One-trial instrumental conditioning in rats.
A new method for a single-trial operant conditioning task with food reward in rats is described. The non-contingent reward of the first random lever press resulted in a higher response rate in both 24 and 48-hour retention tests as compared to contingently rewarded individuals. The latency to press the lever was shorter in non-contingently rewarded subjects than in contingently rewarded rats. The response rate in the first 5-min interval of the 24-hour retention test was higher in non-contingently rewarded subjects. The neuroleptic haloperidol (500 micrograms/kg., i.p.) given immediately following the "event to be remembered" significantly depresses the response rate compared to that for saline-treated controls. The advantages of the new method are discussed with respect to its applicability for memory research in animals and especially in neurophysiology and psychopharmacology.
Department of Comparative Physiology, József Attila University, Szeged, Hungary.
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D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005502:Food; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008722:Methods; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012201:Reward
D006220:Haloperidol