Impaired instrumental choice in crib-biting horses (Equus caballus).
Horses displaying an oral stereotypy were tested on an instrumental choice paradigm to examine differences in learning from non-stereotypic counterparts. Stereotypic horses are known to have dysfunction of the dorsomedial striatum, and lesion studies have shown that this region may mediate response-outcome learning. The paradigm was specifically applied in order to examine learning that requires maintenance of response-outcome judgements. The non-stereotypic horses learned, over three sessions, to choose a more immediate reinforcer, whereas the stereotypic horses failed to do so. This suggests an initial behavioural correlate for dorsomedial striatum dysregulation in the stereotypy phenotype.
Parker
Matthew
M
School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, UK. matthew.parker@soton.ac.uk
Redhead
Edward S
ES
Goodwin
Deborah
D
McBride
Sebastian D
SD
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006736:Horses; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000502:physiology*