title: Method for testing sustained attention in touchscreen operant chambers in rats.
abstract: Sustained attention, the ability to detect rare and unpredictable events, is central to cognitive performance. This construct can be tested in rodents using a Sustained Attention Task (SAT), where rats are trained to detect an unpredictably occurring signal (a brief light presentation) from non-signal events. The traditional version of this task utilizes an operant chamber with a central panel light for the signal and two retractable response levers. Adaptation of SAT to the increasingly popular touchscreen operant chambers, which do not have levers or fixed lights, could enhance the versatility of the task.
  
  
  
  Here we developed a touchscreen version of SAT where the light signal is presented in the center of the touchscreen, followed by a tone to indicate the beginning of the response period. Rats indicate their choice during this period by touching their nose to one of two touchscreen response areas. The remaining parameters were kept similar to the traditional version.
  
  
  
  Rats acquired touchscreen SAT at a similar rate to the traditional version. As with the traditional version, shorter stimulus durations on the signaled trials reduced accuracy and the presence of a distractor (a flashing houselight) disrupted performance on the touchscreen version.
  
  
  
  Collectively, these data suggest that the touchscreen version is comparable to the traditional version of the SAT, and is an equally valid way of measuring sustained attention.
  
  
  
  Many researchers with touchscreen chambers could easily implement our modifications in order to study sustained attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wicks
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Waxler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Kyle M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States. Electronic address: debra.bangasser@temple.edu.
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bangasser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012201:Reward; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014110:Touch
keywords: Attention; Cognition; Operant testing; Touchscreen; Vigilance