ERIC Number: EJ767877
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 4
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0502
EISSN: N/A
Inactivation of the Ventral Tegmental Area Abolished the General Excitatory Influence of Pavlovian Cues on Instrumental Performance
Murschall, Anja; Hauber, Wolfgang
Learning & Memory, v13 n2 p123-126 Mar-Apr 2006
Pavlovian stimuli can markedly elevate instrumental responding, an effect known as Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). As the role of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PIT is yet unknown, we examined the effects of transient VTA inactivation by direct microinjections of a mixture of the GABA[subscript A] and GABA[subscript B] receptor agonists, muscimol and baclofen. Results reveal that PIT, i.e., the increase in instrumental responding during presentation of a Pavlovian stimulus, was abolished by intra-VTA microinjections of muscimol/baclofen. These data provide the first evidence that the VTA mediates Pavlovian influences on instrumental behavior. (Contains 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Auditory Stimuli, Neurological Organization, Behavioral Science Research, Animals, Data Analysis, Nonverbal Learning, Neurological Impairments, Brain, Auditory Training, Cues, Classical Conditioning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A