Applicability of the Reinforcement Concept to Studies in Simple Nervous Systems

The reinforcement concept is widely used in studies of learning and memory mechanisms which have been performed in the last few decades, not only at the behavioural level, but also in model systems, such as brain slices, invertebrate isolated nervous systems and synaptically connected neurones in vitro and in vivo. In these studies the terminology elaborated for animal behaviour has mainly been used. The present paper is aimed at analysing the limitations and applicability of the behavioural concept of reinforcement to neurophysiological experiments in model systems.