W. Jeffrey Wilson's
Research

My lab is currently pursuing two different lines of research.

• In one case we focus on brain mechanisms of memory, specifically the neurochemical substrates of working and reference memory. Although many describe working memory as if it were a sort of short-term memory, I am convinced that both working and reference memory should be thought of as long-term. Working memory contains information on which the organism must yet act, but that is otherwise unimportant; when action has been taken, the information can be erased. Because this working memory material is often retained for longer than the traditional 20 seconds that short-term memory is believed to endure, working memory must differ from short-term memory at the neurophysiological level.
  
  I run rats in a phi-maze, a maze that I devised during my summer vacation in 1991. In working memory tests the rats are typically required to alternate between the two arms of the maze in order to receive reinforcers. This spatial alternation task requires memory of the last response in order to perform at better than chance levels. In a reference memory task, rats are reinforced for selecting the illuminated arm, a task requiring no working memory once it is acquired. Recently I have run sessions in which both types of contingencies (i.e., spatial alternation and visual discrimination) alternate, thus allowing the examination of both working and reference memory within a given session.
  
  Rats in the alternation task often perseverate in choosing the incorrect arm, especially when central cholinergic activity is compromised. I am interested in examining this sort of error in detail, for a number of reasons. First, it seems similar to the perseveration often reported in Alzheimer's patients, and might therefore suggest a valuable animal model. Second, although my discovery of this type of error grew out of an examination of memory impairment, perseverative errors themselves do not reflect an impairment of memory, as their commission requires an intact memory of the last-made response. Thus, they seem to represent an inability to inhibit previously-made or previously-reinforced responses, and thus might reflect an impairment of a central inhibitory mechanism. Thus a study of these errors might increase our general understanding of the role of inhibition in behavioral control.
  
  
• I am also interested in animal models of psychopathology.  To this end my students have been examining experimental neurosis and the Crespi effect.  Experimental neurosis was first described by Pavlov: a dog who lost the ability to predict when food would be delivered became agitated and emotionally upset.  We are attempting to replicate this phenomenon in rats, with an eye toward both better quantification than Pavlov employed and an examination of the brain chemistry involved.
  
  Crespi demonstrated about 50 years ago that when the magnitude of a reward was increased or decreased, rats became "elated" or "depressed," respectively, compared to rats receiving the same sized reward all along.  This emotional response in rats might yield a useful model of human emotions.  My students and I are examining the brain chemistry of the depression effect.

I have previously worked on the behavioral role of the nucleus accumbens, a forebrain structure implicated in pleasure and in the link between emotion and motor responses. I am convinced that there is a crucial experiment to be done in determining its precise behavioral role, and as soon as I figure out what that experiment is I'll do it.

I retain a deep-seated interest in classical conditioning, and especially in conditioned inhibition, as a result of my graduate work with Stefan Soltysik. I hope at some time to establish a laboratory devoted to classical conditioning, and to pursue a number of potentially very interesting experiments on conditioned inhibition that I have contemplated for some time.

As a result of collaborative work with colleagues whose interests differ from mine, I have been able to study other issues related to brain and behavior, as illustrated by the diverse nature of the topics covered by my publications.

The publications and papers related to my research are presented below. For a complete list that includes non-research related works, see my vita.

Publications:

• Wilson, W. J., Ogg, J. A., & Marsack, K. (2000).  Acute ginkgo biloba facilitates decision-making in a working memory task in rats.  Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 60, 511.
• Vilensky, J.A., Gilman, S., Dunn, E.A., & Wilson, W.J. (1997). Utilization of the Denny-Brown collection: Differential recovery of forelimb and hind limb stepping after extensive unilateral cerebral lesions. Behavioural Brain Research, 82, 223-233.
• Wilson, W. J. (1996). The phi-maze: A versatile automated T-maze for learning and memory experiments in the rat. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 28, 360-364.
• Wilson, W. J., & Cook, J. A. (1995). Perseverative errors and reversal of a visual discrimination following basal forebrain lesions in the rat. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 55, 295-299.
• Zielinski, K., Werka, T., Wilson, W. J., & Nikolaev, E. (1995). Inhibition of delay of the two-way avoidance response and warning signal salience. Animal Learning & Behavior, 23, 438-446.
• Wilson, W. J., & Cook, J. A. (1994). Cholinergic manipulations and passive avoidance in the rat: State dependency and acquisition to criterion. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 54, 377-381.
• Wilson, W. J., & Hall, J. C. (1988). Lesions of the mesolimbic dopamine system disrupt signaled escape responses in the rat. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 48, 117-121.
• Soltysik, S. S., Dess, N., Wilson, W. J., Matochik, J. A., & Berg, S. (1988). Procedure and reliability of conditioned respiratory suppression. Animal Learning & Behavior, 16, 177-184.
• Lai, Y. Y., Siegel, J. M., & Wilson, W. J. (1987). Effect of blood pressure on medial medulla-induced muscle atonia. American Journal of Physiology, 252, H1249-H1257.
• Wilson, W. J., & Tannehill, V. L. (1987). Ventral tegmental area lesions do not enhance appetitive classically conditioned responses in the rat. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 47, 55-59.
• Wilson, W. J., & Baeske, E. G. (1987). Ventral tegmental area lesions differentially affect responses controlled by CS-US contiguity and response-reinforcer contingency in the rat. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 47, 83-91.
• Wilson, W. J., & Soltysik, S. S. (1985). Pharmacological manipulations of the nucleus accumbens: Effects on classically conditioned responses and locomotor activity in cats. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 45, 91-105.
• Siegel, J. M., Wilson, W. J., & Tomaszewski, K. S. (1984). Effect of blood pressure changes on atonia produced by stimulation of the medial medulla (Abstract). Sleep Research, 13, 39.
• Soltysik, S.S., Nicholas, T., & Wilson, W. J. (1984). Postnatal development of respiratory responses during aversive classical conditioning in cats. Pavlovian Journal of Biological Science, 19, 169-181.
• Nicholas, T., Wolfe, G. E., Soltysik, S. S., Wilson, W. J., & Abraham, P. (1983). Postnatal development of heart rate patterns elicited by an aversive CS and US in cats. Pavlovian Journal of Biological Science, 18, 144-153.
• Wilson, W. J. (1983). Nucleus accumbens inhibits specific motor but not nonspecific classically conditioned responses. Brain Research Bulletin, 10, 505-515.
• Soltysik, S. S., Wolfe, G. E., Nicholas, T., Wilson, W. J., & Garcia-Sanchez, J. L. (1983). Blocking of inhibitory conditioning within a serial CS-CI compound: Maintenance of an acquired behavior without a reinforcer. Learning and Motivation, 14, 1- 29.
• Wilson, W. J., & Butcher, L. L. (1980). A potential shock-reducing contingency in the back-shock technique: Implications for learned helplessness. Animal Learning & Behavior, 8, 435-440.
• Eison, M. S., Wilson, W. J., & Ellison, G. D. (1978). A refillable system for the continuous administration of amphetamine: Effects upon social behavior in a rat colony. Communications in Psychopharmacology, 2, 151-157.

Presentations:

• Wilson, W. J., & Linz, H. E. (2001) Experimental neurosis in the rat? Effect of an increasingly difficult auditory differentiation.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Pavlovian Society, New Brunswick, NJ.
• Wilson, W. J., Storbeck, S. J., Diponio, S. E., Meissner, R. C., & Hancock, C. M. (2001) Potential influences of protriptyline on running speed of rats in a “Crespi effect” study.  Presented at the 31st annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., & King, M. A. (2000). Evidence that muscarinic M1 receptors are not involved in working memory in the rat.  Presented at the 30th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.
• Marsack, K., Ogg, J., & Wilson, W. J. (2000). Enhancement of decision-making and memory(?) by Ginkgo biloba in rats: Preliminary results.  Presented at Project Kaleidoscope 2000 Summer Institute: Psychology I poster session, Keystone CO.
• Wilson, W. J., & S. A. Swinehart (1999). Analysis of scopolamine-induced "perseverative errors" in rat spatial alternation. To be presented at the 29th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Miami, FL.
• Wilson, W. J., Bobay, K. S., & Gilbert, S. A. (1998). Differential dose-dependent effects of scopolamine on reversal of a spatial discrimination in rats. Presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., Hansen, E. A., & Leto, A. G. (1997). Long-term scopolamine pre-exposure interferes with spatial alternation in rats: Increased sensitivity to reduction of reinforcement? Presented at the 27th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.
• Wilson, W. J., Lyons, G. S., Griffith, M. L., Vanhorn, T., & Dillman, J. D. (1996). Within-subject, within-session analysis of scopolamine's effect on spatial alternation and visual discrimination in the rat. Presented at the 26th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC.
• Wilson, W. J., Bradtmiller, S, A., Felton, M. L., Lyons, G. D., Shaffer, L. A., & Zieles, A. S. (1995). Same-session analysis of working and reference memory in the rat: Procedure. Presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., Peters, D. W., Felton, M. L., & Galloway, P. H. (1994). Delayed spatial alternation performance of rats in a phi-maze: Scopolamine effects. Presented at the 24th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Miami Beach, FL.
• Wilson, W. J. (1994). Delayed matching-to-sample and delayed spatial alternation in the rat. Paper presented at the Nencki Institute for Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland (June 8).
• Wilson, W. J., & Steinbronn, N. C. (1993). Dose-dependent disruption by scopolamine of spatial working memory performance of rats in a phi-maze. Presented at the 23rd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC.
• Wilson, W. J., & Steinbronn, N. C. (1993). Spatial working memory deficits following central muscarinic blockade in the rat. Presented at Neuroscience in Central Europe: Workshop 1, Budapest, Hungary. (April 26).
• Wilson, W. J. (1993). Cholinergic mechanisms of learning and memory in the rat. Invited lecture at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland. (February 10)
• Wilson, W. J., Steinbronn, N. C., Lopshire, J. C., Galloway, P. H., Kellenberger, S. A., Hartman, A. M., & Bennett, R. L. (1992). Differences in spatial and visual working memory performance of rats in a phi-maze. Presented at the 22nd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Anaheim, CA.
• Wilson, W. J. (1992). The phi- maze: A novel device for the assessment of working and reference memory in rats. Presented at the 9th Regional Spring Meeting of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, Indianapolis, IN.
• Wilson, W. J., & Cook, J. A. (1990). Dose-dependent effects of pilocarpine on step-through passive avoidance in the rat. Presented at the 20th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, St. Louis, MO.
• Wilson, W. J., & Cook, J. A. (1989). Acquisition and reversal of visual discrimination in rats: Effects of cholinergic manipulations. Presented at the 30th annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Atlanta, GA.
• Wilson, W. J., & Hall, J. C. (1989). Cholinergic manipulations and passive avoidance in the rat: State dependency and acquisition to criterion. Presented at the 19th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Phoenix, AZ. [Also presented at the 6th Regional Spring Meeting of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, Indianapolis, IN.]
• Wilson, W. J., & Hall, J. C. (1988). Pilocarpine during acquisition disrupts subsequent reversal in n. basalis-lesioned rats: Preliminary data. Presented at the 18th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [Also presented at the 5th Regional Spring Meeting of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, Indianapolis, IN.]
• Wilson, W. J., & Hall, J. C. (1987). 6-OHDA lesions of the ventral tegmental area affect signaled escape responding, but not classically conditioned responses in the rat. Presented at the 17th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA. [Also presented at the 4th Regional Spring Meeting of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, Indianapolis, IN, 1987]
• Wilson, W. J., & Tannehill, V. L. (1986). Effects of ventral tegmental area lesions on autoshaped lever press responses in the rat. Presented at the 16th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC.
• Wilson, W. J., Tannehill, V. L., Baeske, E. G., & Soltysik, S. S. (1986) Involvement of mesolimbic dopamine system in aversive and appetitive classically conditioned motor responses. Presented at the 3rd Regional Spring Meeting of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. Indianapolis, IN.
• Wilson, W. J., & Baeske, E. G. (1985). Involvement of the dopaminergic projection from ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens in the motivation underlying two-way avoidance in the rat. Presented at the 15th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Dallas, TX.
• Wilson, W. J., Dess, N., K., & Soltysik, S. S. (1984). Pharmacological manipulations of the nucleus accumbens: Effects on conditioned inhibition and classically conditioned responses. Presented at the 14th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Anaheim, CA.
• Siegel, J. M., Tomaszewski, K. S., Wilson, W. J., Nienhuis, R., & Morrison, A. R. (1984). Relation of blood pressure to REM sleep atonia and atonia produced by stimulation of the medial medulla. Presented at the 14th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Anaheim, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., Siegel, J. M., Tomaszewski, K. S., & Nienhuis, R. (1983). Factors affecting atonia produced by electrical stimulation of the medial medulla in cats. Presented at the 13th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Boston, MA.
• Soltysik, S. S., Nicholas, T., & Wilson, W. J. (1983). Ontogeny of defensive classically conditioned respiratory and vocal responses in cats. Presented at the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, San Diego, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., & Soltysik, S. S. (1982). Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens modulates classically conditioned defensive responses in the cat. Presented at the 12th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Minneapolis, MN.
• Wilson, W. J. (1981). Nucleus accumbens and autonomic and skeletal motor responses. Presented at the symposium Affect and Action: Relationships between limbic and extrapyramidal function. 89th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, CA.
• Nicholas, T., Soltysik, S. S., Wolfe, G. E., & Wilson, W. J. (1981). Protection from extinction by blocking of inhibitory conditioning. Presented at the 89th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, CA.
• Wilson, W. J., & Thomas, E. (1977). The effects of septal lesions on learned helplessness in the rat. Presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA.

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