Pavlovian Conditioning with Food Reward
Objective: To study behavioral responses to Pavlovian conditioning using banana-flavored food pellets as reward in conditioning chambers
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Protocol Steps
Rat acquisition and housing
Adult male Sprague Dawley rats (200-300 g) were purchased from Harlan or Charles River
Note: Some rats were obtained from Charles River for studies at University of Toronto - Mississauga
View evidence from paper
“1,878 adult male Sprague Dawley rats (200–300 g) were purchased from Harlan or Charles River”
Daily handling
Rats were handled daily during the week leading up to testing
View evidence from paper
“Rats were handled daily during the week leading up to testing”
Pellet familiarization
Rats were given approximately 25 banana-flavored pellets (45 mg each) in their home cages to familiarize them with the pellets
Note: Pellets were BioServ brand from Frenchtown, NJ
View evidence from paper
“given ∼25 banana-flavored pellets (45 mg, BioServ; Frenchtown, NJ) in their home cages (to familiarize them with the pellets) for two days prior to testing”
Conditioning testing
Rats were tested in conditioning chambers using banana-flavored food pellets as reward
Note: Testing was conducted by six different laboratory members from Terry Robinson's laboratory over six years (2004-2010). Rats were not food restricted and had free access to food and water when not in conditioning chambers.
View evidence from paper
“Rats were given free access to food and water when not in the conditioning chambers (i.e., they were not food restricted)”