The role of the agranular insular cortex in anticipation of reward contrast.

Full Abstract

Sixteen male Long-Evans rats were tested on a modified version of Flaherty et al.'s [Flaherty, C. F., Turovsky, J., & Krauss, K. L. (1994). Relative hedonic value modulates anticipatory contrast. Physiology and Behavior, 55, 1047-1054.] anticipatory contrast paradigm to assess memory for the anticipation of reward. Prior to testing each rat received either a control or quinolinic acid induced lesion of the agranular insular cortex. In the home cage, each rat was allowed to drink a water solution containing 2% sucrose for 3 min followed by a water solution containing 32% sucrose for 3 min. Across 10 days of testing, the control rats showed significantly increased anticipatory discriminability as a function of days. In contrast, rats with agranular insular cortex lesions failed to show anticipatory discriminability. The results of a preference task revealed that both groups could perceptually discriminate between a 2% and a 32% sucrose solution. The data suggest that the agranular insular cortex may be involved in the anticipation of reward.

Author information

Author/s: Kesner, Raymond P (RP); Gilbert, Paul E (PE);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. rpkesner(-atsign-)behsci.utah.edu <rpkesner(-atsign-)behsci.utah.edu>

Grants: R01 MH065314-04 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Neurobiology of learning and memory (Neurobiol Learn Mem), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jul; vol 88 (issue 1) : pp 82-6

Dates: Created 2007/05/30; Completed 2007/08/31; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17400484, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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