Table 1.
Description of primary and secondary outcome variables of the PRLT
| Outcome variables | Description |
|---|---|
| Switches | Total number of reversals of reward contingency within a session |
| Trials to First Criterion | Total number of trials completed by a subject before achieving criterion for the first reversal of reward contingency (i.e. 8 consecutive target responses) |
| % Premature Responses | Total number of responses made during the 2 s inter-trial interval (i.e. before stimulus presentation), reported as a percentage of total trials |
| Mean Target Latency | Mean latency to respond to the target stimulus |
| Mean Non-Target Latency | Mean latency to respond to the non-target stimulus |
| Mean Reward Latency | Mean latency to collect rewards |
| Reward Perseverative Responses | Number of repetitive responses made to a given stimulus aperture following stimulus extinction and initiation of reward delivery; values for each rat were normalized to the number of rewards delivered within the testing session. Reported as # of perseverative responses per reward delivered. |
| Punish Perseverative Responses | Number of repetitive responses made to a given stimulus aperture following stimulus extinction and initiation of punishment; values for each rat were normalized to the number of punished selections made within the testing session (i.e. # of timeout periods minus premature responses). Reported as # of perseverative responses per punished selection. |
| Timeout Responses | Total number of responses made during timeout periods to a stimulus aperture other than the one originally selected at the beginning of the trial (i.e. responses to the unlit target aperture during timeout periods following selection of the non-target aperture and vice versa). Values for each rat were normalized to the total number of punished selections made within the testing session. Reported as # of timeout responses per punished selection. |
| Target Win-Stay Ratio | Metric of subjects’ tendency to respond to the target stimulus again after having been rewarded for selecting that stimulus in the previous trial |
| Target Lose-Shift Ratio | Metric of subjects’ tendency to respond to the non-target stimulus after having been punished for selection of the target stimulus in the previous trial |
| Non-Target Win-Stay Ratio | Metric of subjects’ tendency to respond to the non-target stimulus again after having been rewarded for selecting that stimulus in the previous trial |
| Non-Target Lose-Shift Ratio | Metric of subjects’ tendency to respond to the target stimulus after having been punished for selection of the non-target stimulus in the previous trial |
| Trials for Reversal 1 | Total number of trials completed by a subject before achieving criterion for the second reversal of reward contingency (i.e. 8 consecutive target responses following the first reversal of reward contingency) |
| Total Trials | Total number of trials completed within the entire testing session |
Note: Bold = primary outcome variable