Escape and Avoidance Reactions to Painful Electrocutaneous Stimulation of the Self and Another in Rats with High and Low Levels of Impulsivity

Abstract

Reactions escaping intrinsic electrocutaneous pain stimulation were more marked in high-impulsivity rats than low-impulsivity and ambivalent animals. The mean time for running to the safe half of the chamber was less in these animals than in the other groups. Although the groups differed in terms of measures of learning, the learning dynamics of this process occurred essentially identically. Avoidance reactions were also more marked in high-impulsivity rats than low-impulsivity animals and ambivalent animals. However, differences between groups were seen only in terms of the percentage appearance of the conditioned reaction, with no differences being seen in the latent period. High-impulsivity rats were more sensitive to electrocutaneous pain stimulation of another individual. On average, they spent less time than low-impulsivity rats in the dark sector of the experimental chamber, exiting of which led to switching off of the painful electrical stimulation of the partner rat.