The role of performance factors in the active avoidance-conditioning deficit in autoimmune mice

• Published in: Behavioral neuroscience Vol. 110; no. 3; p. 486
• Main Authors: Schrott, L M, Crnic, L S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.1996
• Subjects: Animals; Autoimmunity - physiology; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Conditioning (Psychology) - physiology; Discrimination Learning - physiology; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred NZB
• ISSN: 0735-7044
• DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.110.3.486

Prior studies with autoimmune mice demonstrated deficits in 2-way active avoidance conditioning that correlated with the degree of autoimmunity. In this study, autoimmune female NZB x NZW F1 hybrid (B/W) mice were tested in shock-motivated discrimination learning, 1-way avoidance conditioning, and a modified 2-way avoidance task and compared to nonautoimmune female NZW mice. The discrimination and 1-way conditioning results indicated that B/W mice can learn shock-motivated tasks that involve minimal fatigue and no conflict. B/W mice were also able to learn the 2-way avoidance task when it was made easier by increasing conditioned-stimulus cue salience, clarifying contingencies, and increasing trial spacing to decrease possible cognitive, emotional, and physical fatigue. Thus, poor performance in 2-way avoidance appears to be a consequence of altered attention, motivation, or emotionality and can be overcome by altering task parameters.