5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task
Overview
The five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is a translational assay for sustained visual attention and impulse control, modeled after the human continuous performance task (CPT). The animal must detect and respond to a brief light stimulus presented pseudo-randomly in one of five apertures. Correct responses are reinforced; premature responses (before stimulus onset) and omissions are penalized.
The 5-CSRTT dissociates attention from impulsivity: accuracy (% correct) indexes attentional performance, while premature responses index motor impulsivity. Manipulating stimulus duration, inter-trial interval variability, and distractor stimuli can selectively challenge different cognitive processes. The task is highly sensitive to cholinergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic manipulations (Robbins, 2002).
ConductMaze manages the full 5-choice operant chamber: it controls aperture lights, magazine light, pellet dispenser, house light, and monitors nose-poke detectors. The software implements configurable training stages (progressive stimulus duration reduction) and supports high-throughput multi-chamber operation for efficient cohort processing.
Trial Flow
ITI Start
House light ON, all apertures dark
Stimulus
Brief light in 1 of 5 apertures
Limited Hold
Response window after stimulus offset
Correct Response
Nose-poke in lit aperture → pellet reward
Incorrect/Omission
Wrong aperture or no response → timeout
Premature Response
Nose-poke during ITI → timeout penalty
Magazine Collection
Collect pellet to start next trial
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimulus Duration | seconds | 0.5 | Duration of the visual stimulus (decreases with training stage) |
| Limited Hold | seconds | 5 | Response window after stimulus offset |
| ITI Duration | seconds | 5 | Fixed inter-trial interval before next stimulus |
| Timeout Duration | seconds | 5 | Penalty timeout (house light off) for errors |
| Max Trials | integer | 100 | Maximum trials per session |
| Max Session Time | seconds | 1800 | Session time limit |
| Training Stage | integer | 1 | Current training stage (1-8, with decreasing SD) |
| Correction Trials | boolean | Yes | Repeat stimulus location after incorrect response |
Metrics
| Metric | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | % | Correct / (Correct + Incorrect) × 100 — primary attention measure |
| Omission Rate | % | Percentage of trials with no response — motivation/sedation index |
| Premature Responses | count | Responses during ITI — primary impulsivity measure |
| Correct RT | milliseconds | Mean reaction time on correct trials — processing speed |
| Perseverative Responses | count | Additional responses in same aperture after initial correct response |
| Magazine Latency | seconds | Time from correct response to reward collection |
| Trials Completed | count | Total trials completed in the session |
Sample Data
| Subject | Stage | SD_s | Accuracy_pct | Omissions_pct | Prematures | Correct_RT_ms | Trials |
|---|
Representative data for illustration purposes. Actual values will vary by species, strain, and experimental conditions.
Applications
- 1ADHD modeling — premature responses as translational impulsivity measure
- 2Schizophrenia research — attentional deficits under variable ITI or distractor conditions
- 3Cholinergic pharmacology — nicotinic and muscarinic agonist effects on sustained attention
- 4Aging research — age-related attentional decline and processing speed reduction
- 5Substance abuse — stimulant and depressant effects on impulse control
Related Protocols
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