title: Psychopharmacological studies in rats responding at touch-sensitive devices.
abstract: A multiple choice serial reaction time task was used to investigate visual attention in rats. The intelligence panel consisted of a transparent touch-sensitive device, placed directly in front of a video monitor. Amphetamine (0.2-1.6 mg/kg IP) increased errors of omission and decreased latency to respond, but had no effect on accuracy. The 5-HT agonist quipazine (0.6-2.4 mg/kg IP) increased errors of omission, but did not affect other parameters. ICV administration of hemicholinium-3 (1-4 micrograms) had no effect upon performance. Thus, psychopharmacological manipulations can reliably alter performance in the touch window box, suggesting potential new avenues for rat cognitive testing.
authors.affiliation: MRC Neurochemical Pathology Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steckler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahgal
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D011600:Psychopharmacology; D011814:Quipazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D014110:Touch / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011814:Quipazine; D000661:Amphetamine