Dopaminergic synapses mediate neuronal changes in an analogue of operant conditioning. Academic Article

abstract

• Feeding behavior in Aplysia can be modified by operant conditioning in which contingent reinforcement is conveyed by the esophageal nerve (E n.). A neuronal analogue of this conditioning in the isolated buccal ganglia was developed by using stimulation of E n. as an analogue of contingent reinforcement. Previous studies indicated that E n. may release dopamine. We used a dopamine antagonist (methylergonovine) to investigate whether dopamine mediated the enhancement of motor patterns in the analogue of operant conditioning. Methylergonovine blocked synaptic connections from the reinforcement pathway and the contingent-dependent enhancement of the reinforced pattern. These results suggest that dopamine mediates at least part of the neuronal modifications induced by contingent reinforcement.

authors

• Baxter, Douglas

published proceedings

• J Neurophysiol

author list (cited authors)

• Nargeot, R., Baxter, D. A., Patterson, G. W., & Byrne, J. H.

citation count

• 66

complete list of authors

• Nargeot, R||Baxter, DA||Patterson, GW||Byrne, JH

publication date

• April 1999

publisher

• American Physiological Society  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Neurophysiology  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Aplysia
• Conditioning, Operant
• Dopamine
• Ganglia
• Ganglia, Invertebrate
• Methylergonovine
• Motor Neurons
• Mouth
• Oxytocics
• Periodicity
• Synapses

PubMed Central ID

• 10200235

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1152/jn.1999.81.4.1983

start page

• 1983

end page

• 1987

volume

• 81

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.1999.81.4.1983