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Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Regulates Instrumental Conditioned Punishment, but not Pavlovian Conditioned Fear
Cassandra Ma1, Philip Jean-Richard-Dit-Bressel1, Stephanie Roughley1
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Cerebral Cortex Communications
|July 23, 2021
Summary
Medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) inhibition impairs punishment learning and memory retrieval in rats. These findings suggest mOFC dysfunction contributes to punishment insensitivity in compulsive disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Compulsive Disorders Research
Background:
- Aberrant medial orbitofrontal cortical (mOFC) activity is linked to compulsive disorders.
- Rodent studies show mOFC excitation causes compulsive behaviors, but the role of inhibition is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of mOFC inhibition in sensitivity to punishment.
- To determine if mOFC lesions affect punishment learning and memory retrieval.
Main Methods:
- Excitotoxic lesions of the mOFC were used in a rat model.
- Rats were trained to avoid a punished lever and tested for learning and retrieval of punishment contingencies.
- Pavlovian fear conditioning was assessed to differentiate effects.
Main Results:
- mOFC lesions prevented rats from learning to avoid a punished lever.
- Lesions impaired the retrieval of punishment learning.
- mOFC lesions did not affect reacquisition of avoidance learning if acquired before lesions.
- Pavlovian fear conditioning remained intact.
Conclusions:
- The mOFC regulates punishment learning and retrieval independently of fear conditioning.
- mOFC dysfunction may underlie punishment insensitivity seen in compulsive disorders.
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