Operant discrimination learning with gripping behavior in restrained American lobster
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1
Hokkaido University, Graduate school of life science, Biosystems science course, Japan
Operant discrimination learning has been a powerful tool for studying not only the sensory or perceptual ability of animals but also their ability of complex motor control or higher order learning. Recent studies utilizing the operant discrimination learning have shown that some invertebrates possess the ability of complex forms of learning known as non-elemental leaning [1, 2]. Intensive behavioral, molecular biological and neurophysiological investigations have been done on the learning ability in various invertebrates [1-3]. However, neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for their brain functions remain to be clarified at the level of identifiable neurons and their networks mainly because of experimental difficulties in physiological recording from freely behaving animals. The American lobster Homarus americanus has a nervous system that is relatively accessible with a variety of neurophysiological techniques and yet can perform precise limb movements that are utilized as operant behavior in many learning experiments. We previously demonstrated that the animal possesses ability of operant reward learning with claw gripping [4]. We tested in this study whether American lobster could be trained to discriminate light stimuli of different intensities. For the purpose, we newly developed a PC-controlled operant chamber that allowed the animal under a restrained condition to perform the operant learning. Lobsters were first reinforced when they gripped the load-sensor bar upon presentation of a light cue. Then they were trained to grip the bar only when the light stimulus of a specific intensity (dim or bright) was presented to obtain food reward while the stimuli of three different intensities (dim, middle and bright) including the reinforced one were presented in a random order. Finally, they were re-trained to grip the bar only when the light stimulus of another intensity that was not rewarded in the preceding training to obtain food while other intensities including the one that was rewarded previously were not rewarded any more. In these training procedures, bar-gripping behavior occurred more frequently in response to the rewarded cue than to the non-rewarded one. Furthermore, the action latency for the reinforced stimuli significantly decreased in the course of training. These data demonstrate that lobsters can be trained with the light cues of different intensity as discriminative stimuli under a restrained condition that allows application of electrophysiological techniques to the behaving subjects [5]. We will also report the results of electrophysiological analyses that are in progress using electromyographic and extracellular recording techniques.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (23370031). Y. Tomina was supported by a JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (23000523001).
References
[1]Giurfa, M. (2007). "Invertebrate cognition: Nonelemental learning beyond simple conditioning",
in Invertebrate neurobiology, eds. North, G., Greenspan, R. J. (New York: Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory Press), 281-308.
[2] Menzel, R., Brembs, B., and Giurfa, M. (2006). "Cognition in invertebrates", in The Evolution of Nervous systems. Vol II: Evolution of nervous systems in invertebrates, eds. Strausfeld, N. J., and Bullock, T. H. (Amsterdam: Elsevier Life Sciences), 403-422.
[3] Menzel, R. (2007). "Electrophysiology and optophysiology of complex brain functions in
insects" in in Invertebrate neurobiology, eds. North, G., Greenspan, R. J. (New York: Cold Spring
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[4] Tomina, Y., and Takahata M. (2010). A behavioral analysis of force-controlled operant tasks in
American lobster. Physiol. Behav. 101(1), 108-116.
[5] Tomina, Y., and Takahata M. (2012). Discrimination learning with light stimuli in restrained American lobster. Behav. Brain Res. 229, 91-105.
Keywords:
American lobster,
crustacean,
Discrimination Learning,
invertebrate,
Light cue,
Neurophysiology,
operant conditioning
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster (but consider for student poster award)
Topic:
Learning, Memory and Behavioral Plasticity
Citation:
Tomina
Y and
Takahata
M
(2012). Operant discrimination learning with gripping behavior in restrained American lobster.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00137
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Received:
27 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Mr. Yusuke Tomina, Hokkaido University, Graduate school of life science, Biosystems science course, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan, tomina@mail.sci.hokudai.ac.jp