupted discriminated approach performance but not acquisition, as evidenced by increased approaches to the CS−”
Pharmacological manipulation - dopamine antagonist
α-flupenthixol (dopamine D1/D2 receptor antagonist) was infused into the nucleus accumbens core during acquisition and performance phases
Note: α-flupenthixol decreased approaches to CS+ during both acquisition and performance
View evidence from paper
“the dopamine D1/D2 receptor antagonist α-flupenthixol decreased approaches to the CS+ during both acquisition and performance”
Behavioral observation
Subjects were observed for development of conditioned response of approaching and contacting the CS+ selectively
Note: Food delivery was not contingent on the animals' response
View evidence from paper
“Subjects developed a conditioned response of approaching and contacting the CS+ selectively, although food delivery was not in any way contingent on the animals' response”