Growth of brain stimulation reward as a function of duration and stimulation strength.
The strength of a train of rewarding brain stimulation required to support a criterion level of operant performance declines hyperbolically as the duration is increased. This finding has been attributed to a process of leaky integration. However, the rate at which integration approaches asymptote has been shown to depend on stimulation strength, a finding that differs from the behavior of a simple leaky integrator. The authors replicate both findings and show that they are both well described by a new model that incorporates a hyperbolic strength-duration function, a logistic function mapping stimulation frequency onto reward intensity, and another logistic function mapping reward intensity onto performance.
Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada.
Bonnie
B
Sonnenschein
Kent
K
Conover
Peter
P
Shizgal
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012201:Reward