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Effects of quinpirole on behavioral extinction
Daniel D Kurylo1, Sarah Tanguay
1Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA. dkurylo@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Physiology & Behavior
|October 22, 2003
Summary
Quinpirole (QNP), a dopamine D(2) receptor agonist, significantly slows behavioral extinction when administered during the extinction phase. This effect is specific to extinction and not general arousal or acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Pharmacology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Dopamine D(2) receptors are implicated in goal-directed behaviors and behavioral extinction.
- Quinpirole (QNP) is a dopamine D(2) receptor agonist with known behavioral effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of QNP on behavioral extinction after reinforcement omission.
- To determine if QNP's effect on extinction is related to acquisition or extinction-specific processes.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained to nose-poke for water reward on a continuous reinforcement schedule.
- QNP or vehicle was administered during acquisition, maintenance, extinction, or all phases.
- Behavioral extinction rates were measured following reward omission.
Main Results:
- QNP administration during acquisition or maintenance did not significantly alter extinction rates.
- QNP administration during the extinction phase or all phases significantly reduced the rate of extinction.
- QNP did not increase general arousal, as reinforced response rates were unaffected.
Conclusions:
- QNP specifically interferes with behavioral extinction, rather than acquisition or general arousal.
- The reduced extinction effect may stem from enhanced learned behaviors or disrupted prediction error signaling.