A New Rat Model of the Human Serial Reaction Time Task: Contrasting Effects of Caudate and Hippocampal Lesions

Christie, Michael A.; Dalrymple‐Alford, John C.

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3340-03.2004

Cited by 38 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Graybiel (1998) proposed that the basal ganglia contribute to S-R learning by chunking representations of action sequences. Consistent with this, Christie and Dalrymple-Alford (2004) report that dorsal striatal lesions spare serial reaction time learning for sequences of four nose pokes but not for longer sequences of 8 or 12 nose pokes. The ability to learn the shorter sequence is in agreement with evidence in the present study that CPu and mCPu lesions spare basic aspects of habit learning.…”

Section: Effects Of Striatal Lesions On Serial Reaction Time Learningsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…Recording studies in nonhuman primates have shown changes in neural activity in striatum that correspond to visuomotor sequence learning, an involvement confirmed by behavioral impairments observed when striatum is reversibly inactivated (Miyachi et al, 1997(Miyachi et al, , 2002. Caudate-putamen lesions in rats have been found to disrupt serial reaction time learning measured by interference effects, increases in RT observed when subjects trained with a repeating sequence are switched to random sequences (Christie and Dalrymple-Alford, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Interference effects are observed when a subject trained to respond to a constant repeating sequence is shifted abruptly to training with sequences that change randomly on every trial (Nissen and Bullemer, 1987;Nissen et al, 1989;Christie and Dalrymple-Alford, 2004). When RT decreases with sequence learning, it should increase when training is switched from repeated to random sequences (positive interference effect).…”

Section: Interference Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, learning to perform a series of independent actions as a coherent sequence (or chunk) requires higher-order organizational processes to program the response before its execution and thus should increase RT for the first elements of a practiced sequence (or chunk of a longer sequence) (Sternberg et al, 1978;Inhoff et al, 1989;Kennerley et al, 2004). Second, habit learning should gradually benefit the execution of repeated actions, reducing overall RT as sequences are practiced (Nissen and Bullemer, 1987;Nissen et al, 1989;Christie and Dalrymple-Alford, 2004). We hypothesize that motor sequences create cascades of stimulus-response (S-R) links, with each action influencing all subsequent responses and thus augmenting the effects of S-R habit learning for later elements in a well practiced sequence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Striatum in Initiation and Execution of Learned Action Sequences in Rats

Bailey

Mair²

2006

J. Neurosci.

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To understand the role of striatum in motor sequence learning, we trained rats to perform a series of tasks measuring speed and accuracy of responding to luminance cues presented as discriminative stimuli for single nose pokes or for sequences of nose pokes in a serial reaction time task. Habit (stimulus-response) learning was measured by comparing performances when stimuli were repeated (predictable) with when they were selected randomly (unpredictable). Sequences had defined start and end points and were limited to five nose pokes to minimize chunking. When sequences were repeated, response time (RT) increased for nose pokes initiating the sequence and decreased for nose pokes completing it. These effects developed incrementally across sessions, consistent with the time course of habit learning. Medial (mCPu), lateral, and complete (CPu) caudate-putamen lesions affected speed and accuracy of single nose poke responses, confirming the role of these areas in guiding responses with external sensory stimuli. None of these lesions affected the short-term increase in accuracy observed when single nose poke responses were repeated. Both mCPu and CPu lesions increased RTs for initiating sequential responses, effects that were exacerbated across sessions in which specific sequences were repeated. None of the lesions affected the gradual decrease in RT for nose pokes completing repeated sequences. Correlational analyses confirmed the relationship between the extent of dorsal striatal damage and the ability to respond to brief luminance cues and to initiate learned sequences. These results provide evidence implicating dorsal striatum in higher-level organizational aspects of learning reflected in planning that precedes the execution of learned action sequences.

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Section: Effects Of Striatal Lesions On Serial Reaction Time Learningsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Interference Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Striatum in Initiation and Execution of Learned Action Sequences in Rats

Bailey

Mair²

2006

J. Neurosci.

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“…Despite the enormous amount of work that has been devoted to characterizing the neurophysiological and motor phenotypes of these mice, there is limited information about their cognitive phenotypes, and no procedures have been developed to help determine how nondeclarative learning might be compromised by any developing neurodegenerative phenotype. A rodent analog of the SRT was recently developed in rats (Christie and Dalrymple-Alford 2004). Neurologically intact rats demonstrated an ability to learn short (4-trial), medium (8-trial) length sequences, and long (12-trial) sequences.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonstration of nondeclarative sequence learning in mice: Development of an animal analog of the human serial reaction time task: Figure 1.

Christie¹,

Hersch²

2004

Learn. Mem.

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In this paper, we demonstrate nondeclarative sequence learning in mice using an animal analog of the human serial reaction time task (SRT) that uses a within-group comparison of behavior in response to a repeating sequence versus a random sequence. Ten female B6CBA mice performed eleven 96-trial sessions containing 24 repetitions of a 4-trial sequence. During the 12th session, the repeating sequence was replaced with the random sequence halfway through the session. Reaction time (RT) to respond to an illuminated nose-poke was recorded, and performance was compared at the halfway point in each session to test for any change in behavior. For learning effect, RTs decreased over the no-switch repeating-sequence sessions. For interference effect, behavior did not change appreciably at the halfway point during the last repeating-sequence session. However, RTs deteriorated significantly after the switch from repeating to random sequences halfway through session 12. The mice demonstrated a robust interference effect when switched from repeating to random sequences. This pattern of behavior in humans performing the SRT is interpreted as evidence of nondeclarative sequence learning. The similarity between the human and mouse SRTs will enable more direct comparisons of mouse-human nondeclarative memory behavior and will provide a useful behavioral end-point in mouse-models of basal ganglia dysfunction.In humans, the serial reaction time task (SRT) is a nondeclarative/ implicit memory task that produces sequence learning through repetition of uncued and unannounced serially ordered stimuli. Learning is assessed by observing a deterioration in task performance when a random sequence replaces a regularly repeating sequence (the "interference effect"). Subjects with basal ganglia disorders such as Huntington's disease (Knopman and Nissen 1991; Willingham and Koroshetz 1993), Parkinson's disease (Ferraro et al. 1993;Pascual-Leone et al. 1993;Jackson et al. 1995;Westwater et al. 1998;Sommer et al. 1999;Stefanova et al. 2000) or pharmacologic treatments that affect the basal ganglia (Knopman 1991) demonstrate greatly reduced, or entirely absent, interference effects, indicating compromised implicit learning. These SRT deficits in subjects with basal ganglia dysfunction are not simply due to motor performance dysfunction (Harrington et al. 1990), as subjects with damage restricted to the basal ganglia as a consequence of infarct or hemorrhage are significantly impaired in both a motor and nonmotor version of the SRT (Vakil et al. 2000). Furthermore, Vakil et al. (2000) found that while the basal-ganglia infarct subjects were significantly impaired in the SRT in comparison with intact-control subjects, the two groups did not differ on several tests of declarative (explicit) memory function.In recent years, there has been an ever growing list of genetic mouse models of basal ganglia function and disorders. These include many knockout mice probing receptor and transporter function (Centonze et al. 2003;Metzger et al. 2002;Viggiano e...

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Dorsal hippocampal lesions boost performance in the rat sequential reaction time task

2011

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It is commonly accepted that the hippocampus plays a major role in declarative memory across species and that it is of particular relevance for spatial memory in rodents. However, the interplay between hippocampal function and nondeclarative memory systems, such as procedural stimulus-response (S-R) or sequential learning, is less clear: depending on task requirements, an interaction, dissociation or interference between hippocampal function and other memory systems may occur. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of dorsal ibotenic hippocampal lesions on learning and performance of sequential behavior in a rat version of the serial reaction time task (SRTT). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses of the lesions revealed a bilateral volume reduction of ≈ 46% (histological analyses: ≈ 59%) of the total hippocampus. They were largely confined to its dorsal part and led to an expected spatial memory deficits in an object place recognition test as compared to healthy controls, even though sham lesions had the same effect. Our earlier studies on sequential learning had revealed substantial impairments in case of dorsal striatal dopaminergic lesions. In the present study, however, hippocampal lesioned animals unexpectedly showed superior performance throughout SRTT testing and training as compared to controls, which resulted in a higher degree of subsequent automated sequential behavior. Thus, our data reveal the infrequent case where hippocampal lesions lead to long-term improvements in test performance of a type of rather complex procedural behavior. One possible explanation for this effect is that hippocampal activity in rodents can interfere with other memory systems during the acquisition of procedural tasks with very low spatial requirements, as used here. Alternative explanations for the observed superior SRTT performance in lesioned animals, such as hyperactivity or increased exploratory drive are also topic of the discussion.

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A New Rat Model of the Human Serial Reaction Time Task: Contrasting Effects of Caudate and Hippocampal Lesions

Cited by 38 publications

References 37 publications

The Role of Striatum in Initiation and Execution of Learned Action Sequences in Rats

The Role of Striatum in Initiation and Execution of Learned Action Sequences in Rats

Demonstration of nondeclarative sequence learning in mice: Development of an animal analog of the human serial reaction time task: Figure 1.

Dorsal hippocampal lesions boost performance in the rat sequential reaction time task

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