title: Comparison of operant escape and innate reflex responses to nociceptive skin temperatures produced by heat and cold stimulation of rats.
abstract: In behavioral tests, rats performed learned escape responses to thermal stimulation of the paws by 44.0. 47.0. or 0.3 degrees C. Licking, guarding, and jumping reflexes were evaluated at these temperatures. The frequency, latency, and duration of escape and reflex responses were compared and were related to hind-paw skin temperatures measured during stimulation of awake and anesthetized rats. The duration and latency of escape from heat were appropriately related to stimulus intensity. Escape occurred reliably for each intensity. Reflexes occurred unreliably and at long latency to 44.0 or 0.3 degrees C and were not appropriately related to heat intensity. The reflexes were relatively insensitive to thermal nociceptive stimulation other than heating of the skin at a high rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. vierck@mbi.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Vierck
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Wiley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002211:Capsaicin