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Moghaddam B. - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Local field potential and single unit activity in the rat medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    'Elsevier BV', 2010
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Jackson M., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Background: Impaired attention to behaviorally-relevant stimuli and impaired ability to use that information to plan behavior are hallmark impairments observed in individuals with schizophrenia. These cognitive impairments are associated with abnormal neural oscillations in the prefrontal cortex. Electrophysiology studies suggest that the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are both involved in attention and planning behavior. In this study, we sought to characterize local field potential oscillations and their relationship with neuronal firing in the rat ACC and mPFC during a sustained attention task. Methods: Rats were implanted with 8 wire electrode arrays in the ACC and mPFC. Single unit firing and local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from the same wires during performance of the 3-choice serial reaction time task. The 3-choice task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. LFPs were analyzed with a fast fourier transform and multi-taper analysis. A sliding window was used to observe changes in the power of frequencies, such as theta (3-8 Hz) and beta (12-30 Hz) during preparatory attention (before cue onset). Results: We have demonstrated that putative pyramidal neurons in the aCC and mPFC exhibit phasic excitatory and inhibitory responses prior to the attended cue. These responses are related to the level of preparatory (precue) attention and subsequent correct or incorrect choices, in that the magnitude of the single units' response to the cue was lower on incorrect trials and was not different than baseline on unattended trials. Preliminary analysis of LFP activity has indicated an increase in the power of theta and beta frequency range oscillations during preparatory attention (on correct trials). The analysis of single unit phase-locking to LFP theta and beta oscillations is ongoing. Discussion: Given that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit abnormal LFP oscillatory activity in the PFC, these studies provide important translational information about neuronal alterations associated with this disease. By studying attention-related neural activity at the level of both LFP and single units, we can assess the discrete and distributed networks that are implicated in normal cognitive functioning and in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

  • The effects of methylphenidate on single unit activity and local field potential oscillations in anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex during preparatory attention
    2009
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia are both associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunctions, such as alterations of neural activity and reduced dopaminergic transmission. Furthermore, low dose methylphenidate (Ritalin), which is commonly used to treat ADHD, may improve cognition by increasing dopamine neurotransmission in the PFC. We have recently demonstrated that putative pyramidal neurons in the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the medial PFC (mPFC) exhibit phasic excitatory and inhibitory responses prior to an attended cue in the 3-choice serial reaction time task (Totah et al. J Neurosci.20: 6418. 2009). These responses are related to the level of preparatory (precue) attention and subsequent correct or incorrect choices, in that the magnitude of the single units’ response to the cue was lower on incorrect trials and was not different than baseline on unattended trials. In order to assess the effects of methylphenidate on attention-related neural activity, we recorded both local field potential (LFP) and single unit firing patterns during the 3-choice serial reaction time task before and after acute treatment of methylphenidate or vehicle. The 3-choice task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. We recorded neural activity during 10 min of task performance, followed by i.p. administration of vehicle, 0.25 mg/kg methylphenidate, or 1.0 mg/kg methylphenidate, and then recorded another 30 min of neural activity during the task. We found that low dose (0.25 mg/kg) methylphenidate increased delta and theta oscillations in LFP during preparatory attention compared to vehicle. The analysis of changes in the number of responsive single units and attention-related neural activity is ongoing. Given that individuals with ADHD exhibit abnormal LFP oscillatory activity in the PFC that may be corrected by methylphenidate, these studies provide important translational information about neuronal alterations associated with ADHD. By studying changes in neural activity at a “multi-scale” level (both LFP and single units), we can assess the discrete and distributed networks that are implicated in the mechanism of action of methylphenidate

  • Neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2008
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention is a critical component of normal cognitive functioning that requires the prefrontal cortex. Lesion studies in rats suggest that the medial prefrontal (mPFC) and anterior cingulate (Cg) sub-regions are both involved in controlling attention. However, little is known about how cells in these regions encode different aspects of attentional processing. We have developed the 3-choice serial reaction time task (CSRT), which is an analog of the 5-CSRT task used to study visual attention in the rat. The task requires a rat to divide attention between 3 brief light stimuli (300 msec duration) presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. A correct response into a lit cue results in a reward delivery, while an incorrect response into an unlit cue or a missed response is punished with house-light extinguishment. We are utilizing extracellular recording arrays during behavior task performance to study the neuronal correlates of visual attention in the mPFC and Cg regions. Our results suggest that both regions have neural activity at both the single neuron and local field potential level, which correlates with attention. We are currently assessing the multi-scale "functional integrations" among discrete and distributed attention networks by 1) analyzing the correlations between single unit pairs and 2) the relationship between single unit firing and local field potential oscillatory phase

  • Sub-region specific neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2008
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Kim Y., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Converging evidence from lesion, imaging, and electrophysiology studies suggest that different prefrontal sub-regions play different roles in goal-directed behavior. We have recorded single units and local field potentials (LFP) in the rat prelimbic (PL) and anterior cingulate (CG) cortices during a sustained attention task. The 3-choice serial reaction time task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. In 12 rats, single unit phasic responses were analyzed for 4 peri-event time windows: cue onset and correct, incorrect, and premature nose poke responses. We found attention-related phasic responses (at least 3 consecutive 200 msec bins with z-score greater than 2.36) of single units during a 4 sec pre-cue window. On correct trials, 19/111 total units (17.1%) in CG and 9/155 total units (5.8%) in PL exhibited excitatory phasic responses. Inhibitory phasic responses were observed in 14/111 total units (12.6%) in CG and 11/155 total units (7.1%) in PL. On incorrect (poorly attended) trials, fewer units were responsive to the cue and the population response was lower in magnitude. On unattended trials when the rat did not orient to the cues, only 3/111 (2.7%) of CG units and 2/155 (1.3%) of PL units were responsive to the cue. In order to investigate the role of dopamine in modulating the representation of attention in the prefrontal cortex, we administered both vehicle and systemic 0.5 mg/kg methylphenidate 30 min prior to task recordings. We are currently analyzing these recordings to determine if methylphenidate affects the number of attention-related units and the magnitude of the population response. Our results suggest that the CG cortex may represent attention to a greater degree than the PL cortex

  • Neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2007
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention is a critical component of normal cognitive functioning that requires the prefrontal cortex. Lesion studies in rats suggest that the medial prefrontal (mPFC) and anterior cingulate (ACg) sub-regions are both involved in controlling attention. However, little is known about how cells in these regions encode different aspects of attentional processing. We have developed the 3-choice serial reaction time task (CSRT), which is an analog of the 5-CSRT task used to study visual attention in the rat. The task requires a rat to divide attention between 3 brief light stimuli (300 msec duration) presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. A correct response into a lit cue results in a reward delivery, while an incorrect response into an unlit cue or a missed response is punished with house-light extinguishment. We are studying the neuronal correlates of visual attention and response monitoring in the prelimbic region of the mPFC and the ACg. Single unit activity and local field potentials (LFP) are recorded during task performance and the neuronal correlates of relevant task events are compared between regions. We are also using distracting stimuli to increase attentional load and studying its effects on the neural correlates of attention using a within-session design. We predict that our analysis will reveal task relevant phasic responses that differ between the ACg and the prelimbic mPFC at the single-unit and population levels. These experiments will help further our understanding of the prefrontal cortical processes that regulate the allocation of attention during normal conditions and in face of increased cognitive demands

Totah N. - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Local field potential and single unit activity in the rat medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    'Elsevier BV', 2010
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Jackson M., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Background: Impaired attention to behaviorally-relevant stimuli and impaired ability to use that information to plan behavior are hallmark impairments observed in individuals with schizophrenia. These cognitive impairments are associated with abnormal neural oscillations in the prefrontal cortex. Electrophysiology studies suggest that the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are both involved in attention and planning behavior. In this study, we sought to characterize local field potential oscillations and their relationship with neuronal firing in the rat ACC and mPFC during a sustained attention task. Methods: Rats were implanted with 8 wire electrode arrays in the ACC and mPFC. Single unit firing and local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from the same wires during performance of the 3-choice serial reaction time task. The 3-choice task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. LFPs were analyzed with a fast fourier transform and multi-taper analysis. A sliding window was used to observe changes in the power of frequencies, such as theta (3-8 Hz) and beta (12-30 Hz) during preparatory attention (before cue onset). Results: We have demonstrated that putative pyramidal neurons in the aCC and mPFC exhibit phasic excitatory and inhibitory responses prior to the attended cue. These responses are related to the level of preparatory (precue) attention and subsequent correct or incorrect choices, in that the magnitude of the single units' response to the cue was lower on incorrect trials and was not different than baseline on unattended trials. Preliminary analysis of LFP activity has indicated an increase in the power of theta and beta frequency range oscillations during preparatory attention (on correct trials). The analysis of single unit phase-locking to LFP theta and beta oscillations is ongoing. Discussion: Given that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit abnormal LFP oscillatory activity in the PFC, these studies provide important translational information about neuronal alterations associated with this disease. By studying attention-related neural activity at the level of both LFP and single units, we can assess the discrete and distributed networks that are implicated in normal cognitive functioning and in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

  • The effects of methylphenidate on single unit activity and local field potential oscillations in anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex during preparatory attention
    2009
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia are both associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunctions, such as alterations of neural activity and reduced dopaminergic transmission. Furthermore, low dose methylphenidate (Ritalin), which is commonly used to treat ADHD, may improve cognition by increasing dopamine neurotransmission in the PFC. We have recently demonstrated that putative pyramidal neurons in the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the medial PFC (mPFC) exhibit phasic excitatory and inhibitory responses prior to an attended cue in the 3-choice serial reaction time task (Totah et al. J Neurosci.20: 6418. 2009). These responses are related to the level of preparatory (precue) attention and subsequent correct or incorrect choices, in that the magnitude of the single units’ response to the cue was lower on incorrect trials and was not different than baseline on unattended trials. In order to assess the effects of methylphenidate on attention-related neural activity, we recorded both local field potential (LFP) and single unit firing patterns during the 3-choice serial reaction time task before and after acute treatment of methylphenidate or vehicle. The 3-choice task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. We recorded neural activity during 10 min of task performance, followed by i.p. administration of vehicle, 0.25 mg/kg methylphenidate, or 1.0 mg/kg methylphenidate, and then recorded another 30 min of neural activity during the task. We found that low dose (0.25 mg/kg) methylphenidate increased delta and theta oscillations in LFP during preparatory attention compared to vehicle. The analysis of changes in the number of responsive single units and attention-related neural activity is ongoing. Given that individuals with ADHD exhibit abnormal LFP oscillatory activity in the PFC that may be corrected by methylphenidate, these studies provide important translational information about neuronal alterations associated with ADHD. By studying changes in neural activity at a “multi-scale” level (both LFP and single units), we can assess the discrete and distributed networks that are implicated in the mechanism of action of methylphenidate

  • Neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2008
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention is a critical component of normal cognitive functioning that requires the prefrontal cortex. Lesion studies in rats suggest that the medial prefrontal (mPFC) and anterior cingulate (Cg) sub-regions are both involved in controlling attention. However, little is known about how cells in these regions encode different aspects of attentional processing. We have developed the 3-choice serial reaction time task (CSRT), which is an analog of the 5-CSRT task used to study visual attention in the rat. The task requires a rat to divide attention between 3 brief light stimuli (300 msec duration) presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. A correct response into a lit cue results in a reward delivery, while an incorrect response into an unlit cue or a missed response is punished with house-light extinguishment. We are utilizing extracellular recording arrays during behavior task performance to study the neuronal correlates of visual attention in the mPFC and Cg regions. Our results suggest that both regions have neural activity at both the single neuron and local field potential level, which correlates with attention. We are currently assessing the multi-scale "functional integrations" among discrete and distributed attention networks by 1) analyzing the correlations between single unit pairs and 2) the relationship between single unit firing and local field potential oscillatory phase

  • Sub-region specific neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2008
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Kim Y., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Converging evidence from lesion, imaging, and electrophysiology studies suggest that different prefrontal sub-regions play different roles in goal-directed behavior. We have recorded single units and local field potentials (LFP) in the rat prelimbic (PL) and anterior cingulate (CG) cortices during a sustained attention task. The 3-choice serial reaction time task requires a rat to orient toward and divide attention between 3 brief (300 msec duration) light stimuli presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. In 12 rats, single unit phasic responses were analyzed for 4 peri-event time windows: cue onset and correct, incorrect, and premature nose poke responses. We found attention-related phasic responses (at least 3 consecutive 200 msec bins with z-score greater than 2.36) of single units during a 4 sec pre-cue window. On correct trials, 19/111 total units (17.1%) in CG and 9/155 total units (5.8%) in PL exhibited excitatory phasic responses. Inhibitory phasic responses were observed in 14/111 total units (12.6%) in CG and 11/155 total units (7.1%) in PL. On incorrect (poorly attended) trials, fewer units were responsive to the cue and the population response was lower in magnitude. On unattended trials when the rat did not orient to the cues, only 3/111 (2.7%) of CG units and 2/155 (1.3%) of PL units were responsive to the cue. In order to investigate the role of dopamine in modulating the representation of attention in the prefrontal cortex, we administered both vehicle and systemic 0.5 mg/kg methylphenidate 30 min prior to task recordings. We are currently analyzing these recordings to determine if methylphenidate affects the number of attention-related units and the magnitude of the population response. Our results suggest that the CG cortex may represent attention to a greater degree than the PL cortex

  • Neuronal activity in the rat prelimbic prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex during a sustained attention task
    2007
    Co-Authors: Totah N., Homayoun H., Moghaddam B.
    Abstract:

    Attention is a critical component of normal cognitive functioning that requires the prefrontal cortex. Lesion studies in rats suggest that the medial prefrontal (mPFC) and anterior cingulate (ACg) sub-regions are both involved in controlling attention. However, little is known about how cells in these regions encode different aspects of attentional processing. We have developed the 3-choice serial reaction time task (CSRT), which is an analog of the 5-CSRT task used to study visual attention in the rat. The task requires a rat to divide attention between 3 brief light stimuli (300 msec duration) presented in random order across nose poke holes in an Operant Conditioning Chamber. A correct response into a lit cue results in a reward delivery, while an incorrect response into an unlit cue or a missed response is punished with house-light extinguishment. We are studying the neuronal correlates of visual attention and response monitoring in the prelimbic region of the mPFC and the ACg. Single unit activity and local field potentials (LFP) are recorded during task performance and the neuronal correlates of relevant task events are compared between regions. We are also using distracting stimuli to increase attentional load and studying its effects on the neural correlates of attention using a within-session design. We predict that our analysis will reveal task relevant phasic responses that differ between the ACg and the prelimbic mPFC at the single-unit and population levels. These experiments will help further our understanding of the prefrontal cortical processes that regulate the allocation of attention during normal conditions and in face of increased cognitive demands

Jeffrey W. Grimm - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Extended exposure to environmental cues, but not to sucrose, reduces sucrose cue reactivity in rats
    Learning & behavior, 2015
    Co-Authors: John H. Harkness, Jason Wells, Sierra M. Webb, Jeffrey W. Grimm
    Abstract:

    In the present study, we examined the effects of extinction of sucrose-predictive contextual cues and/or sucrose satiation on the expression of sucrose cue reactivity in a rat model of relapse. Context extinction was imposed by housing rats in their home cage or in the Operant Conditioning Chamber for 17 h prior to testing. For sucrose satiation, rats were allowed unlimited access to water or sucrose for 17 h prior to testing. Cue reactivity was assessed after either one (Day 1) or 30 (Day 30) days of forced abstinence from sucrose self-administration. An abstinence-dependent increase in sucrose cue reactivity was observed in all conditions (“incubation of craving”). Context extinction dramatically reduced lever responding on both Day 1 and Day 30. Sucrose satiation had no significant effect on cue reactivity in any condition. These results demonstrate that the context in which self-administration occurs maintains a powerful influence over cue reactivity, even after extended forced abstinence. In contrast, the primary reinforcer has little control over cue reactivity. These findings highlight the important role of conditioned contextual cues in driving relapse behavior.

  • Abstinence-dependent transfer of lithium chloride-induced sucrose aversion to a sucrose-paired cue in rats
    Psychopharmacology, 2010
    Co-Authors: John H. Harkness, Sierra Webb, Jeffrey W. Grimm
    Abstract:

    Rationale Responding for a drug- or sucrose-paired cue increases over forced abstinence (incubation of craving). If the incentive value of a cue depends on the incentive value of the primary reward, devaluing the primary reward should reduce cue reactivity. Objectives We investigated whether conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to sucrose would transfer to a sucrose-paired cue after 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence and whether CTA after 1 day of forced abstinence would affect incubation of craving. Materials and methods Rats self-administered 10% sucrose paired with a tone + light cue for 10 days. After 1 (Exp.1) or 30 (Exp.2) days of forced abstinence, rats received two home-cage pairings of sucrose with either LiCl (65 mg/kg, IP) to produce CTA or saline as a control. Two days later, rats responded for the cue alone. The following day, sucrose consumption was assessed in the same Operant Conditioning Chamber. Exp.1 rats were tested again 1 month later to determine if CTA would affect incubation of craving. Results Exp.1: CTA after 1 day of forced abstinence did not attenuate cue reactivity when tested immediately after CTA, nor did the treatment affect incubation of craving or incubation of sucrose consumption. Exp.2: CTA after 1 month of forced abstinence resulted in a significant reduction in cue reactivity. Conclusion The incentive values of sucrose and the conditioned representation of sucrose increase over an extended period of forced abstinence. This incubation appears to facilitate the transfer of an aversion to the primary reward to the conditioned cue.

Dadasaheb M. Kokare - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • NPY mediates reward activity of morphine, via NPY Y1 receptors, in the nucleus accumbens shell.
    Behavioural brain research, 2013
    Co-Authors: Sagar J. Desai, Manoj A. Upadhya, Nishikant K. Subhedar, Dadasaheb M. Kokare
    Abstract:

    Abstract Although the interaction between endogenous neuropeptide Y (NPY) and opioidergic systems in processing of reward has been speculated, experimental evidence is lacking. We investigated the role of NPY, and its Y1 receptors, in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) in morphine induced reward and reinforcement behavior. Rats were implanted with cannulae targeted at AcbSh for drug administration, and with stimulating electrode in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). The rats were then conditioned in an Operant Conditioning Chamber for electrical self-stimulation of the MFB. Increased rate of lever pressings was evaluated against the frequency of the stimulating current. Increase in rate of lever presses was considered as a measure of reward and reinforcement. About 30–70% increase in self-stimulation was observed following bilateral intra-AcbSh treatment with morphine, NPY or [Leu 31 , Pro 34 ]-NPY (NPY Y1/Y5 receptors agonist), however, BIBP3226 (selective NPY Y1 receptors antagonist) produced opposite effect. The reward effect of morphine was significantly potentiated by NPY or [Leu 31 , Pro 34 ]-NPY, but antagonized by BIBP3226. NPY-immunoreactivity in the AcbSh, arcuate nucleus (ARC) and lateral part of bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTl) was significantly more in the Operant conditioned rats than in naive control. However, morphine administration to the conditioned rats resulted in significant decrease in the NPY-immunoreactivity in all these anatomical regions. Since the role of morphine in modulation of mesolimbic-dopaminergic pathway is well established, we suggest that NPY system in AcbSh, ARC and BNSTl, perhaps acting via Y1-receptor system, may be an important component of the mesolimbic-AcbSh reward circuitry triggered by endogenous opioids.

Kennon A Lattal - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Wit, Wisdom, and Principles of Psychology
    Revista Mexicana de Análisis de la Conducta, 2020
    Co-Authors: Kennon A Lattal
    Abstract:

    Among the lesser-known legacies of the introductory psychology course for which Keller and Schoenfeld (1950) was created is a famous cartoon. It depicts two rats in an Operant Conditioning Chamber standing near a response lever and a food receptacle. One says to the other, “Boy, do we have this guy conditioned. Every time I press the bar down he drops a pellet in.” This article reveals that the cartoon was created for the  Jester of Columbia,  the campus humor magazine, by two undergraduates who had taken the Keller and Schoenfeld introductory course. In so doing the students experienced the laboratory portion of the course, from which the cartoon derived. Like the cartoon, Keller and Schoenfeld’s textbook offered wisdom about the nature of beha- vior that has persisted because of its insightfulness and timelessness.

  • The Other Shoe: An Early Operant Conditioning Chamber for Pigeons
    The Behavior Analyst, 2016
    Co-Authors: Takayuki Sakagami, Kennon A Lattal
    Abstract:

    We describe an early Operant Conditioning Chamber fabricated by Harvard University instrument maker Ralph Gerbrands and shipped to Japan in 1952 in response to a request of Professor B. F. Skinner by Japanese psychologists. It is a rare example, perhaps the earliest still physically existing, of such a Chamber for use with pigeons. Although the overall structure and many of the components are similar to contemporary pigeon Chambers, several differences are noted and contrasted to evolutionary changes in this most important laboratory tool in the experimental analysis of behavior. The Chamber also is testimony to the early internationalization of behavior analysis.

  • Steps and pips in the history of the cumulative recorder.
    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 2004
    Co-Authors: Kennon A Lattal
    Abstract:

    From its inception in the 1930s until very recent times, the cumulative recorder was the most widely used measurement instrument in the experimental analysis of behavior. It was an essential instrument in the discovery and analysis of schedules of reinforcement, providing the first real-time analysis of Operant response rates and patterns. This review traces the evolution of the cumulative recorder from Skinner's early modified kymographs through various models developed by Skinner and his colleagues to its perfection in the 1950s, and then into the 1960s when it proliferated as different scientific instrument companies began marketing their own models of the cumulative recorder. With the rise of digital computers, the demise of the cumulative recorder as a scientific instrument was inevitable; however, the value of the cumulative record as a monitoring device to assess schedule control of behavior continues. The cumulative recorder remains, along with the Operant Conditioning Chamber, an icon of Skinner's approach to psychology.

  • ACQUISITION OF A SPATIALLY DEFINED Operant WITH DELAYED REINFORCEMENT
    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 1993
    Co-Authors: Thomas S. Critchfield, Kennon A Lattal
    Abstract:

    Two experiments investigated the role of an immediate, response-produced auditory stimulus during acquisition, via delayed reinforcement, of a response selected to control for possible unprogrammed, operandum-related sources of response feedback. Experimentally naive rats were exposed to a delayed-food reinforcement condition, specifically a tandem fixed-ratio 1 differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior 30-s schedule. The response was defined as breaking a photocell beam located near the ceiling at the rear of the Operant Conditioning Chamber. In Experiment 1, rates of photobeam breaking by each rat increased from near zero, regardless of the presence or absence of a tone that immediately followed the response initiating the delay interval. Though not essential, the tone facilitated response acquisition and resulted in more efficient response patterns at stability. Experiment 2 demonstrated that photobeam-breaking response rates under the delayed reinforcement contingency exceeded those in a preceding baseline condition in which no food was delivered. In addition, upon introduction of the delayed reinforcement procedure, correspondence between response patterns and the requirements of the reinforcement schedule increased over baseline levels in the absence of a food contingency. Together with a previous report of Lattal and Gleeson (1990), the present results suggest that response acquisition with delayed reinforcement is a robust phenomenon that may not depend on a mechanically defined response or an immediate external stimulus change to mediate the temporal gap between response and reinforcer.