The early plasticity and subsequent stability of DLS activity during automatic runs could reflect such early action learning. It was only after the second devaluation procedure was imposed that the stability of the task-bracketing pattern was broken along with extinction of running. This finding is in accord with prior evidence that the DLS pattern, once formed, is insensitive to an instruction cue change requiring new learning (Kubota et al., 2009) but decays when reward is omitted altogether (Barnes et al., 2005). Under conditions of at least partial reinforcement, the acquired DLS pattern remains intact. It is within these conditions that well-learned behaviors can be maintained under some

habitual control. Our findings suggest, however, that it is the balance of this sensorimotor striatal activity with value-sensitive limbic IL activity that may ultimately determine the extent of habitual performance. Such dynamics find more could, in disease or addictive states, provide a route by which behaviors become overly repetitive. Rats (n = 22) were trained on a T-maze task requiring them to respond to auditory instruction cues by turning into maze end-arms to receive reward (chocolate milk or sucrose, each paired with a distinct cue). Training proceeded over daily sessions through task acquisition (72.5% accuracy for 2 days) and overtraining (10+ more days). For reward devaluation, rats received three pairings

of home-cage intake with lithium chloride

injection and were returned to the task for an unrewarded probe session I-BET-762 mouse and subsequent rewarded sessions. Task events were controlled by computer software (MED-PC or MATLAB). Behavior was monitored by in-maze photobeams and an overhead charge-coupled device camera recording at 30 Hz. Neuronal activity was recorded from 12–24 independently drivable tetrodes using a Cheetah acquisition system (Neuralynx). Single units were isolated using Offline Sorter (Plexon) not and, for DLS recordings, sorted into neuronal subtypes. Task-related spike activity exceeded 2 SD above a baseline period for three 30 ms bins within ±200 ms of a task event. Analysis were conducted on behavior- and learning-related changes in task-related population sizes, spike magnitude, spiking variability, and task-bracketing activity scores (spiking around the cue period subtracted from mean spiking around run start and run stop). Optogenetic perturbation during 10 overtraining days, from run start to stop, was accomplished using bilateral IL injection of AAV5-CaMKIIα-eNpHR3.0-EYFP (halorhodopsin) or AAV5-CaMKIIα-EYFP (control), duel-ferrule fiber implants (Doric Lenses), laser light (2.5–4 mW/side; 593.5 nm; OEM Laser Systems), and a pulse generator (AMPI). ANOVA, linear regression, and neuronal spike distribution statistics assessed behavioral and neuronal activity changes, with significance set at p < 0.05.