title: Atomoxetine accelerates attentional set shifting without affecting learning rate in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shifting to a new rule is a form of behavioral flexibility that is impaired in numerous psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Animal studies have revealed that this form of flexibility depends upon norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission. Atomoxetine, a NE reuptake inhibitor, improves performance of humans in set shifting tasks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to validate its effects in a rodent set shifting task.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested the drug effect using an operant task that required a shift from a visual cue-guided behavior to a novel location-guided rule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 1.0-mg/kg dose significantly accelerated rule shifting without affecting learning strategies, such as win-stay or lose-shift. Fitting behavioral performance with a learning function provided a measure of learning rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel analysis revealed that atomoxetine accelerated shifting to the new rule without affecting learning rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology of Cognitive Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Spemannstr. 38, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany, nelson.totah@tuebingen.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Nelson K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Totah
authors.forename: Nikos K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Logothetis
authors.forename: Oxana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eschenko
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride; D009638:Norepinephrine