Sucrose vs Social Choice in Rats
Disciplines
Applied Behavior Analysis | Biological Psychology | Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Integrative Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Operant conditioning is a well established phycological technique used to study various aspects of behavior, learning, and reinforcement. We can use operant conditioning in rat models when using rewards (e.g. drugs, sucrose, or some other form of incentive) as reinforcers and assess reward seeking behaviors of rats, and the influence of rearing conditions or early life stress on reward seeking behaviors. Operant conditioning allows for research to be done with rats to simulate the drug seeking behaviors seen in humans. Rats can be trained to lever press to gain access to drug or social rewards to model human behaviors and allows us to investigate how the use of reward reinforcement affects the neuropsychological and behavioral patterns that exist following early life adversity in the expression of addiction and substance use disorders. In this study we specifically investigated early life adversity in a low bedding and nesting model effects on reward choice (e.g. social vs sucrose). In the operant conditioning process, the rats are placed in an operant chamber that is equipped with levers on either side. They learn to press these levers to access the reward on varying schedules of reinforcement. Results from this study indicate early life adversity associated with preference for sucrose reinforcement versus social reinforcement. These results imply early life adversity can prime the brain to seek natural rewards over social rewards that can confer risk for the development of substance use disorders. The Investigation provides an insight into the behavioral aspects of sucrose consumption and sociability, contributing to the understanding of its effects on risk vs. resilience phenotypes. Future directions include using the same methods we can recreate this experiment with THC and study how THC as the reinforcer affects behavior and sociability in rats.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Erica Holliday
Sucrose vs Social Choice in Rats
Operant conditioning is a well established phycological technique used to study various aspects of behavior, learning, and reinforcement. We can use operant conditioning in rat models when using rewards (e.g. drugs, sucrose, or some other form of incentive) as reinforcers and assess reward seeking behaviors of rats, and the influence of rearing conditions or early life stress on reward seeking behaviors. Operant conditioning allows for research to be done with rats to simulate the drug seeking behaviors seen in humans. Rats can be trained to lever press to gain access to drug or social rewards to model human behaviors and allows us to investigate how the use of reward reinforcement affects the neuropsychological and behavioral patterns that exist following early life adversity in the expression of addiction and substance use disorders. In this study we specifically investigated early life adversity in a low bedding and nesting model effects on reward choice (e.g. social vs sucrose). In the operant conditioning process, the rats are placed in an operant chamber that is equipped with levers on either side. They learn to press these levers to access the reward on varying schedules of reinforcement. Results from this study indicate early life adversity associated with preference for sucrose reinforcement versus social reinforcement. These results imply early life adversity can prime the brain to seek natural rewards over social rewards that can confer risk for the development of substance use disorders. The Investigation provides an insight into the behavioral aspects of sucrose consumption and sociability, contributing to the understanding of its effects on risk vs. resilience phenotypes. Future directions include using the same methods we can recreate this experiment with THC and study how THC as the reinforcer affects behavior and sociability in rats.