Figure 3.

Orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex (oPFC) GABA_Aα1 deficiency impairs action selection in a context-specific manner. (a) Mice were trained in context A to respond for two distinct outcomes, food pellets and sucrose. Using this two-outcome approach, we detected no group differences in response acquisition, however, response rates associated with pellets were higher during the final two sessions. (b) Nonetheless, when the action–outcome contingency associated with the pellet was degraded, control mice inhibited responding. Mice with oPFC-selective GABA_Aα1 deficiency failed to selectively modify response strategies. (c) Sensitivity to instrumental contingency degradation was retested in a separate context, ‘context B.' Here, both groups differentiated between the degraded and non-degraded instrumental contingencies during training and (d) the probe test, inhibiting the response less likely to be reinforced. (e) Next, the pellet was paired with LiCl. Ad libitum consumption decreased, while the ingestion of a sucrose solution paired with NaCl remained robust. (f) Response rates associated with the now-devalued pellet were also reduced. (g) In addition, mice extinguished responding when the reinforcer was withheld. Mean+SEM, *p<0.05. Control n=6; oPFC n=7.