title: Conditioning-specific reflex modification of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) heart rate.
abstract: Conditioning-specific reflex modification (CRM) describes changes in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) nictitating membrane responses (NMR) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) when the US is tested by itself after pairings of tone and electrodermal stimulation. Although CRM has been replicated, it is unclear whether it occurs in response systems other than that of the NMR. The authors report that CRM of rabbit heart rate (HR) can occur following HR conditioning. A US that elicits HR acceleration before conditioning can elicit HR deceleration after conditioning. The rabbits' electrocardiograms showed both HR conditioning and HR CRM were correlated with an increased PQ interval--an index of parasympathetic function mediated by the vagus. The data suggest conditioned HR deceleration can generalize from conditioned stimulus to US as a function of conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. bschreurs@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Bernard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Schreurs
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Crum
authors.forename: Desheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Carrie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith-Bell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009541:Nictitating Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors