An attempt to use central dopaminergic stimulation as a reinforcement for T-maze learning in rats

Abstract

Two groups of 8 rats with unilateral cannulas aimed at the lateral hypothalamus (LH) or nucleus accumbens (nAcc) were trained in a T-maze to receive intracerebral injections of dopamine as a reinforcement for choosing the proper arm of the maze. Neither in the LH nor in the nAcc groups did dopamine show evident reinforcing properties comparable to those found earlier for noradrenaline.