Biomaterial Database

Eyeblink conditioning in the developing rat. 1992

M E Stanton, and J H Freeman, and R W Skelton

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Long-Evans rat pups, 17-18 or 24 days of age, were trained with an eyeblink conditioning (EBC) procedure that was used previously with adult rats (Skelton, 1988). Pups received 3 sessions of delay conditioning in a single day at about 4-hr intervals (100 trials/session). Trials involved pairings of an auditory conditioned stimulus (2.8-kHz, 82-dB tone) and a periocular-shock unconditioned stimulus (US; 100 ms, 2 mA), which were presented 280 ms apart. EBC was observed at both ages, but older pups learned much more rapidly. Subsequent experiments established that this effect is associative (Experiment 2), that age differences in EBC cannot be attributed to differences in ability to respond or in sensitivity to the US (Experiment 3), and that EBC rate can be modulated by motivational state (Experiment 4). This preparation may help elucidate the relation between neural development and the ontogeny of learning.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009042	Motivation	Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli.	Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D001931	Brain Mapping	Imaging techniques used to colocalize sites of brain functions or physiological activity with brain structures.	Brain Electrical Activity Mapping,Functional Cerebral Localization,Topographic Brain Mapping,Brain Mapping, Topographic,Functional Cerebral Localizations,Mapping, Brain,Mapping, Topographic Brain
D002531	Cerebellum	The part of brain that lies behind the BRAIN STEM in the posterior base of skull (CRANIAL FOSSA, POSTERIOR). It is also known as the "little brain" with convolutions similar to those of CEREBRAL CORTEX, inner white matter, and deep cerebellar nuclei. Its function is to coordinate voluntary movements, maintain balance, and learn motor skills.	Cerebella,Corpus Cerebelli,Parencephalon,Cerebellums,Parencephalons
D003214	Conditioning, Classical	Learning that takes place when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.	Reflex, Conditioned,Classical Conditioning,Classical Conditionings,Conditioned Reflex,Conditionings, Classical
D003215	Conditioning, Eyelid	Reflex closure of the eyelid occurring as a result of classical conditioning.	Eyelid Conditioning,Conditionings, Eyelid,Eyelid Conditionings
D005239	Fear	The affective response to an actual current external danger which subsides with the elimination of the threatening condition.	Threat Cues,Threat Sensitivity,Cue, Threat,Fears,Sensitivity, Threat,Threat Cue,Threat Sensitivities
D006624	Hippocampus	A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation.	Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D000375	Aging	The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time.	Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging