The 5-HT 1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT reduces rats' accuracy of attentional performance and enhances impulsive responding in a five-choice serial reaction time task: role of presynaptic 5-HT 1A receptors

2000 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjana Carli ◽  
R. Samanin
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Receptor Agonist ◽  
Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time ◽  
Time Task ◽  
Attentional Performance ◽  
Serial Reaction ◽  
Impulsive Responding

scholarly journals Frontal-Sensory Cortical Projections Become Dispensable for Attentional Performance Upon a Reduction of Task Demand in Mice

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Norman ◽  
Julia Bateh ◽  
Priscilla Maccario ◽  
Christina Cho ◽  
Keaven Caro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time Task ◽  
Task Demand ◽  
Serial Reaction Time ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Time Task ◽  
Attentional Performance ◽  
Serial Reaction ◽  
Attentional Behavior

Top-down attention is a dynamic cognitive process that facilitates the detection of the task-relevant stimuli from our complex sensory environment. A neural mechanism capable of deployment under specific task-demand conditions would be crucial to efficiently control attentional processes and improve promote goal-directed attention performance during fluctuating attentional demand. Previous studies have shown that frontal top-down neurons projecting from the anterior cingulate area (ACA) to the visual cortex (VIS; ACAVIS) are required for visual attentional behavior during the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) in mice. However, it is unknown whether the contribution of these projecting neurons is dependent on the extent of task demand. Here, we first examined how behavior outcomes depend on the number of locations for mice to pay attention and touch for successful performance, and found that the 2-choice serial reaction time task (2CSRTT) is less task demanding than the 5CSRTT. We then employed optogenetics to demonstrate that suppression ACAVIS projections immediately before stimulus presentation has no effect during the 2CSRTT in contrast to the impaired performance during the 5CSRTT. These results suggest that ACAVIS projections are necessary when task demand is high, but once a task demand is lowered, ACAVIS neuron activity becomes dispensable to adjust attentional performance. These findings support a model that the frontal-sensory ACAVIS projection regulates visual attention behavior during specific high task demand conditions, pointing to a flexible circuit-based mechanism for promoting attentional behavior.

scholarly journals Dissociable contributions of mediodorsal and anterior thalamic nuclei in visual attentional performance: A comparison using nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonists

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 1371-1381
Author(s):  
Craig P Mantanona ◽  
Tadej Božič ◽  
Yogita Chudasama ◽  
Trevor W Robbins ◽  
Jeffrey W Dalley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time ◽  
Reversible Inactivation ◽  
Mediodorsal Thalamus ◽  
Time Task ◽  
Anterior Thalamus ◽  
Attentional Performance ◽  
Serial Reaction

Background: Thalamic subregions mediate various cognitive functions, including attention, inhibitory response control and decision making. Such neuronal activity is modulated by cholinergic thalamic afferents and deterioration of such modulatory signaling has been theorised to contribute to cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the thalamic subnuclei and cholinergic receptors involved in cognitive functioning remain largely unknown. Aims: We investigated whether muscarinic or nicotinic receptors in the mediodorsal thalamus and anterior thalamus contribute to rats’ performance in the five-choice serial reaction time task, which measures sustained visual attention and impulsive action. Methods: Male Long-Evans rats were trained in the five-choice serial reaction time task then surgically implanted with guide cannulae targeting either the mediodorsal thalamus or anterior thalamus. Reversible inactivation of either the mediodorsal thalamus or anterior thalamus were achieved with infusions of the γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic agonists muscimol and baclofen prior to behavioural assessment. To investigate cholinergic mechanisms, we also assessed the behavioural effects of locally administered nicotinic (mecamylamine) and muscarinic (scopolamine) receptor antagonists. Results: Reversible inactivation of the mediodorsal thalamus severely impaired discriminative accuracy and response speed and increased omissions. Inactivation of the anterior thalamus produced less profound effects, with impaired accuracy at the highest dose. In contrast, blocking cholinergic transmission in these regions did not significantly affect five-choice serial reaction time task performance. Conclusions/interpretations: These findings show the mediodorsal thalamus plays a key role in visuospatial attentional performance that is independent of local cholinergic neurotransmission.

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