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Stamos JP, Ma S, Pawlak AP, Engelhard N, Horvitz JC, West MO. Reward vs. motoric activations in Nucleus Accumbens Core of rats during pavlovian conditioning. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:3570-3590. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Stamos
- NeuroBehavioral Research Laboratory, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Research and Development (Mailstop 15) East Orange NJ USA
| | - Sisi Ma
- Institute for Health Informatics University of Minnesota Academic Health Center Minneapolis MN USA
| | - Anthony P. Pawlak
- Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies Rutgers University New Brunswick NJ USA
| | - Nofar Engelhard
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience Rutgers University Piscataway NJ USA
| | - Jon C. Horvitz
- Program in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience City University of New York New York NY USA
- Department of Psychology, CCNY New York NY USA
| | - Mark O. West
- Department of Psychology Rutgers University Piscataway NJ USA
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Opioid and Sucrose Craving Are Accompanied by Unique Behavioral and Affective Profiles after Extended Abstinence in Male and Female Rats. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0515-21.2022. [PMID: 35241453 PMCID: PMC9007407 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0515-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Incubation of craving refers to the intensification of drug-seeking behavior in response to reward-paired cues over the course of abstinence. In rodents, craving and drug-seeking behaviors have been measured by an increase in lever pressing in the absence of reinforcer availability in response to cue presentations. However, craving in rodents is difficult to define and little is known about the behavioral signatures that accompany increased drug-seeking behavior measured by lever pressing. The affective components of relapse are also important, but understudied in rodents. Hormonal fluctuations influence craving for psychostimulants, but little is known about the impact of the estrous cycle on opioid-seeking behavior. This study sought to delineate the behavioral and affective signatures associated with craving, and to examine the influence of the female estrous cycle on craving. Male and female rats underwent 10 d of intravenous opioid self-administration. Separate cohorts of control rats self-administered oral sucrose, a natural nondrug reward. Cue-induced seeking tests were conducted after 1 or 30d of forced abstinence. These sessions were recorded and scored for overall locomotion, instances of sniffing, grooming, or hyperactivity. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were also recorded to determine affective profiles that accompany opioid seeking. Although active lever presses and overall locomotion increased unanimously over extended abstinence from heroin and sucrose, a sex- and reinforcer-specific behavioral and affective signature of craving emerged. Furthermore, although the female estrous cycle did not affect taking or seeking, it appears to influence more granular behaviors.
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Kisko TM, Braun MD, Michels S, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Culmsee C, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Sex‐dependent effects of
Cacna1c
haploinsufficiency on juvenile social play behavior and pro‐social 50‐kHz ultrasonic communication in rats. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12552. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M. Kisko
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Department of PsychologyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Moria D. Braun
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Department of PsychologyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Susanne Michels
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine MannheimRuprecht‐Karls‐Universität Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine MannheimRuprecht‐Karls‐Universität Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Carsten Culmsee
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB)Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Rainer K. W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Department of PsychologyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB)Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Department of PsychologyPhilipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB)Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
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Ultrasonic Vocalizations as an Index of Positive Emotional State. HANDBOOK OF ULTRASONIC VOCALIZATION - A WINDOW INTO THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-809600-0.00024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Simmons SJ, Gregg RA, Tran FH, Mo L, von Weltin E, Barker DJ, Gentile TA, Watterson LR, Rawls SM, Muschamp JW. Comparing rewarding and reinforcing properties between 'bath salt' 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and cocaine using ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Addict Biol 2018; 23:102-110. [PMID: 27910188 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Abuse of synthetic psychostimulants like synthetic cathinones has risen in recent years. 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is one such synthetic cathinone that demonstrates a mechanism of action similar to cocaine. Compared to cocaine, MDPV is more potent at blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake and is readily self-administered by rodents. The present study compared the rewarding and reinforcing properties of MDPV and cocaine using systemic injection dose-response and self-administration models. Fifty kilohertz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were recorded as an index of positive affect throughout experiments. In Experiment 1, MDPV and cocaine dose-dependently elicited 50-kHz USVs upon systemic injection, but MDPV increased USVs at greater rates and with greater persistence relative to cocaine. In Experiment 2, latency to begin MDPV self-administration was shorter than latency to begin cocaine self-administration, and self-administered MDPV elicited greater and more persistent rates of 50-kHz USVs versus cocaine. MDPV-elicited 50-kHz USVs were sustained over the course of drug load-up whereas cocaine-elicited USVs waned following initial infusions. Notably, we observed a robust presence of context-elicited 50-kHz USVs from both MDPV and cocaine self-administering rats. Collectively, these data suggest that MDPV has powerfully rewarding and reinforcing effects relative to cocaine at one-tenth doses. Consistent with prior work, we additionally interpret these data in supporting that MDPV has significant abuse risk based on its potency and subjectively positive effects. Future studies will be needed to better refine therapeutic strategies targeted at reducing the rewarding effects of cathinone analogs in efforts to ultimately reduce abuse liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Simmons
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Ryan A. Gregg
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Fionya H. Tran
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Lili Mo
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Eva von Weltin
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - David J. Barker
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section; National Institutes of Health; USA
| | - Taylor A. Gentile
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Lucas R. Watterson
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - Scott M. Rawls
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
| | - John W. Muschamp
- Center for Substance Abuse Research; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; USA
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6
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Garcia EJ, Jorgensen ET, Sprick LS, Cain ME. Voluntary ethanol consumption changes anticipatory ultrasonic vocalizations but not novelty response. Behav Brain Res 2016; 320:186-194. [PMID: 27956212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Novelty and sensation seeking (NSS) and affective disorders are correlated with earlier ethanol (ETOH) consumption, and sustained drinking into adulthood. Understanding the NSS response and affective response before and after voluntary ETOH consumption could elucidate important individual differences promoting sustained ETOH consumption. This study determined that NSS and affective response to rewarding stimulation-measured by ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs)-change after adolescent ETOH voluntary drinking. Rats were tested for their NSS response using the inescapable novelty test. Then rats were tested for their affective response to a natural reward and USVs were measured. The natural reward was experimenter-induced play behavior. Rats were exposed to ETOH for 8 weeks using an intermittent two bottle paradigm. After 8 weeks of voluntary consumption, rats were retested for their response to NSS and affective response to natural reward. Results indicate that voluntary ETOH consumption did not change the response to novelty. Control and ETOH exposed rats decreased their novelty response equally after ETOH consumption, suggesting the decrease was due to age. Importantly, voluntary ETOH consumption changed affective USVs. Compared to water-drinking control rats, ETOH-consuming rats elicited greater anticipatory trill USVs to a natural reward-associated context during a post-drinking probe test. Tickle-induced trill USVs did not change differently between ETOH and control rats. These results provide evidence that voluntary intermittent ETOH exposure increases the anticipation of reward and may represent a form of incentive salience. We postulate these diverging effects could be due to differences in incentive salience or reward processing. Together, these results suggest that voluntary ETOH consumption changes the affective response to conditioned and unconditioned natural rewards and offers a behavioral mechanism for studying affective reward processing after ETOH consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Garcia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States.
| | - Emily T Jorgensen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States
| | - Lukas S Sprick
- Department of Psychological Sciences, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States
| | - Mary E Cain
- Department of Psychological Sciences, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States
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7
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Barker DJ, Simmons SJ, West MO. Ultrasonic Vocalizations as a Measure of Affect in Preclinical Models of Drug Abuse: A Review of Current Findings. Curr Neuropharmacol 2016; 13:193-210. [PMID: 26411762 PMCID: PMC4598431 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13999150318113642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present review describes ways in which ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) have been used in studies of substance abuse. Accordingly, studies are reviewed which demonstrate roles for affective processing in response to the presentation of drug-related cues, experimenter- and self-administered drug, drug withdrawal, and during tests of relapse/reinstatement. The review focuses on data collected from studies using cocaine and amphetamine, where a large body of evidence has been collected. Data suggest that USVs capture animals’ initial positive reactions to psychostimulant administration and are capable of identifying individual differences in affective responding. Moreover, USVs have been used to demonstrate that positive affect becomes sensitized to psychostimulants over acute exposure before eventually exhibiting signs of tolerance. In the drug-dependent animal, a mixture of USVs suggesting positive and negative affect is observed, illustrating mixed responses to psychostimulants. This mixture is predominantly characterized by an initial bout of positive affect followed by an opponent negative emotional state, mirroring affective responses observed in human addicts. During drug withdrawal, USVs demonstrate the presence of negative affective withdrawal symptoms. Finally, it has been shown that drug-paired cues produce a learned, positive anticipatory response during training, and that presentation of drug-paired cues following abstinence produces both positive affect and reinstatement behavior. Thus, USVs are a useful tool for obtaining an objective measurement of affective states in animal models of substance abuse and can increase the information extracted from drug administration studies. USVs enable detection of subtle differences in a behavioral response that might otherwise be missed using traditional measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Barker
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224.
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8
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Garcia EJ, Cain ME. Novelty response and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations: Differential prediction of locomotor and affective response to amphetamine in Sprague-Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:625-37. [PMID: 26564232 PMCID: PMC4729608 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4132-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Novelty and sensation seeking (NSS) predisposes humans and rats to experiment with psychostimulants. In animal models, different tests of NSS predict different phases of drug dependence. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are evoked by psychomotor stimulants and measure the affective/motivation response to stimuli, yet the role NSS has on USVs in response to amphetamine is not determined. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to determine if individual differences in NSS and USVs can predict locomotor and USV response to amphetamine (0.0, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg) after acute and chronic exposure. METHODS Thirty male rats were tested for their response to novelty (IEN), choice to engage in novelty (NPP), and heterospecific play (H-USV). Rats were administered non-contingent amphetamine or saline for seven exposures, and USVs and locomotor activity were measured. After a 14-day rest, rats were administered a challenge dose of amphetamine. RESULTS Regression analyses indicated that amphetamine dose-dependently increased locomotor activity and the NPP test negatively predicted treatment-induced locomotor activity. The H-USV test predicted treatment-induced frequency-modulated (FM) USVs, but the strength of prediction depended on IEN response. CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence that locomotor activity and FM USVs induced by amphetamine represent different behavioral responses. The prediction of amphetamine-induced FM USVs by the H-USV screen was changed by the novelty response, indicating that the affective value of amphetamine-measured by FM USVs-depends on novelty response. This provides evidence that higher novelty responders may develop a tolerance faster and may escalate intake faster.
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9
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Pultorak JD, Kelm-Nelson CA, Holt LR, Blue KV, Ciucci MR, Johnson AM. Decreased approach behavior and nucleus accumbens immediate early gene expression in response to Parkinsonian ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:365-79. [PMID: 26313334 PMCID: PMC4791201 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1086434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) have difficulty producing normal speech and voice, resulting in problems with interpersonal communication and reduced quality of life. Translational animal models of communicative dysfunction have been developed to assess disease pathology. However, it is unknown whether acoustic feature changes associated with vocal production deficits in these animal models lead to compromised communication. In rodents, male ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) have a well-established role in functional inter-sexual communication. To test whether acoustic deficits in USVs observed in a PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) knockout (KO) PD rat model compromise communication, we presented recordings of male PINK1 KO USVs and normal wild-type (WT) USVs to female rat listeners. We measured approached behavior and immediate early gene expression (c-Fos) in brain regions implicated in auditory processing and sexual motivation. Our results suggest that females show reduced approach in response to PINK1 KO USVs compared with WT. Moreover, females exposed to PINK1 KO USVs had lower c-Fos immunolabeling in the nucleus accumbens, a region implicated in sexual motivation. These results are the first to demonstrate that vocalization deficits in a rat PD model result in compromised communication. Thus, the PINK1 KO PD model may be valuable for assessing treatments aimed at restoring vocal communicative function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Pultorak
- a Department of Zoology , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Cynthia A Kelm-Nelson
- b Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Lauren R Holt
- c Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Katherine V Blue
- c Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Michelle R Ciucci
- b Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
- c Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
- d Neuroscience Training Program , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Aaron M Johnson
- e Department of Speech and Hearing Science , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign , IL , USA
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10
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Brudzynski SM. Pharmacology of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in adult Rats: Significance, Call Classification and Neural Substrate. Curr Neuropharmacol 2015; 13:180-92. [PMID: 26411761 PMCID: PMC4598430 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13999150210141444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological studies of emotional arousal and initiation of emotional states in rats measured by their ultrasonic vocalizations are reviewed. It is postulated that emission of vocalizations is an inseparable feature of emotional states and it evolved from mother-infant interaction. Positive emotional states are associated with emission of 50 kHz vocalizations that could be induced by rewarding situations and dopaminergic activation of the nucleus accumbens and are mediated by D1, D2, and partially D3 dopamine receptors. Three biologically significant subtypes of 50 kHz vocalizations have been identified, all expressing positive emotional states: (1) flat calls without frequency modulation that serve as contact calls during social interactions; (2) frequencymodulated calls without trills that signal rewarding and significantly motivated situation; and (3) frequency-modulated calls with trills or trills themselves that are emitted in highly emotional situations associated with intensive affective state. Negative emotional states are associated with emission of 22 kHz vocalizations that could be induced by aversive situations, muscarinic cholinergic activation of limbic areas of medial diencephalon and forebrain, and are mediated by M2 muscarinic receptors. Two biologically significant subtypes of 22 kHz vocalizations have been identified, both expressing negative emotional sates: (1) long calls that serve as alarm calls and signal external danger; and (2) short calls that express a state of discomfort without external danger. The positive and negative states with emission of vocalizations are initiated by two ascending reticular activating subsystems: the mesolimbic dopaminergic subsystem as a specific positive arousal system, and the mesolimbic cholinergic subsystem as a specific negative arousal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan M Brudzynski
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1 Canada.
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Colechio EM, Imperio CG, Grigson PS. Once is too much: conditioned aversion develops immediately and predicts future cocaine self-administration behavior in rats. Behav Neurosci 2014; 128:207-16. [PMID: 24773440 DOI: 10.1037/a0036264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Rats emit aversive taste reactivity (TR) behavior (i.e., gapes) following intraoral delivery of a cocaine-paired taste cue and greater conditioned aversive TR at the end of training predicts greater drug-seeking and taking. Here, we examined the development of this conditioned aversive TR behavior on a trial-by-trial basis in an effort to determine when the change in behavior occurs and whether early changes in this behavior can be used to predict later drug taking. The results show that conditioned aversive TR to a cocaine-paired cue occurs very early in training (i.e., following as few as 1-2 taste-drug pairings) and, importantly, that it can be used to predict later drug seeking and drug taking in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Colechio
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
| | - Caesar G Imperio
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
| | - Patricia S Grigson
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
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12
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Barker DJ, Bercovicz D, Servilio LC, Simmons SJ, Ma S, Root DH, Pawlak AP, West MO. Rat ultrasonic vocalizations demonstrate that the motivation to contextually reinstate cocaine-seeking behavior does not necessarily involve a hedonic response. Addict Biol 2014; 19:781-90. [PMID: 23506088 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Human self-reports often indicate that changes in mood are a major contributor to drug relapse. Still, arguments have been made that instances of drug-seeking following abstinence in animal models (i.e. relapse/reinstatement) may be outside of hedonic control. Therefore, the present study utilized ultrasonic vocalizations in the rat in order to evaluate affect during cocaine self-administration and contextual reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in a pre-clinical model of drug relapse (abstinence-reinstatement model). Results show that while subjects effectively reinstated drug-seeking (lever pressing) following 30 days of abstinence, and spontaneously recovered/reinstated drug-seeking following 60 days of abstinence, ultrasonic vocalizations did not increase over baseline levels during either reinstatement session. These results are consistent with previous results from our laboratory and current theories of addiction suggesting that cues that are weakly associated with drug consumption can motivate drug-seeking behavior that is outside of hedonic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Barker
- Department of Psychology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
| | | | - Lisa C. Servilio
- Department of Psychology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of California; San Diego CA USA
| | - Steven J. Simmons
- Department of Psychology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
- Department of Psychology; Temple University; Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Sisi Ma
- Department of Psychology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
| | - David H. Root
- Neuronal Networks Section: Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Baltimore MD USA
| | | | - Mark O. West
- Department of Psychology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
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13
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Brenes JC, Schwarting RKW. Attribution and expression of incentive salience are differentially signaled by ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102414. [PMID: 25047234 PMCID: PMC4105501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During Pavlovian incentive learning, the affective properties of rewards are thought to be transferred to their predicting cues. However, how rewards are represented emotionally in animals is widely unknown. This study sought to determine whether 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in rats may signal such a state of incentive motivation to natural, nutritional rewards. To this end, rats learned to anticipate food rewards and, across experiments, the current physiological state (deprived vs. sated), the type of learning mechanism recruited (Pavlovian vs. instrumental), the hedonic properties of UCS (low vs. high palatable food), and the availability of food reward (continued vs. discontinued) were manipulated. Overall, we found that reward-cues elicited 50-kHz calls as they were signaling a putative affective state indicative of incentive motivation in the rat. Attribution and expression of incentive salience, however, seemed not to be an unified process, and could be teased apart in two different ways: 1) under high motivational state (i.e., hunger), the attribution of incentive salience to cues occurred without being expressed at the USVs level, if reward expectations were higher than the outcome; 2) in all experiments when food rewards were devalued by satiation, reward cues were still able to elicit USVs and conditioned anticipatory activity although reward seeking and consumption were drastically weakened. Our results suggest that rats are capable of representing rewards emotionally beyond apparent, immediate physiological demands. These findings may have translational potential in uncovering mechanisms underlying aberrant and persistent motivation as observed in drug addiction, gambling, and eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Brenes
- Institute for Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Facio Campus, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Facio Campus, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Rainer K. W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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14
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Barker DJ, Simmons SJ, Servilio LC, Bercovicz D, Ma S, Root DH, Pawlak AP, West MO. Ultrasonic vocalizations: evidence for an affective opponent process during cocaine self-administration. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:909-18. [PMID: 24197178 PMCID: PMC3989366 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3309-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Preclinical models of cocaine addiction in the rodent have shown that cocaine induces both positive and negative affective states. These observations have led to the notion that the initial positive/euphoric state induced by cocaine administration may be followed by an opposing, negative process. In the rodent, one method for inferring positive and negative affective states involves measuring their ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Previous USV recordings from our laboratory suggested that the transition between positive and negative affect might involve decaying or sub-satiety levels of self-administered cocaine. OBJECTIVES In order to explicitly test the role of cocaine levels on these affective states, the present study examined USVs when calculated body levels of cocaine were clamped (i.e., held at a constant level via experimenter-controlled infusions) at, below, or above subjects' self-determined drug satiety thresholds. RESULTS USVs indicated that (1) positive affect was predominantly observed during the drug loading period, but declined quickly to near zero during maintenance and exhibited little relation to calculated drug level, and (2) in contrast, negative affect was observed at sub-satiety cocaine levels, but was relatively absent when body levels of cocaine were clamped at or above subjects' satiety thresholds. CONCLUSIONS The results reinforce the opponent-process hypothesis of addiction and suggest that an understanding of the mechanisms underlying negative affect might serve to inform behavioral and pharmacological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Barker
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Steven J. Simmons
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Lisa C. Servilio
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Danielle Bercovicz
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Sisi Ma
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - David H. Root
- Neuronal Networks Section: Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Anthony P. Pawlak
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Mark O. West
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
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