A quick test for sound discrimination ability of rats in a single session after preparatory training

We developed a sound discrimination test combined with a preparatory training procedure. After water deprivation of 48 h, rats were trained to respond to a sound with pedal-pressing to receive a reward of water. Six of the eight trained rats showed pedal-pressing responses to the sound within 4 h of training, and these six were exposed to two different sounds, response to only one of which was rewarded with water. In a single session of 10 h, the rate and latency of pedal-pressing in response to the two sound stimuli were continuously monitored. All six tested rats showed behavioral discrimination between the rewarded and unrewarded sounds within 6 h.