Ingrid Reverte1, Stephen Volz1, Fahd H Alhazmi2, Mihwa Kang2, Keith Kaufman1, Sue Chan1, Claudia Jou2, Mihaela D Iordanova3, Guillem R Esber4. 1. Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Ave, James Hall, 4414, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, United States. 2. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States. 3. Concordia University, Department of Psychology, CSBN/GRNC, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, H4B 1R6, Canada. 4. Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Ave, James Hall, 4414, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, United States; The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States. Electronic address: GEsber@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Single-unit recording in Pavlovian conditioning tasks requires the use of within-subject designs as well as sampling a considerable number of trials per trial type and session, which increases the total trial count. Pavlovian conditioning, on the other hand, requires a long average intertrial interval (ITI) relative to cue duration for cue-specific learning to occur. These requirements combined can make the session duration unfeasibly long. NEW METHOD: To circumvent this issue, we developed a self-initiated variant of the Pavlovian magazine-approach procedure in rodents. Unlike the standard procedure, where the animals passively receive the trials, the self-initiated procedure grants animals agency to self-administer and self-pace trials from a predetermined, pseudorandomized list. Critically, whereas in the standard procedure the typical ITI is in the order of minutes, our procedure uses a much shorter ITI (10 s). RESULTS: Despite such a short ITI, discrimination learning in the self-initiated procedure is comparable to that observed in the standard procedure with a typical ITI, and superior to that observed in the standard procedure with an equally short ITI. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): The self-initiated procedure permits delivering 100 trials in a ∼1-h session, almost doubling the number of trials safely attainable over that period with the standard procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The self-initiated procedure enhances the collection of neural correlates of cue-reward learning while producing good discrimination performance. Other advantages for neural recording studies include ensuring that at the start of each trial the animal is engaged, attentive and in the same location within the conditioning chamber.
BACKGROUND: Single-unit recording in Pavlovian conditioning tasks requires the use of within-subject designs as well as sampling a considerable number of trials per trial type and session, which increases the total trial count. Pavlovian conditioning, on the other hand, requires a long average intertrial interval (ITI) relative to cue duration for cue-specific learning to occur. These requirements combined can make the session duration unfeasibly long. NEW METHOD: To circumvent this issue, we developed a self-initiated variant of the Pavlovian magazine-approach procedure in rodents. Unlike the standard procedure, where the animals passively receive the trials, the self-initiated procedure grants animals agency to self-administer and self-pace trials from a predetermined, pseudorandomized list. Critically, whereas in the standard procedure the typical ITI is in the order of minutes, our procedure uses a much shorter ITI (10 s). RESULTS: Despite such a short ITI, discrimination learning in the self-initiated procedure is comparable to that observed in the standard procedure with a typical ITI, and superior to that observed in the standard procedure with an equally short ITI. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): The self-initiated procedure permits delivering 100 trials in a ∼1-h session, almost doubling the number of trials safely attainable over that period with the standard procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The self-initiated procedure enhances the collection of neural correlates of cue-reward learning while producing good discrimination performance. Other advantages for neural recording studies include ensuring that at the start of each trial the animal is engaged, attentive and in the same location within the conditioning chamber.
Authors: Yuji K Takahashi; Chun Yun Chang; Federica Lucantonio; Richard Z Haney; Benjamin A Berg; Hau-Jie Yau; Antonello Bonci; Geoffrey Schoenbaum Journal: Neuron Date: 2013-10-16 Impact factor: 17.173
Authors: Mihwa Kang; Ingrid Reverte; Stephen Volz; Keith Kaufman; Salvatore Fevola; Anna Matarazzo; Fahd H Alhazmi; Inmaculada Marquez; Mihaela D Iordanova; Guillem R Esber Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2021-08-10 Impact factor: 4.996