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Detecting drug effects on short-term memory function using a combined delayed matching and non-matching to position task

Pache, D. M., Sewell, Robert David Edmund and Spencer, P. S. J. 1999. Detecting drug effects on short-term memory function using a combined delayed matching and non-matching to position task. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 41 (4) , pp. 135-141. 10.1016/S1056-8719(99)00032-5

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Abstract

Operant delayed non-matching-to-position (DNMTP) and delayed matching-to-position (DMTP) have become standard techniques to investigate drug effects on short-term memory function in rats. However, these two tasks are normally conducted in isolation. Using two standard drugs, the 5HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), and the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine, this study looked at a two-choice operant task that essentially involved a mixed DNMTP/DMTP paradigm. Thus, DNMTP trials were interspersed with DMTP trials in a random sequence for the duration of a session. 8-OH-DPAT (0.03 mg/kg) slightly but significantly improved response accuracy in a delay-dependent fashion during DMTP but not DNMTP trials. The highest dose of 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg) impaired accuracy during DNMTP trials independent of delay and had no significant effect during DMTP trials. Scopolamine (0.1 mg/kg) produced delay-dependent deficits in accuracy during DMTP trials but delay-independent impairments during DNMTP trials. Because both 8-OH-DPAT and scopolamine produced delay-dependent effects with DMTP trials types and either had no effect (8-OH-DPAT) or produced delay-independent impairments (scopolamine) during DNMTP trials types, it is suggested that DMTP trials had a greater dependence on short-term working memory function than DNMTP trials that probably relied more on positional (mediating) strategies for solving the task. Therefore, we believe that this mixed DNMTP/DMTP task offers greater potential for more reliable and discerning interpretation of data regarding short-term memory function in rodents than either of the paradigms performed in isolation.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Pharmacy
Subjects: R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 1056-8719
Last Modified: 04 Jun 2017 07:57
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/70484

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