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Pimozide, like extinction, devalues stimuli associated with sucrose taking
L D Johnston1, R J Beninger, M C Olmstead
1Department of Psychology, Queen's University, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|April 28, 2001
Summary
Dopamine (DA) is crucial for behaviors driven by learned rewards. Blocking DA with pimozide reduced rats' motivation to seek sucrose, indicating DA’s role in conditioned reinforcement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Conditioned stimuli (CS) acquire motivational properties through association with primary rewards.
- Dopamine (DA) is implicated in reward processing and motivation.
- Understanding the role of DA in conditioned appetitive stimuli is essential for explaining motivated behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that DA mediates behavioral control by conditioned appetitive stimuli.
- To investigate the role of DA in the conditioned reinforcing properties of accessing a reward-associated stimulus.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained on a heterogeneous chain schedule for sucrose reinforcement.
- Sucrose-seeking and taking responses were assessed.
- The DA antagonist pimozide was administered to assess its effect on conditioned reinforcement.
- Extinction procedures were used as a comparison manipulation.
Main Results:
- Pimozide treatment significantly reduced sucrose-taking responses.
- Both extinction and pimozide manipulations decreased subsequent sucrose-seeking responses.
- Pimozide administration in the home cage without task access did not affect behavior.
Conclusions:
- Dopamine (DA) plays a critical role in mediating the conditioned reinforcing effects of stimuli associated with reward.
- The findings support the involvement of DA in motivated behavior driven by learned appetitive cues.
- DA is essential for the motivational control exerted by the anticipation of reward.