Habituation and dishabituation of the gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia.
A behavioral reflex mediated by identified motor neurons in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia undergoes two simple forms of shortterm modification. When the gill-with-drawal reflex was repeatedly evoked by a tactile stimulus to the siphon or mantle shelf, the amplitude of the response showed marked decrement (habituation). After a period of rest the response showed spontaneous recovery. The amplitude of a habituated response was facilitated by the presentation of a strong tactile stimulus to another part of the animal (dishabituation). Many characteristics of habituation and dishabituation in Aplysia are similar to those in vertebrates.
D000818:Animals; D005880:Gills / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex; D014110:Touch