Is cholinergic activity of the striatum involved in the acquisition of positively-motivated behaviors?
Cholinergic activity of the caudate-putamen (CPU) is crucial for the acquisition of aversively-reinforced behaviors (active and passive avoidance). To determine whether this activity is also involved in the acquisition of a positively-rewarded behavior, in the present experimental series the effects of scopolamine applications to the antero-dorsal or postero-dorsal aspects of the striatum on auto-shaping were assessed. The auto-shaping procedure that was used allowed rats to learn to bar press at their own rate. It was found that scopolamine injection into either region of the CPU produced a marked retardation in the acquisition of the conditioned behavior. These results indicate that cholinergic activity of the striatum is critically involved in the early phases of positively-reinforced learning.
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F
Bermúdez-Rattoni
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M
Mujica-Gonzalez
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RA
Prado-Alcalá
D000818:Animals; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology
D012601:Scopolamine