Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 21, 2026

Aversive Associative Learning and Memory Formation by Pairing Two Chemicals in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: June 23, 2022
MK-801 induces a low intensity conditioned taste aversion.
Luis M Traverso1, Gabriel Ruiz, Luis G De la Casa
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Spain.
MK-801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, can induce a mild conditioned taste aversion in rats. This effect appears associative and distinct from aversions caused by lithium chloride.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Pharmacology
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists are crucial tools for studying learning and memory.
- Limited research exists on whether these antagonists can elicit conditioned taste aversion (CTA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the capacity of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 to induce conditioned taste aversion in rats.
- To determine if the aversion is associative and how it interacts with other aversion-inducing agents.
Main Methods:
- Five experiments were conducted using male Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Rats were exposed to MK-801 following saccharin consumption to assess aversion conditioning.
- Control experiments examined non-associative effects and interactions with lithium chloride.
Main Results:
- Repeated pairings of MK-801 with saccharin resulted in a low-intensity conditioned taste aversion.
- The observed aversion was not attributable to non-associative processes.
- Pre-exposure to MK-801 did not affect conditioned taste aversion induced by lithium chloride.
Conclusions:
- MK-801 can induce a low-intensity conditioned taste aversion in rats.
- The mechanisms underlying MK-801-induced aversion may differ from those of lithium chloride-induced aversion.
- This finding contributes to understanding the behavioral effects of NMDA receptor antagonists.
More Related Videos
08:07Simultaneous Detection of c-Fos Activation from Mesolimbic and Mesocortical Dopamine Reward Sites Following Naive Sugar and Fat Ingestion in Rats
Published on: August 24, 2016
05:55How to Create Conditioned Taste Aversion for Grazing Ground Covers in Woody Crops with Small Ruminants
Published on: April 30, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single...
The Physiology of Taste
Taste Buds and Receptors
Gustation
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...