Effects of drugs that potentiate GABA on extinction of positively-reinforced operant behaviour

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
Julian C LeslieGerard R Dawson

Abstract

Extinction following positively reinforced operant conditioning reduces response frequency, at least in part through the aversive or frustrative effects of non-reinforcement. According to J.A. Gray's theory, non-reinforcement activates the behavioural inhibition system which in turn causes anxiety. As predicted, anxiolytic drugs including benzodiazepines affect the operant extinction process. Recent studies have shown that reducing GABA-mediated neurotransmission retards extinction of aversive conditioning. We have shown in a series of studies that anxiolytic compounds that potentiate GABA facilitate extinction of positively reinforced fixed-ratio operant behaviour in C57B1/6 male mice. This effect does not occur in the early stages of extinction, nor is it dependent on cumulative effects of the compound administered. Potentiation of GABA at later stages has the effect of increasing sensitivity to the extinction contingency and facilitates the inhibition of the behaviour that is no longer required. The GABAergic hypnotic, zolpidem, has the same selective effects on operant extinction in this procedure. The effects of zolpidem are not due to sedative action. There is evidence across our series of experiments that different GABA-...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 11, 2008·Psychopharmacology·David ShawJulian C Leslie
Jun 26, 2012·Psychopharmacology·Karina A ZaninRoberto Frussa-Filho
Sep 11, 2009·Genes, Brain, and Behavior·M FendtC Hölscher
Mar 17, 2007·The International Journal of Neuroscience·Rodrigo PascualAntoni Valero-Cabré
Mar 20, 2012·Behavioural Processes·Timothy H C CheungFederico Sanabria
Mar 20, 2009·Physiology & Behavior·Ma José GómezCarmen Torres
Feb 28, 2007·Physiology & Behavior·A MaldonadoA Fernández-Teruel
May 2, 2015·Behavioural Brain Research·Yuya Sakimoto, Shogo Sakata
Feb 19, 2013·Neurobiology of Learning and Memory·Julian C Leslie, Kelly Norwood
Aug 30, 2005·Issues in Mental Health Nursing·Catherine S Cole, Kathy C Richards
Oct 19, 2019·Behavioural Pharmacology·David ShawJulian C Leslie
Apr 7, 2006·Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior·Julian C LeslieGerard R Dawson

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