Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents
Published on: August 10, 2014
Response requirement and increases in accuracy produced by stimulant drugs in a 5-choice serial reaction-time task in
Mikhail N Koffarnus1, Jonathan L Katz
1Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5200 Eastern Ave., Suite 142W, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. mkoffar1@jhmi.edu
Rationale:
Increased signal-detection accuracy on the 5-choice serial reaction time (5-CSRT) task has been shown with drugs that are useful clinically in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but these increases are often small and/or unreliable. By reducing the reinforcer frequency, it may be possible to increase the sensitivity of this task to pharmacologically induced improvements in accuracy.
Methods:
Rats were trained to respond on the 5-CSRT task on a fixed ratio (FR) 1, FR 3, or FR 10 schedule of reinforcement. Drugs that were and were not expected to enhance performance were then administered before experimental sessions.
Results:
Significant increases in accuracy of signal detection were not typically obtained under the FR 1 schedule with any drug. However, d-amphetamine, methylphenidate, and nicotine typically increased accuracy under the FR 3 and FR 10 schedules.
Conclusions:
Increasing the FR requirement in the 5-CSRT task increases the likelihood of a positive result with clinically effective drugs, and may more closely resemble conditions in children with attention deficits.
