NUMBER OF TRIALS NEEDED TO ASSESS HUMAN EYEBLINK CLASSICAL-CONDITIONING

Eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) is a useful paradigm for studyi ng the neurobiology of learning and memory. EBCC shows large age effec ts and has been shown to be sensitive to Alzheimer-like neuropathology . The EBCC data of 241 participants, including young, middle-aged, and elderly normal adults, adults with Down's syndrome, and patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, were analyzed to identify a minimum num ber of trials for reliable assessment. Results indicate that EBCC perf ormance can be as reliably assessed in 63 trials as in 90 trials. Usin g fewer conditioning trials reduces administration time, making EBCC m ore practical for both research and potential diagnostic purposes.