title: Operant performance following tail-pinch in the rat: effects of d-amphetamine.
abstract: To extend the investigation of tail-pinch induced behavioral changes, rats performing on a differential reinforcement of low rates of 10 sec (DRL10), a fixed-interval of 60 sec (F160), and a fixed-ratio of 20 (FR20) schedules were exposed to a paper clip applied to the tail. While a 10 min tail-pinch conducted 1 hr before operant sessions significantly altered the DRL10 behavior, this stressor had little effect on either F160 or FR20 responding. Marked DRL10 behavior performance changes following tail-pinch included increases in the number of lever presses, decreases in the number of the reinforcers, and disruption in the frequency distribution of inter-response times (IRT). These DRL10 operant deficits were diminished when the subject received a tail-pinch pretreatment followed by d-amphetamine treatment (0.2 and 2.0 mg/kg). In combination with biochemical data from others, the present results suggest that catecholamine systems are involved in modulation of DRL10 behavior following tail-pinch.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013623:Tail
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003913:Dextroamphetamine