TY - JOUR
T1 - Discrimination training affects stimulus generalization in mice during Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning
AU - Fiocchi, Francesca Romana
AU - van Dorp, Nikki E S
AU - Dijkhuizen, Stephanie
AU - van den Berg, Maurits
AU - Wong, Aaron
AU - De Zeeuw, Chris I
AU - Boele, Henk-Jan
N1 - Copyright © 2024 Fiocchi, van Dorp, Dijkhuizen, van den Berg, Wong, De Zeeuw and Boele.
PY - 2024/9/8
Y1 - 2024/9/8
N2 - The delicate balance between discrimination and generalization of responses is crucial for survival in our ever-changing environment. In particular, it is important to understand how stimulus discrimination affects the level of stimulus generalization. For example, when we use non-differential training for Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning to investigate generalization of cerebellar-related eyelid motor responses, we find generalization effects on amount, amplitude and timing of the conditioned responses. However, it is unknown what the generalization effects are following differential training. We trained mice to close their eyelids to a 10 kHz tone with an air-puff as the reinforcing stimulus (CS+), while alternatingly exposing them to a tone frequency of either 4 kHz, 9 kHz or 9.5 kHz without the air-puff (CS-) during the training blocks. We tested the generalization effects during the expression of the responses after the training period with tones ranging from 2 kHz to 20 kHz. Our results show that the level of generalization tended to positively correlate with the difference between the CS+ and the CS- training stimuli. These effects of generalization were found for the probability, amplitude but not for the timing of the conditioned eyelid responses. These data indicate the specificity of the generalization effects following differential versus non-differential training, highlighting the relevance of discrimination learning for stimulus generalization.
AB - The delicate balance between discrimination and generalization of responses is crucial for survival in our ever-changing environment. In particular, it is important to understand how stimulus discrimination affects the level of stimulus generalization. For example, when we use non-differential training for Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning to investigate generalization of cerebellar-related eyelid motor responses, we find generalization effects on amount, amplitude and timing of the conditioned responses. However, it is unknown what the generalization effects are following differential training. We trained mice to close their eyelids to a 10 kHz tone with an air-puff as the reinforcing stimulus (CS+), while alternatingly exposing them to a tone frequency of either 4 kHz, 9 kHz or 9.5 kHz without the air-puff (CS-) during the training blocks. We tested the generalization effects during the expression of the responses after the training period with tones ranging from 2 kHz to 20 kHz. Our results show that the level of generalization tended to positively correlate with the difference between the CS+ and the CS- training stimuli. These effects of generalization were found for the probability, amplitude but not for the timing of the conditioned eyelid responses. These data indicate the specificity of the generalization effects following differential versus non-differential training, highlighting the relevance of discrimination learning for stimulus generalization.
U2 - 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1446991
DO - 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1446991
M3 - Article
C2 - 39247713
SN - 1662-5153
VL - 18
SP - 1446991
JO - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
ER -