Stimulus Context and Reward Contingency Induce Behavioral Adaptation in a Rodent Tactile Detection Task

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2032-18.2018
• Publication Date: 2018-12-10T23:04:18Z
• Authors: Christian Waiblinger; Caroline M. Wu; Michael F. Bolus; Peter Y. Borden; Garrett B. Stanley
• Keywords: Stimulus (psychology); Sensory Adaptation

Behavioral adaptation is a prerequisite for survival in constantly changing sensory environment, but the underlying strategies and relevant variables driving adaptive behavior are not well understood. Many learning models neural theories consider probabilistic computations as an efficient way to solve variety of tasks, especially if uncertainty involved. Although this suggests possible role inference expectation behaviors, there little any evidence relationship experimentally. Here, we investigated rat model by using controlled behavioral paradigm within psychophysical framework predict quantify changes performance animals trained on simple whisker-based detection task. The environment task was changed transforming distribution whisker deflection amplitudes systematically while measuring animal's corresponding rate accumulated reward. We show that psychometric function deviates significantly reversibly depending stimuli. This change relates accumulating constant reward count across trials, yet it exempt from volume. Our accumulation captures observed sensitivity predicts strategy seeking maintain trials face stimulus distribution. conclude rats able payoff under conditions flexibly adjusting their strategy. findings suggest existence internal facilitates when demands change. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT use deal with complex ever-changing world key understanding natural behavior. study provides rodent highly flexible distribution, consistent desired