Biomedical subjects

T L Stefurak

Publications and source records attributed to T L Stefurak.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Tegmental pedunculopontine lesions in rats decrease saccharin's rewarding effects but not its memory-improving effect.

The tegmental pedunculopontine nucleus (TPP) of the brainstem has been identified as a critical substrate for both opiate and food reward in nondeprived rats. In this study of rats, TPP lesions blocked saccharin-conditioned place preferences, in both the presence and the absence of water deprivation. TPP lesions also attenuated the unconditioned intake of saccharin and water over several hours after recovery from food and water deprivation. TPP lesions did not block saccharin preferences over water in short-duration tests. The researchers propose that the absence of a lesion effect may reflect previously conditioned discriminations. TPP lesions had no effect on the ability of posttrial presentations of a 3.2% saccharin solution to improve lithium-chloride-conditioned taste aversions. TPP lesions dissociate 2 behavioral processes elicited by saccharin: One mediates unconditioned-reward-conditioned-reinforcing effects, and another mediates the memory-improving effect.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Saccharin's rewarding, conditioned reinforcing, and memory-improving properties: mediation by isomorphic or independent processes?

Unconditioned reward and conditioned reinforcing effects may reflect an isomorphic motivational process because increased conditioned reinforcing effects were seen with increased amounts of saccharin consumed in taste and place conditioning. Reinforcing effects in place conditioning leveled off as saccharin unconditioned consumption reached maximum amounts of approximately 140 mg/rat. Posttrial consumption, but not intraperitoneal injection, of saccharin significantly enhanced conditioned place and taste preferences as well as conditioned taste aversions. Saccharin's memory-improving effects in both aversive and appetitive conditioning suggest a process separate from the reward-reinforcement process. Independent of effects on blood glucose, the motivational property of saccharin's sweet taste undergoes differential central processing to mediate reward-reinforcement versus memory improvement processes.

Animals↗