GABA(A) receptor activation is involved in noncontingent shock inhibition of instrumental conditioning in spinal rats. Academic Article

abstract

• Previous work has demonstrated that the spinal cord, isolated from higher neural structures, can support a simple form of instrumental learning. Furthermore, preexposure to uncontrollable (noncontingent) shock to the leg or tail inhibits this form of learning. The present study explores the role of GABA(A) receptor modulation on this inhibitory effect in spinal cord-transected rats. Intrathecal administration of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline blocked induction and expression of the inhibition. The GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol inhibited learning in a dose-dependent manner. However, this effect was transient and showed no additivity with shock. The findings suggest that GABA(A) receptor activation may work like a pharmacological switch that is activated by noncontingent shock to inhibit instrumental conditioning within the spinal cord.

authors

• Grau, James

published proceedings

• Behav Neurosci

altmetric score

• 1

author list (cited authors)

• Ferguson, A. R., Washburn, S. N., Crown, E. D., & Grau, J. W.

citation count

• 25

complete list of authors

• Ferguson, Adam R||Washburn, Stephanie N||Crown, Eric D||Grau, James W

publication date

• August 2003

publisher

• American Psychological Association (APA)  Publisher

published in

• BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Bicuculline
• Conditioning, Operant
• Electric Stimulation
• GABA Agonists
• GABA Antagonists
• Muscimol
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Receptors, GABA-A
• Reinforcement, Psychology
• Spinal Cord

PubMed Central ID

• 12931964

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1037/0735-7044.117.4.799

start page

• 799

end page

• 812

volume

• 117

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.117.4.799