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Acute morphine increased both perseverative and non‐perseverative errors of rats in a modified attentional set‐shifting test
Author(s) -
Chen Yukun,
Young Alice M,
Schrimsher Gregory W,
Evola Marianne
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.582.6
Subject(s) - perseveration , odor , psychology , morphine , latent inhibition , wisconsin card sorting test , audiology , preference test , set (abstract data type) , developmental psychology , neuroscience , cognitive psychology , cognition , conditioning , classical conditioning , pharmacology , medicine , preference , neuropsychology , statistics , mathematics , computer science , programming language , economics , microeconomics
Increased perseverative errors (PE, repeated responses to previously correct cues) are a key feature of clinical disorders with frontal lobe damage (e.g., schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, substance abuse). To mimic the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test that detects PE in humans, we modified Birrell & Brown's (2000) attentional set‐shifting test to a three‐choice set‐shifting and perseveration test (SSPT). The SSPT utilizes successive sets of three cups that differ in both digging medium and odor. On each trial, only one cue (medium or odor) is paired with food. The rats learn to select the baited cup by either medium or odor, and to switch between cues in a series of discriminations: compound discrimination (CD), intradimensional (ID) shift, extradimensional (ED) shift. To optimize test conditions, we tested rats’ preference for 21 odors, and identified three equally‐preferred odors and an odor intensity that is recognizable but not aversive. In the primary study, we used these three odors and the intensity to evaluate acute effects of morphine on rats’ (N=8) SSPT performance. Morphine (3.2 mg/kg, −15 min) increased both PE and non‐PE in CD and ID1, and none of the rats finished ID1. Given ‐4 hr, the same dose increased PE in CD and non‐PE in CD and ED1. Acute morphine may impair ability to inhibit inappropriate behavior and ignore irrelevant cues when acquiring a new strategy. Supported by TTU Research Enhancement Fund