Activation of the dopaminergic system of medial prefrontal cortex of gerbils during formation of relevant associations for the avoidance strategy in the shuttle-box

1. A detailed analysis of behavior is a prerequisite for identification of components of information processing during learning. 2. Components of shuttle-box learning like the signal detection and signal evaluation can be differentiated using behavioral events such as the attent ion response and the orienting response. 3. Chiefly during evaluation of signal meaning in the acquisition phase of the avoidance strategy the extracellular DA is increased in mPFC. 4. The kinetics of prefrontal dopaminergic activation from trial to trial d epends on the stage of avoidance learning. 5. The increase of DA in mPFC can be an indicator for the involvement of wo rking memory principles in signal evaluation stages of conditioning.