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Amygdala and hippocampus control dissociable aspects of drug-associated conditioned rewards
No full textLimbic innervation of the nucleus accumbens via the ventral subiculum/hippocampus and basolateral area of the amygdala has been shown to determine dissociable aspects of behaviour controlled by stimuli associated with natural rewards. However, the respective contributions of the ventral subiculum and amygdala to behaviour governed by drug-associated stimuli remain to be determined. Experiments consisted of two phases: drug-stimulus training, and subsequent stimulus-only testing. Initial training sessions were of two alternating forms. During drug sessions, responding upon one lever resulted in an infusion of l Î1⁄4g d-amphetamine into the nucleus accumbens, whilst during saline sessions d-amphetamine was replaced with saline. Each infusion (drug or saline) was preceded with either a light, or tone. Responding upon a control lever had no programmed consequences. Following training, the levers were retracted, and instead two novel vertical bars were extended from the chamber ceiling. Movement of one bar produced the drug-associated stimulus, whilst the alternative bar produced the saline- associated stimulus. Infusions of the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX into the ventral subiculum or basolateral area of the amygdala (0, 0.2, 2.0 nmol) were made immediately before the start of each session. Intra-basolateral area of the amygdala CNQX reduced responding upon the drug-associated stimulus bar, but at the same time increased responding upon the saline-associated stimulus bar. By contrast, intra-ventral subiculum CNQX reduced drug-associated stimulus responding selectively. Neither manipulation affected levels of activity within the operant chamber extraneous to the bar-pushing response. Hence, the basolateral area of the amygdala appeared to have determined the degree of discriminative control exerted over behaviour by the drug- associated stimulus, whilst the ventral subiculum is suggested to have determined the efficacy of the conditioned reward
Double dissociation of the behavioural effects of R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions in the central and basolateral amygdala nuclei upon Pavlovian and instrumental conditioned appetitive behaviours
No full textDopaminergic cell bodies located within the ventral mesencephalon innervate the amygdaloid complex, a region critically involved in the attribution of affective significance to environmental stimuli. Recently, we have shown that post-session intra-amygdala administration of a D3 dopamine receptor agonist enhances selectively the acquisition of an appetitive conditioned response. In the present study, we have investigated the potential involvement of the central nucleus and the basolateral nuclei of the amygdala in mediating this effect. Thus, rats were trained to associate an arbitrary stimulus (CS+) with the availability of 10% sucrose reward. Post-session infusions of the D3 receptor-preferring agonist, R(+) 7-OH- DPAT, were made into either the central nucleus or basolateral nuclei. Acquisition of a conditioned approach response was enhanced by R(+) 7-OH- DPAT infusions within the central nucleus, but not within the basolateral nuclei. Drug infusions into either region failed to affect approach behaviour elicited by presentation of a control stimulus (CS-), explicitly unpaired with sucrose reward. The effects of pre-test infusions of R(+) 7-OHDPAT on the instrumental properties of the stimuli were then determined. Rats were presented with two novel levers, depression of one lever resulted in presentation of the CS+, while presentation of the CS- was contingent upon depression of the other lever. Rates of response upon each lever as well as the ability of the conditioned stimuli subsequently to elicit conditioned approach behaviour were recorded. Data revealed a double dissociation of the effects of R(+) 7-OH-DPAT on the expression of the Pavlovian and instrumental properties of the reward-related stimulus. Thus, within the central nucleus R(+) 7-OH-DPAT dose-dependently attenuated expression of the conditioned approach response, but had no effect upon instrumental responding maintained by the conditioned reward. In contrast, within the basolateral nuclei, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT had no effect upon expression of conditioned approach behaviour, but abolished selectively the ability of the reward-associated stimulus to support the acquisition of a novel instrumental response. Hence, these data indicate that distinct regions of the amygdaloid complex process distinct aspects of conditioned appetitive behaviours
Blockade of the acquisition, but not expression, of associative learning by pre-session intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT
No full textRationale: Two issues were addressed regarding the effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations on associative learning: first, an apparent contradiction between the effects of post- vs. pre-session dopaminergic manipulations and second, the ability of dopaminergic infusions to affect association formation vs. its expression following extended training. Objectives: The ability of pre-session infusions of a dopamine receptor agonist (R(+) 7-OH-DPAT) to inhibit acquisition of a conditioned approach response was examined and compared with the same manipulation following overtraining. Further experiments extended these findings. Materials and methods: Experiment 1 infused pre-session intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (0, 0.1, 1 nmol) during conditioned approach acquisition. Experiment 2 applied pre-session intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1 nmol) during expression of the same response, once well learned. Experiment 3 required the inhibition of a conditioned approach response following unconditioned stimulus (US) removal. Experiment 4 examined the ability of animals with prior drug experience to acquire a conditioned response to a novel stimulus. Results: Experiments 1-3 showed that pre-session amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT impaired acquisition of either excitatory or inhibitory conditioned responding, but was ineffective following overtraining. Drug-induced impairments in acquisition of a specific conditioned stimulus (CS)-US relationship continued well beyond the cessation of drug treatment, but were found not to transfer to an alternate CS in Experiment 4. Conclusions: Pre-session dopamine receptor activation within the amygdala may impair the acquisition, but not expression, of CS-US associations. Enhanced learning reported earlier following post-session dopamine receptor activation may occur indirectly through reduced interference with the consolidation of recent learning
Enhanced acquisition of discriminative approach following intra-amygdala d-amphetamine
No full textThis study examined the role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in stimulus-reward learning. Bilateral post-session intra-amygdala microinjections of d-amphetamine were carried out in rats during training in a discriminative approach task known to be sensitive to experimental manipulations of the amygdala. The experiment consisted of two phases: discriminative approach training, and a subsequent assessment of instrumental conditioned reward efficacy During discriminative approach training, subjects were trained to associate a neutral stimulus with 10% w/v sucrose reward. Each trial consisted of a 1-s light stimulus followed by a 5-s presentation of the sucrose reward. Approach behaviour into the recess housing sucrose reward was measured during each trial. Inappropriate approach behaviour (approach outside of the trial periods) was punished by delaying the next trial. Intra-amygdala d-amphetamine (10 Î1⁄4g/side) enhanced the rate of acquisition of discriminative approach behaviour. This effect was most evident early during training (sessions 2-4) and by the tenth session both groups had reached similar asymptotic performance. Horizontal and vertical activity increased slightly across sessions, but there was no indication of a differential effect of d-amphetamine. Thus, intra-amygdala microinjections of d-amphetamine enhanced selectively the acquisition of the stimulus-reward association. During a subsequent test of instrumental conditioned reward, presentation of the conditioned light stimulus was made contingent upon performance of a novel lever-pressing response (probability 0.5). Responding on a second, control lever was without programmed consequences. Sucrose reward was not available at ally point, and subjects were tested drug-free. In both groups the conditioned stimulus was found to possess significant conditioned rewarding efficacy. Extraneous behaviour was increased in the d-amphetamine group but the rewarding properties of the conditioned stimulus were unaltered. These findings demonstrate that the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection modulates the acquisition of a stimulus-reward association, but is apparently without subsequent effect on the rewarding efficacy of a conditioned stimulus
Enhanced stimulus-reward learning by intra-amygdala administration of a D3 dopamine receptor agonist
No full textThe amygdala is considered to be a critical neural substrate underlying the formation of stimulus-reward associations, and is known to receive substantial innervation from dopaminergic neurons located within the ventral mesencephalon. However, relatively little is known about the function of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in stimulus-reward learning. Recently, we have found post-session intraamygdala microinjections of d-amphetamine to enhance appetitive Pavlovian conditioning as assessed in a discriminative approach task. In the present study, we have examined the effects of dopamine receptor agonists possessing relative selectivity for the D1, D2 and D3 receptor subtypes in order to examine more fully the role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in stimulus-reward learning. Thus, subjects were trained to associate an initially neutral stimulus (CS+) with 10% sucrose reward (US). A second, control stimulus (CS-) was also presented but never paired with sucrose reward. In order to measure specifically the conditioned response to CS+/CS- presentation, responding during CS and US presentations was measured separately. Immediately following each training session, subjects received bilateral intra-amygdala infusion of 0.1, 1 or 10 nmol/side of SKF-38393, quinpirole or 7-OH-DPAT. Infusions of SKF-38393 or quinpirole were without effect on CS+ approach. However, post-session intra-amygdala infusions of 7-OH-DPAT enhanced selectively CS+ approach in a dose-dependent fashion. No dose of any drug affected CS-approach, US behaviours, or measures of extraneous behaviour. Subsequent acquisition of a novel conditioned instrumental response was also unaffected. Thus, the present data indicate a selective involvement of the D3 dopamine receptor subtype in the modulation of stimulus-reward learning by the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection
Isolation rearing-induced facilitation of Pavlovian learning: Abolition by postsession intra-amygdala nafadotride
No full textIt has been shown previously in this laboratory that rats reared in social isolation acquire a Pavlovian-conditioned approach task much more rapidly than their respective controls. This study assessed the involvement specifically of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine pathway in this facilitated learning of isolates. Thus, animals were required to associate arbitrary stimuli with a pulsed light stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US). The US, while without biological significance, was nevertheless capable of eliciting an intrinsic and sustained alerting response. Procedures ensured that the arbitrary stimuli (tone or clicker) did not elicit a response in the first instance, and were presented either paired (CS+) or unpaired (CS-) with the US. Isolates and socially reared controls received intra-amygdala infusions of the D3 dopamine receptor antagonist, L-nafadotride, or vehicle immediately following the end of each training session. The conditioned response increased over sessions in both groups of vehicle-infused rats during presentations of the CS+ stimulus, but not CS-, and isolates acquired this association more rapidly than controls. However, acquisition of this association was abolished by postsession intra-amygdala L-nafadotride. Responding to the US was largely unaffected by drug or rearing conditions. Hence, these data provide strong evidence for the specific involvement of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in the facilitation of associative learning by isolation rearing. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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