Light stimulus change evokes an activity response in the rat |
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| Authors: | Bill?P?Godsil Email author" target="_blank">Michael?S?FanselowEmail author |
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| Institution: | University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. |
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| Abstract: | Bright light may be a danger signal for rats because they are more vulnerable to predators in bright environments. We examined
the fear-evoking properties of bright light with a novel open-field procedure that confronts a rat with the sudden onset or
termination of a bright light gradient. The rats did not freeze but exhibited a transient increase in locomotion to light
onset and termination, which we call theactivity response (AR). This finding suggests that the AR is an exploratory response geared at investigating stimulus change. The rats also
displayed a preference for dark to the lighting differential that was not due to the novelty or slight heating differential
supplied by the lamps. These experiments demonstrate that the sudden onset of bright light engages preencounter defensive
behavior, as described by the predatory imminence model (Fanselow & Lester, 1988). This task is amenable to studying light-evoked
defensive responses. |
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