Source Paper
The Role of the Nucleus Accumbens in Instrumental Conditioning: Evidence of a Functional Dissociation between Accumbens Core and Shell
Laura H. Corbit, Janice L. Muir, Bernard W. Balleine
Journal of Neuroscience • 2001
Instrumental Conditioning with Lever Pressing
Objective: To examine the effect of bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the nucleus accumbens core or shell on instrumental conditioning, outcome devaluation, contingency degradation, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-instrumental transfer in rats
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment1
not specified • not specified • not specified • not specified
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links help support this free resource.
Protocol Steps
Subject preparation
Rats were food deprived prior to training
Note: Food deprivation was maintained during the instrumental conditioning phase
View evidence from paper
“Rats were food deprived and trained to press two levers”
Lever press training
Rats trained to press two levers, one delivering food pellets and the other delivering sucrose solution
Note: All animals acquired the lever-press response. Rate of acquisition and overall response rates were measured and compared between lesion groups
View evidence from paper
“trained to press two levers, one delivering food pellets and the other a sucrose solution. All animals acquired the lever-press response”
Outcome devaluation test
Post-training devaluation of one of the two outcomes using a specific satiety procedure to assess selective reduction in performance
Note: Shell- and sham-lesioned rats showed selective reduction in performance on the lever delivering the prefed outcome. Core-lesioned rats failed to show selective devaluation effect
View evidence from paper
“post-training devaluation of one of the two outcomes using a specific satiety procedure produced a selective reduction in performance on the lever that, in training, delivered the prefed outcome”
Pavlovian conditioning test
Assessment of Pavlovian conditioning ability across lesion groups
Note: Core lesions did not have marked effect on Pavlovian conditioning. Shell-lesioned rats showed no deficit in Pavlovian conditioning
View evidence from paper
“the core lesions did not have any marked effect on Pavlovian conditioning”
Pavlovian-instrumental transfer test
Assessment of transfer of Pavlovian incentive processes to instrumental performance
Note: Core lesions did not have marked effect on Pavlovian-instrumental transfer. Shell-lesioned rats failed to show positive transfer
View evidence from paper
“on Pavlovian-instrumental transfer. This double dissociation suggests that nucleus accumbens core and shell differentially mediate the impact of instrumental and Pavlovian incentive processes”