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Comparative Study
. 2005 Jun;119(3):772-80.
doi: 10.1037/0735-7044.119.3.772.

Stimulus processing and associative learning in Wistar and WKHA rats

Amy C Chess  1 , Christopher S Keene, Elizabeth C Wyzik, David J Bucci
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Stimulus processing and associative learning in Wistar and WKHA rats

Amy C Chess et al. Behav Neurosci. 2005 Jun.

Abstract

This study assessed basic learning and attention abilities in Wistar-Kyoto hyperactive (WKHA) rats using appetitive conditioning preparations. Two measures of conditioned responding to a visual stimulus, orienting behavior (rearing on the hind legs), and food cup behavior (placing the head inside the recessed food cup) were measured. In Experiment 1, simple conditioning, but not extinction, was impaired in WKHA rats compared with Wistar rats. In Experiment 2, nonreinforced presentations of the visual cue preceded the conditioning sessions. WKHA rats displayed less orienting behavior than Wistar rats but comparable levels of food cup behavior. These data suggest that WKHA rats exhibit specific abnormalities in attentional processing as well as in learning stimulus-reward relationships.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS in the acquisition phase in Experiment 1. Food cup behavior (panel A) increased in both strains over the course of consistent, repeated pairings of a visual cue and food. However, WKHA rats exhibited less overall food cup responding compared to Wistar rats. WKHA rats also exhibited less conditioned orienting behavior (panel B) compared to Wistar rats, particularly at the outset of conditioning. All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS in the acquisition phase in Experiment 1. Food cup behavior (panel A) increased in both strains over the course of consistent, repeated pairings of a visual cue and food. However, WKHA rats exhibited less overall food cup responding compared to Wistar rats. WKHA rats also exhibited less conditioned orienting behavior (panel B) compared to Wistar rats, particularly at the outset of conditioning. All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS during the extinction phase of Experiment 1. Food cup responding decreased in both Wistar and WKHA rats over the course of extinction (panel A), and was comparable in WKHA and Wistar rats. Orienting behavior did not differ between WKHA and Wistar rats during extinction (panel B). All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS during the extinction phase of Experiment 1. Food cup responding decreased in both Wistar and WKHA rats over the course of extinction (panel A), and was comparable in WKHA and Wistar rats. Orienting behavior did not differ between WKHA and Wistar rats during extinction (panel B). All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distance traveled in the open field test in Experiments 1 (panel A) and 2 (panel B). WKHA and Wistar rats did not differ in overall locomotor activity exhibited during the 15 minute exposure to the open field chamber, although activity was slower to habituate in WKHA rats in Experiment 2. Data are mean±SEM.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distance traveled in the open field test in Experiments 1 (panel A) and 2 (panel B). WKHA and Wistar rats did not differ in overall locomotor activity exhibited during the 15 minute exposure to the open field chamber, although activity was slower to habituate in WKHA rats in Experiment 2. Data are mean±SEM.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Orienting behavior during non-reinforced presentations of the visual cue in Experiment 2. Unconditioned orienting was greater in Wistar rats relative to WKHA rats during non-reinforced exposure to the visual cue. The orienting response habituated in Wistar rats but not WKHA rats. Trials 1–6 occurred on Day 1, trials 7–12 occurred on Day 2. All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS during the conditioning phase of Experiment 2. When the visual cue was reinforced, Wistar rats displayed increased conditioning orienting compared to WKHA rats (panel A). In contrast, food cup behavior (panel B) was comparable in WKHA rats compared to Wistar rats. All data are mean±SEM.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Food cup and orienting behavior during presentation of the CS during the conditioning phase of Experiment 2. When the visual cue was reinforced, Wistar rats displayed increased conditioning orienting compared to WKHA rats (panel A). In contrast, food cup behavior (panel B) was comparable in WKHA rats compared to Wistar rats. All data are mean±SEM.
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References

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