Learning of physiological responses: II. Classical conditioning of the baroreflex

Behav Neurosci. 1995 Dec;109(6):1119-36. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.109.6.1119.

Abstract

The baroreflex can be classically conditioned. In neuromuscular blocked (NMB) rats, electrical stimulation of the aortic depressor nerve (ADN) and dopamine-produced blood pressure rise were effective unconditioned stimuli (UCS) for auditory discriminative classical conditioning. The conditioned response (CR) pattern (bradycardia, vasodilatation, and hypotension > 10 torr) closely resembled that of the unconditioned baroreflex. Conditioned stimulus (CS) specificity was demonstrated by discrimination of baroreflex-associated and nonassociated auditory stimuli, and also by elaborating depressor and pressor CRs to auditory CSs, which respectively had been associated with either baro-afferent (depressor) or tail-shock (pressor) UCSs. The conditioned-baroreflex-magnitude increased with trials. These findings support quantitative models in which CRs interact with and calibrate the gain and dynamic properties of natural reflexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Afferent Pathways / physiology
  • Animals
  • Aorta, Thoracic / innervation
  • Arousal / physiology
  • Association Learning / physiology
  • Blood Pressure / physiology*
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology*
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology
  • Dopamine / physiology
  • Female
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Pressoreceptors / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Reflex / physiology*
  • Vascular Resistance / physiology

Substances

  • Dopamine