Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201

Superstate: A Computer Program for Control of Operant Behavior Experiments

Fuqiang Zhang *
Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Addiction Research and Treatment Center, 315 010 Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China Received October 27, 2005; accepted in revised form January 4, 2006; accepted January 8, 2006

ABSTRACT Operant behavior research requires precise control of experimental equipment to provide stimulation and monitoring of behavioral responses. The authors developed a software solution called superstate to control the hardware and running the schedules of reinforcement. Microsoft Windows compatible software written using object-oriented programming language Borland Delphi 5.0, which has simplified the application programming. Superstate is a stand-alone easy to use green software, no need to experiment to master any scripting language. It features: (1) cage control operant reinforcement schedule to run multiple independent, (2) the fairly stable (16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs for each enclosure) is suitable for the equipment needs of the most instrumental behavior, (3) controlled most of the standard ISA -type digital interface cards including MedAssociates Super-port cards and PCI-type AC6412, and is expandable to support other PCI interface card-type, (4) high-resolution control means (1 ms), (5) built-in real-time cumulative recorder, (6) analyze the extensive data, including event recorders, the cumulative recorder, block analysis, summarized the results can be easily

transferred to Microsoft Excel spreadsheet via the Clipboard. 2006 Elsevier BV All rights reserved. Key words: operant behavior; Software, behavior control; Reinforcement schedules; Instrumentation A. INTRODUCTION Behavioral neuroscience has greatly promoted by the development and application of personal computers (PC) hardware and software. This is especially true with the study of operant behavior, which controls the hardware and run the key schedule of reinforcement procedures. Com-puter input / output (I / O) interface can actually deliv-erance time stimulation (output), response (input) from the subject, and facilitate the design of complex behavioral experiments. Computer software necessary to utilize the power of modern PCs and provides advanced capabilities to perform sophisticated operant behavior studies (Meyer, a nd Constantinidis, 2005). In studies of operant conditioning, the essential elements of such as the type of computer software is developed and run schedule of reinforcement and recording

data. Notationlanguage country, suchasMedStateNotation (http://www.medassociates.com), provides a powerful tool for programming * Tel: +86 574 87250706; fax:. 87,345,976 +86,574. E-mail: fqzhang@nbip.net. sequential operation of the control system behavior, but requirestheexperimentertomasterspecificpro grammingscript-ing language. Other commercial software is available there, including the Graphic State Notation (http://www.coulbourn.com) and Moustache (Cardinal, 2000). Commercial software is either expensive or not flexible enough to optimize without adaptation-tion because each laboratory has different equipment and setup. In this case, the authors developed a cheap and simple, yet powerful alternative: superstate, to meet the practical needs for self-administration of our drug lab. Functions of the software described in this paper.

95 and 64 Mb of memory, 0165-0270 / $ - see front case 2006 Elsevier BV All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.01.004 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 195 Pentium 4 CPU with 256 Mb RAM or higher is rec-ommended. Superstate also been tested for Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP. Superstate can control several independent instrumental cages (cages each with up to 16 input devices and output devices 16). Theactualtotalcagescontrolledareonlydepend entonthespeed of CPU and memory size of computers. It consists of just one executive file: superstate.exe (430 Kb file size), a small software and green. Executable file, together with sample data can be obtained from the authors via email demand. 2.2. I / O interface cards are supported The current version of the superstate supports two types of excavation, ital I / O cards: ISA or PCI. For ISA cards, in addition to the standard I / O interface card (the AssemBly language is: IN AX (AL), port-address), Med-Associates Super-port (such as DIG712, DIG-726) card is also supported. For PCI cards, version superstate only supAC6412 card ports (http://www.wwlab.com.cn/product/ ~ ~ V AC6412.asp). Other cards can be easily added to the card supplied drivers that are available; the author is willing to provide

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1. Requirements for hardware and software This superstate software (Version 1.0) developed by the authors using objectoriented programming language Borland Delphi 5.0 (Borland International) and consists of about 13,000 lines of source code. The minimum requirements are compatible with the IBM PC driven by Intel Pentium CPU or higher with Microsoft Windows

such a cus-tomization to expand the list of supporting cards. Each card AC6412 (cost around $ 140) provides 32 inputs and 32 outputs. With AC6412 card, very simple to set up a very large operand con-trolling the system. An ordinary PC can provide four empty PCI slot. If an instrumental cage has eight input and eight output, has four system must be able to run a 16 card cage, and the fewer devices, the more stable.

rat-13 under the FR4 schedule of 10% sucrose self-administration for 30 minutes; C shows the main functions of the toolbar and from which the configuration settings dialog (I / O Card and Device Cage) dialogue box is called. ____________________________________ ____ 196 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 Image. 2. Dialog box I / O card configuration. It shows an example of a system consisting of four types of PCI-card AC6412. Each card has two 16-bit input port and two 16-bit output port, thus providing 32 inputs and 32 outputs. Connection parameters specified in this window to connect the input / output with the number of cages and stable input / output. Timer (timer Linear and Multi-media) is used to scan the card I / O at a predetermined interval (time base) also modified the window. Running speed of scanning can also be monitored in sini.perangkat. There are two configuration dialog box: I / O Card Cage and devices, which can be called from the settings dialog box (Fig. 1 C). In the I / O Card Configuration dialog box (Fig. 2), you can add or remove the card I / O, select the type of card and specify the address of the card, the card has a port number, and most import-tantly, define parameters for connecting the input / output bit of each port to the device enclosure. Superstate has two timers available (timer Threaded or Multimedia) is used to scan the I / O card in a

2.3. Implementation Image. 1 s hows the main window superstate. It contains proceduresforcommunicatingwiththedigitalI / Ocards, control and monitoring devices, organize data, create and run the test methods (reinforcement schedule), and analyzing data. In the following sections the functional aspects of the Super-State will be described in accordance with the windows and dialog boxes. 2.3.1. System configuration The system configuration is one important part of the SuperThe state in controlling the hardware. Parameters used to construct a complete system to communicate with interface I / O card and connect the card I / O with the enclosure of Fig. A. The main window of the superstate. A shows the main toolbar and tab selection enclosure; B shows real-time cumulative recorder and describe the status of the devices that are running in the cage

predetermined interval (time base). Timer parameter is also modified here. Defaulttime basis is set at 10 ms. In The Cage configuration dialog box (Fig. 3), you can name each device. For digital input devices, input data can be calculated by the function "NOT" logic when "No Bit" parameter is set to "YES". If the output device infusion pump, you can determine the speed of the pump and the concentration of the drug solution contained in a syringe. These parameters are used to automatically calculate the duration of the implant in combination with other parameters such as weight subjects, a dose infusion or infusion volume. 2.3.2. Data settings To track the experimental data more efficiently to retrievance later, the branch directory structure used in the superstate. There are three levels of file-Directo ries: Projects, Experiments and Subject. Any session data is stored as a single file name under the directory / ProjectID / ExperimentID / SubjectID (Fig. 6 A).

determines F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 197 Image. 3. Device configuration dialog box enclosure. It shows an example of a system consisting of 16 cages each with eight input devices and output devices of eight. outputconfiguration, andthetransitionconditionsoftimeand / or input which causes the program to exit the current state and move to the next state (Fig. 4 A). In addition to state, superstate create a new concept: Components. American series (up to Image. 4. A sample state transition diagram (A) and the structure of the session (B). 16) form a component. Components run concurrently or sequentially, and up to eight components in combination make up to a session (Fig. 4 B). You can easily create a schedule of reinforcement in the exper-iment the method window by simply pointing and clicking with mouse. Image. 5 shows a flow diagram of the amplifier is schedule editor. Parameters are described as below. 2.3.3.1. . Session Each session has three basic parameters: Title (Description of the method), author and Duration (how many minutes of the session will run). If the session consists of more than one component, Start Component determines how the component is activated when

2.3.3. Experimental methods Schedule of experiments method, or reinforcement, is constructed in three hierarchical levels: Session (upper level), Component (intermediate level) and State (lowest level). That's the basic structure of the reinforcement schedule is the state transition tion. Such other State Notation Program, con-ceives superstate of reinforcement schedule as a series of moves through the American experiment session. Each State

the session begins. There are four ways to run Components: Concurrent (Component each run independently), Random with a repeat (turn one of the compo-nents are chosen at random), random without repetition (to enable one of Randomly selected components; repeat only if all components enabled), and a list of component (Component activate in accordance with pre-existing list). Additional parameter is the variable data. Each session has two types of global variables: Variable Count and Interval Page 5 198 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 Image. 5. Flow diagram of the experimental methods (reinforcement schedule) editor. Variables. There is a count of eight variables, which are used as counter enclosure device, you can label them. All input and output events are automatically calculated regardless of whether you use these variables, they are useful when you run a complex cognition task in which you can use a variable to calculate the correct or incorrect responses. Interval variables are very useful for variable-dose schedule of drug selfadministration described by Gerber a nd Wise (1989). In the schedule, several motivational components of different doses of the drug given alone at random. Inter-infusion interval was the dependent variable, and there are eightTimer to calculate the inter-infusion interval.

The timer is started or read as an interval specified in the State-specific data cations. Interval Variables can also be used to calculate the latency for a particular response. 2.3.3.2. Components. There are four parameters in the composettled: Title (component description), Start State (specify State that is activated when Component starts), duration (how many seconds the component will run) and Run-Compo settled (it is only used when the Assembly is composed of more than one component but rather to determine how the component will be activated when the current component has been completed after a specified duration ). 2.3.3.3. . State ThemostimportantStateparametersare: Output and Transition Countries. Output: This determines the condition of the output device. A output devices are controlled when the parameter is Controlled is set to YES, and if controlled, can be activated establish the following three parameters: the value of t (turn secOnD), Vol. (Volume in milliliters, if the infusion pump, and pump speed is specified, the duration can be automatically calculated), dose (used to automatically calculate duration in combination with pump velocity parameter, ani-

mal weight and concentration of the drug). Three periods of time putting together the t value determines how many seconds the device will be activated. If the value of t is 0, the device will turn off. If the device is activated, it can be pulsed by speci-fying three parameters: The Times (how many times will be turned on), Off Interval (how many seconds the device is stored in the phase of the On-Off) and Unlimited The Times (if YES, the device will remain lit pulsed) . This device can also control the yoke, the same device at the other two cages (Yoked1, Yoked2). Transition: There are four kinds of state transitions to stop the current state and move to the next state. They Transition is the input, Input Transition Time, Transition Interval Entry and Transition Countries. When the parameter Next State input device is> 0, the signal is emitted when the state transition n response occurs at the moment. The value n can be a constant, or random (calculated by the formula), or progressivesive (calculated with the formula), or selected from pre-out ____________________________________ ____ Page 6 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 199 list. The input device can be a liaison. When the liaison The next state is> 0, then the signal is emitted when all the transition countries The selected input requirements are met.

Input Transition Time is a new kind of state transition. Input requirements that the duration of the input device is stored in (ie the response lever is held over a certain period), not the number of the input device such as the Input Transition. Transition interval tion together with the input transition; signal transition is issued when some time passes. Entry is a transition state activated after the country has now turned to be determined times. Exit the State: When the state when making the transition, it also triggers the following events, Stop Current Components (Y ES / NO), Stop Session (YES / NO), Run Components (similar Run for the parameters of other components). 2.3.4. Running a home Run Queue dialog box can be invoked from the main window by clicking the appropriate button on the toolbar speeds. It maintains a running list of settings; each line to determine when (Date, time) will load and run home with the subject methods. Enclosure will run automatically and the data will be stored in a subject directory, which makes walking-ments instrumental experience easier and less tiring, and what you need is just to put the subject in a cage

in accordance with the schedule of Run Queue. 3. RESULTS 3.1. Running speed to communicate with the digital I / O the Superstate is equipped with two highresolution timer for continue to communicate with the I / O cards in the predeter-mined interval (time base). The highest level of frequency in Manai / O digital input cards read and write the output is 1 ms. Superstate that performance is evaluated under different configuration and tested on different systems. Table 1 shows the the result of walking speed on two different systems-configuration tions. In each of the two systems, the signal emitted timer Table 1 Superstate performance in two different configurations of hardware and software Item System 1 System 2 Computer Intel Celeron, 300 MHz CPU, memory 32 Mb Intel P4, 2.4 GHz CPU, 256 Mb memory Operating system Windows Millennium Windows 2000 I / O Card

Med Associates: DIG-711 (2), DIG-712 (1), DIG-721 (4), DIG-726 (6) AC6412 (4) The Cage Two inputs / cages, eight output / cage Eight inputs / cages; 8 output / cage Cage the amount of 16 16 Running speed 0.2 ms 0.8 ms Memory is occupied 48 Mb 48 Mb Intervals of 10 ms (time base), and each time-triggered signal implementation of procedures to scan port I / O and running behavior schedule. Walking speed depends on several parameters, ters: the speed of CPU, I / O card type, how many devices controlled, and the efficiency of the scanning procedure. Result showed that even at a low level computer equipped with Intel Celeron 300 MHz CPU running a 16-Cage system (System 1), scanning procedure can be run in <1 ms (0.2 ms). Superstate can directly access the I / O port for ISA-card type,

but not for PCI-type cards, this is why the speed of walking in the System 1 (0.2 ms) faster than System 2 (0.8 ms). For the PCI-type cards, I / O ports are accessed through a procedure card driver provided by the manufacture of the card. Timeliness of 1 ms fast enough to control the digital I / O device in almost all operant behavior experiments, and the most commonly used time base is 10 ms. Windows is a multi-task, so that even if the timer priority is set to "highest", the operating system may still take priority over superstate. So you need to take extra precautions to refrain from running the other major when running the application to prevent delays superstate superstate of the implementation. Some programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Photoshop, Delphi, 3DMax, AutoCADtelah tested while the superstate is running, this large program does not interfere with the accuracy of the superstate. But that was not tested for other major programs such as video streaming and tracking program. Because computers are run superstate usually used to control specific equipment operant behavior, the same machine is rarely used simultaneously to control other equipment, so that "multi-task" problem probably not significant. 3.2. Real-time cumulative recorder Superstate has a built-in real-time recorder for C umulative

monitor the activities of the cage in a graphical format (Fig. 1 B). When the cage walking, pen recorder moves horizontally along the X axis and may rise along the axis perpendicular to the Ystep with each input signal, and outputs the signal to make a small downward deflection of the pen recorder.

3.3. Experiment Data Each of the home run was stored as a single text file in subject-specific sites (Fig. 6 A). Data file contains Session inputs / outputs as well as the number and duration of timetamps, input / output in a number of components and the Americas. Parameters subject and the enclosure is also included in the data the file. Data can be displayed in two graphical formats: Event Cumulative recorders and Recorder. Recording parameters can be changed flexibly. Data can be displayed and analyzed in blocks of time, input / output interval, and total input / output period of time. The overall experimental data from all subjects or all of the data from a single subject can be summarized flexible (batch processing). Summarized the results can be transferred to Microsoft

Excel spreadsheet via the Clipboard from the Windows systems. ____________________________________ ____ Page 7 200 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 Image. 6. Experiment Data window that displays an example of a data file from the rats were trained for oral sucrose (10%) selfadministration for 30 minutes under a FR4 schedule. (A) The selection of the data file. Each data file is stored in a sub-directory specific to the subject :/ Projects / Experiments / Subject /. (B) The count and the duration of the cage. (C) Cumulative response records (L-Poke) and reinforcement (liquid) at 30-minute session. Cage input and output, as well as the duration of the block can be selected. (D) The event recorder pen input display two (in3, IN5) in two modes (levels and onset) in the range 0 to 2.44 min was chosen. The figure on the right of each row show shows the total number of devices in the selected duration. Other details of data analysis such as component / state, blocks, and a summary will not be displayed.

software, a stand-alone to control the hardware, reinforcement schedule runs. Comprehensivehensiveconfigurationoptionsforcreatingexper imentalmethods make the development of even a complex schedule of reinforcement easy task without the need to learn another programming-languages.Superstate also makes building an operant behavior research system with a very low cost. It runs on a single, fairly Inex-pensive computer. The only limitation is the interface I / O digital card that can control the superstate. It supports most standard ISAThis type of interface card including Superport cards Med Association. For the PCIinterface card types, although the version ____________________________________ ____ Page 8 F. Zhang / Journal of Neuroscience Methods 155 (2006) 194-201 201 Superstate only supports cards AC6412, also easy to grow-able to support other types of PCI-interface card if kartudriver available. Future versions of the superstate will memilikianalog I / O interface card is added to control the device analog.Superstate very expandable, theoretically allowing a limited number of cages and card I / O interface to be con-controlled, as long as the computer's CPU speed and size memorimemungkinkan. The number of home devices that can control versiSuperstate the 16 inputs and 16 outputs, yangcocok for most

4. DISCUSSION This paper introduces a new computer software: superstate to control the operant behavior of laboratory animals. It was designed as an easy to use

instrumental studies, and this number can be eas-ily increased. It also expanded in increasing jumlahKomponen and America in the sched-ule to build amplifier. Version of the method eksperimendengan superstate building a maximum of eight components and 16 countries of each component-settled, suitable for most of the studies of a simple operant behavior (ratio schedule, the schedule interval, etc.) to the complex schedule (second Order, multiple, concurrent, variable-dose, etc.) Superstate is a program developed for the drug applied diriadministrasi studies in our laboratory. It can easily be cus-tomized to another individual laboratory if the system consists of only the ISA-card type digital I / O including Med-AssociatedSuper-port card. For a system consisting of a PCI-type I / O cards, can also be enhanced by the author if the work-capable card driver and the detailed structure of the driver DLL function danprosedur provided. REFERENCES Cardinal RN. Mustache, version 1.0, computer software; 2000. URL: http://www.whiskercontrol.com. Gerber GJ, Wise RA. Pharmacological regulation of intravenous cocaine and heroin self-administration in rats: a variable dose paradigm. Pharmacol Behavior Biochem 1989; 32 (2) :527-31. Meyer T, Constantinidis C. A software solution for visual control behavioral experiments. J Neurosci Methods 2005; 142 (1) :27-34