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Extending In Vitro Conditioning In Aplysia To Analyze Operant And Classical Processes In The Same Preparation, Björn Brembs, Douglas A. Baxter, John H. Byrne

Faculty and Staff Publications

Operant and classical conditioning are major processes shaping behavioral responses in all animals. Although the understanding of the mechanisms of classical conditioning has expanded significantly, the understanding of the mechanisms of operant conditioning is more limited. Recent developments in Aplysia are helping to narrow the gap in the level of understanding between operant and classical conditioning, and have raised the possibility of studying the neuronal processes underlying the interaction of operant and classical components in a relatively complex learning task. In the present study, we describe a first step toward realizing this goal, by developing a single in vitro preparation …