An inexpensive and automated method for presenting olfactory or tactile stimuli to rats in a two-choice discrimination task.

ABSTRACT: An inexpensive and automated method for presentation of olfactory or tactile stimuli in a two-choice task for rats was implemented with the use of a computer-controlled bidirectional motor. The motor rotated a disk that presented two stimuli of different texture for tactile discrimination, or different odor for olfactory discrimination. Because the solid olfactory stimuli were placed outside the chamber in metal pods with a mesh at front for odor sampling, "washout" of odors between trials was not necessary. To avoid differential auditory cues from motor rotation, the stimuli were arranged such that on each trial the motor always rotated exactly one quarter revolution (in 1 s), left or right, to present the next stimulus at trial start. To illustrate the use of the equipment, 2 rats were t

SUBMITTER: Iversen IH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2442869 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature