A MANIPULANDUM FOR USE WITH RATS RESPONDING TO AUDITORY STIMULI

Abstract

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(3) of Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (see record [rid]2013-19502-003[/rid]). The labeling for Fig. 1, left side, page 413 should read: Rx = Rat Resistance KI = Sigma 4FI00OS-SIL R1 = 39K TI = 2N169A R2=8.2K T2=2N192 Rs= 10K. A correct printed version of the circuit is available upon request from George Gourevitch, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York 16, N.Y.] This article discusses the use of a manipulandum with rats responding to auditory stimuli. One of the problems in measuring auditory thresholds in rats is the non-uniformity of the sound field in which the rat is tested. The nose target manipulandum requires only a light touch of the rat's nose to actuate a relay. When the rat touches the target in the funnel his ears are in a plane which is at a fixed distance from the target. Although the rat can rotate his head from response to response little variability has been observed in the approach to the target by rats trained by the authors. The target is a circular piece of brass soldered to a bolt which is placed through the stem of a glass funnel and attached at both ends with nuts. By adjusting these nuts the target can be moved forward or back. A glass funnel is adequate when the sound stimuli are of low frequency. When high frequency tones are used a funnel of wire mesh would be more transparent to these tones and probably preferable. Rats have been trained on a variable reinforcement (9) schedule rate and rates have been obtained as high as 60 responses per minute for intervals of 10 minutes without any ill effects being observed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)