Effects of blocking nitric oxide on learning in turtles (chrysemys picta). |
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Authors: | Yeh Chun-I; Powers Alice Schade |
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Abstract: | Turtles (Chrysemys picta) were given the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or its inactive isomer NW-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME) and were trained on a negative patterning task or a simple go/no-go discrimination task. L-NAME impaired the learning of negative patterning but did not affect retention of the task if it had already been learned. D-NAME had no effect. Go/no-go discrimination learning was not affected by L-NAME. These findings support the notion that nitric oxide plays a role in complex configural learning in a reptile closely related to the ancestors of mammals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
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Keywords: | nitric oxide configural learning turtles negative patterning basal forebrain autoshaping L-NAME |
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