Source Paper
Dissociation in Effects of Lesions of the Nucleus Accumbens Core and Shell on Appetitive Pavlovian Approach Behavior and the Potentiation of Conditioned Reinforcement and Locomotor Activity byd-Amphetamine
John A. Parkinson, Mary C. Olmstead, Lindsay H. Burns, Trevor W. Robbins, Barry J. Everitt
Journal of Neuroscience • 1999
Locomotor Activity Monitoring
Objective: Measure locomotor activity to assess psychomotor stimulant effects of amphetamine and effects of nucleus accumbens lesions on activity levels
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Equipment1
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Materials1
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Software1
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Protocol Steps
Pavlovian conditioning training
Rats were initially trained to associate a neutral stimulus (Pavlovian CS) with food reinforcement (US)
Note: Establishes baseline conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus association
View evidence from paper
“Rats were initially trained to associate a neutral stimulus (Pavlovian CS) with food reinforcement (US)”
Excitotoxic lesion surgery
Excitotoxic lesions were performed to selectively destroy either the nucleus accumbens core or shell
Note: Two lesion groups: core-lesioned and shell-lesioned animals
View evidence from paper
“After excitotoxic lesions that selectively destroyed either the NAcc core or shell”
Post-lesion Pavlovian retraining
After lesions, animals underwent additional CS-US training sessions to assess retention and relearning
Note: Evaluates effects of lesions on Pavlovian conditioning
View evidence from paper
“After excitotoxic lesions that selectively destroyed either the NAcc core or shell, animals underwent additional CS–US training sessions”
Instrumental conditioning with conditioned reinforcer
Animals were tested for acquisition of a new instrumental response that produced the CS acting as a conditioned reinforcer
Note: Tests ability to learn new instrumental response with conditioned reinforcer
View evidence from paper
“then were tested for the acquisition of a new instrumental response that produced the CS acting as a conditioned reinforcer (CR)”
Amphetamine infusion and behavioral testing
Animals were infused intra-NAcc with d-amphetamine at doses of 0, 1, 3, 10, or 20 μg before each session during instrumental conditioning
Note: Dose-response study examining amphetamine effects on conditioned reinforcer responding and locomotor activity
View evidence from paper
“Animals were infused intra-NAcc with d-amphetamine (0, 1, 3, 10, or 20 μg) before each session”
Locomotor activity measurement
Locomotor activity was recorded during behavioral sessions to assess psychomotor stimulant effects of amphetamine and effects of lesions
Note: Primary outcome measure for assessing amphetamine-induced hyperactivity and lesion effects on baseline activity
View evidence from paper
“Locomotor activity was measured to assess the psychomotor stimulant effects of amphetamine and the effects of nucleus accumbens lesions”