Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 8, 2907-2912, Copyright © 1988 by Society for Neuroscience
Classical conditioning of the eye withdrawal reflex in the green crab
CI Abramson and RD Feinman
Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
Eye withdrawal in the green crab, Carcinus maenas was conditioned by
pairing a mild vibration to the carapace as a conditioned stimulus (CS)
with a puff of air to one of the eyes as an unconditioned stimulus (US).
Animals subjected to repeated pairings showed an increased probability of
eye retraction during CS presentation. Significantly less responding was
found in several control groups subjected to backward conditioning,
unpaired stimuli, stimuli alone, or simply time in the apparatus. Although
conditioned animals showed few responses to CS alone after 24 hr, retention
could be demonstrated by acquisition that was much more rapid on day 2 than
on day 1. Conditioning could also be effected in the eye when it was
restrained, a result consistent with reports in the literature that this
reflex does not require proprioceptive feedback. Because the neuromuscular
circuitry of eye withdrawal is already well defined in Carcinus, this is a
promising candidate for studying the neuronal basis of classical
conditioning.
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