The role of performance factors in the active avoidance-conditioning deficit in autoimmune mice.
Prior studies with autoimmune mice demonstrated deficits in 2-way active avoidance conditioning that correlated with the degree of autoimmunity. In this study, autoimmune female NZB x NZW F1 hybrid (B/W) mice were tested in shock-motivated discrimination learning, 1-way avoidance conditioning, and a modified 2-way avoidance task and compared to nonautoimmune female NZW mice. The discrimination and 1-way conditioning results indicated that B/W mice can learn shock-motivated tasks that involve minimal fatigue and no conflict. B/W mice were also able to learn the 2-way avoidance task when it was made easier by increasing conditioned-stimulus cue salience, clarifying contingencies, and increasing trial spacing to decrease possible cognitive, emotional, and physical fatigue. Thus, poor performance in 2-way avoidance appears to be a consequence of altered attention, motivation, or emotionality and can be overcome by altering task parameters.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA. schro041@tc.umn.edu
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D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB