BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE PATTERNS TO SALT STIMULI IN THE RAT.

RATS WERE TRAINED IN A 2-LEVER SKINNER BOX TO SELECT 1 OR THE OTHER OF THE LEVERS ON THE BASIS OF WHICH OF 2 STIMULI THEY HAD TASTED. 3 GROUPS OF SS WERE TESTED WITH 1 OF THE STIMULI BEING .1 MOLAR SODIUM CHLORIDE FOR ALL 3 GROUPS AND THE OTHER EITHER .5 MILLIMOLAR QUININE SULPHATE, .01 MOLAR HYDROCHLORIC ACID, OR .2 MOLAR SUCROSE. VARIOUS TEST SALTS WERE THEN USED AS STIMULI, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF TRIALS FOR WHICH THE SS RESPONDED ON THE LEVER CONDITIONED TO THE NONSODIUM-CHLORIDE STANDARD WAS RECORDED. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE CATION IS THE MAIN DETERMINANT OF THE TASTE OF A SALT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE PATTERNS AND THE NEURAL RESPONSE DATA IS DISCUSSED. (FRENCH SUMMARY)