Monoamine roles in retention and reversal of delayed response in cats.
Two experiments were performed to study the effects of manipulation of central monoamines upon behavior in a delayed response (DR) situation. In the first study, serotonin (5-HT) levels were increased by administration of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP) and RO4-4602, a decarboxylase inhibitor, to cats that had overlearned the DR. This intervention had no significant effect upon performance in the 0 sec delay condition, but significantly increase error and non-response scores during delay trials; the effect is specific to an "information holding" demand upon the animal and according to the neurochemical analysis appears to be due to a central effect of 5-HT. In a second experiment, dopamine levels were raised by L-DOPA administration during a reversal of the original DR situation, and the effect of L-DOPA on the evolution of response strategies was observed. All animals developed a position habit that proved impossible to correct but L-DOPA animals developed a significant position habit more quickly than controls, thus suggesting a possible relationship between the neostriatal dopamine accumulation and behavioral plasticity.
D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001545:Benserazide / Q000494:pharmacology; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice / Q000187:drug effects; D012193:Reversal Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology
D001679:Biogenic Amines; D012701:Serotonin; D001545:Benserazide; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D004298:Dopamine