Go/No-Go Task

The Go/No-Go Task is a highly translational operant assay that provides a robust assessment of response inhibition and impulsivity. The Go/No-Go Task is the direct preclinical analog of human Go/No-Go paradigms, providing cross-species assessment of response inhibition and impulsivity. The task has strong clinical relevance because equivalent Go/No-Go paradigms are widely used in human cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychological research to evaluate executive function and impulse control.

Animals are trained to respond appropriately to “Go” signals while suppressing responses to “No-Go” signals, enabling precise measurement of inhibitory control and behavioral regulation. Impairments in Go/No-Go performance are consistently observed across a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including ADHD, addiction, OCD, schizophrenia, and traumatic brain injury, highlighting its value as a translational platform for CNS drug discovery. Importantly, the assay demonstrates sensitivity to clinically effective ADHD treatment, atomoxetine, supporting its pharmacological validation and translational utility for evaluating therapies targeting inhibitory control and impulsive behavior.

Separate groups of adult rats were trained to stable performance levels in the DRL24s task and a signaled Go-NoGo successive discrimination task. In the DRL24s task, vehicle treated rats had peak responding around 24s consistent with accurate temporal discrimination. Dizocilpine (0.03mg/kg s.c.) produced a leftward shift in this response curve. In the Go-NoGo task, in vehicle treated animals, >90% responding was made during the S+ (i.e., Go) phase. Dizocilpine (0.03-0.06mg/kg s.c.) increased responding during the S- (i.e., NoGo) phase, such that only ~75% responding was during the S+ phase. Both tests highlight deficiencies in response control of rats following dizocilpine treatment.