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Maddern XJ, Walker LC, Anversa RG, Lawrence AJ, Campbell EJ. Understanding sex differences and the translational value of models of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107944. [PMID: 38825163 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Persistent substance use despite negative consequences is a key facet of substance use disorder. The last decade has seen the preclinical field adopt the use of punishment to model adverse consequences associated with substance use. This has largely involved the pairing of drug use with either electric foot shock or quinine, a bitter tastant. Whilst at face value, these punishers may model aspects of the physical and psychological consequences of substance use, such models are yet to assist the development of approved medications for treatment. This review discusses progress made with animal models of punishment to understand the behavioral consequences of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. We highlight the importance of examining sex differences, especially when the behavioral response to punishment changes following drug exposure. Finally, we critique the translational value these models provide for the substance use disorder field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier J Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Roberta G Anversa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
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2
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Blejewski RC, Van Heukelom JT, Langford JS, Hunt KH, Rinkert IR, Wagner TJ, Pitts RC, Hughes CE. Behavioral mechanisms of oxycodone's effects in female and male rats: Reinforcement delay and impulsive choice. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:1050-1068. [PMID: 37199913 PMCID: PMC10656366 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
μ-Opioid agonists (e.g., morphine) typically increase impulsive choice, which has been interpreted as an opioid-induced increase in sensitivity to reinforcement delay. Relatively little research has been done with opioids other than morphine (e.g., oxycodone), or on sex differences in opioid effects, on impulsive choice. The present study investigated the effects of acute (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) and chronic (1.0 mg/kg twice/day) administration of oxycodone on choice controlled by reinforcement delay, a primary mechanism implicated in impulsive choice, in female and male rats. Rats responded under a concurrent-chains procedure designed to quantify the effects of reinforcement delay on choice within each session. For both sexes, choice was sensitive to delay under this procedure. Sensitivity to delay under baseline was slightly higher for males than females, suggesting more impulsive choice with males. When given acutely, intermediate and higher doses of oxycodone decreased sensitivity to delay; this effect was larger and more reliable in males than females. When given chronically, sex differences were also observed: tolerance developed to the sensitivity-decreasing effects in females, whereas sensitization developed in males. These data suggest that reinforcement delay may play an important role in sex differences in impulsive choice, as well as in the effects of acute and chronic administration of opioids in impulsive choice. However, drug-induced changes in impulsive choice could be related to at least two potential behavioral mechanisms: reinforcement delay and/or reinforcement magnitude. Effects of oxycodone on sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude remain to be fully characterized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeremy S. Langford
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University
| | - Katelyn H. Hunt
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
| | | | - Thomas J. Wagner
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
| | - Raymond C. Pitts
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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3
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Wenzel JM, Zlebnik NE, Patton MH, Smethells JR, Ayvazian VM, Dantrassy HM, Zhang LY, Mathur BN, Cheer JF. Selective chemogenetic inactivation of corticoaccumbal projections disrupts trait choice impulsivity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1821-1831. [PMID: 37208501 PMCID: PMC10579332 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01604-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive choice has enduring trait-like characteristics and is defined by preference for small immediate rewards over larger delayed ones. Importantly, it is a determining factor in the development and persistence of substance use disorder (SUD). Emerging evidence from human and animal studies suggests frontal cortical regions exert influence over striatal reward processing areas during decision-making in impulsive choice or delay discounting (DD) tasks. The goal of this study was to examine how these circuits are involved in decision-making in animals with defined trait impulsivity. To this end, we trained adolescent male rats to stable behavior on a DD procedure and then re-trained them in adulthood to assess trait-like, conserved impulsive choice across development. We then used chemogenetic tools to selectively and reversibly target corticostriatal projections during performance of the DD task. The prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was injected with a viral vector expressing inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (Gi-DREADD), and then mPFC projections to the nucleus accumbens core (NAc) were selectively suppressed by intra-NAc administration of the Gi-DREADD actuator clozapine-n-oxide (CNO). Inactivation of the mPFC-NAc projection elicited a robust increase in impulsive choice in rats with lower vs. higher baseline impulsivity. This demonstrates a fundamental role for mPFC afferents to the NAc during choice impulsivity and suggests that maladaptive hypofrontality may underlie decreased executive control in animals with higher levels of choice impulsivity. Results such as these may have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of impulse control, SUDs, and related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Wenzel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA.
| | - Natalie E Zlebnik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
| | - Mary H Patton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - John R Smethells
- Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, USA
| | - Victoria M Ayvazian
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Hannah M Dantrassy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Lan-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
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4
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Gancarz AM, Mitchell SH, George AM, Martin CD, Turk MC, Bool HM, Aktar F, Kwarteng F, Palmer AA, Meyer PJ, Richards JB, Dietz DM, Ishiwari K. Reward maximization assessed using a sequential patch depletion task in a large sample of heterogeneous stock rats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7027. [PMID: 37120610 PMCID: PMC10148848 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34179-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Choice behavior requires animals to evaluate both short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of all potential alternatives. Impulsive choice is traditionally measured in laboratory tasks by utilizing delay discounting (DD), a paradigm that offers a choice between a smaller immediate reward, or a larger more delayed reward. This study tested a large sample of Heterogeneous Stock (HS) male (n = 896) and female (n = 898) rats, part of a larger genetic study, to investigate whether measures of reward maximization overlapped with traditional models of delay discounting via the patch depletion model using a Sequential Patch Depletion procedure. In this task, rats were offered a concurrent choice between two water "patches" and could elect to "stay" in the current patch or "leave" for an alternative patch. Staying in the current patch resulted in decreasing subsequent reward magnitudes, whereas the choice to leave a patch was followed by a delay and a resetting to the maximum reward magnitude. Based on the delay in a given session, different visit durations were necessary to obtain the maximum number of rewards. Visit duration may be analogous to an indifference point in traditional DD tasks. Males and females did not significantly differ on traditional measures of DD (e.g. delay gradient; AUC). When examining measures of patch utilization, females made fewer patch changes at all delays and spent more time in the patch before leaving for the alternative patch compared to males. Consistent with this, there was some evidence that females deviated from reward maximization more than males. However, when controlling for body weight, females had a higher normalized rate of reinforcement than males. Measures of reward maximization were only weakly associated with traditional DD measures and may represent distinctive underlying processes. Taken together, females performance differed from males with regard to reward maximization that were not observed utilizing traditional measures of DD, suggesting that the patch depletion model was more sensitive to modest sex differences when compared to traditional DD measures in a large sample of HS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Gancarz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA.
| | - Suzanne H Mitchell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Oregon Institute for Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Anthony M George
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Connor D Martin
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Marisa C Turk
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Heather M Bool
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Fahmida Aktar
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Francis Kwarteng
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Abraham A Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Paul J Meyer
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Jerry B Richards
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - David M Dietz
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Keita Ishiwari
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
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5
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Truckenbrod LM, Cooper EM, Orsini CA. Cognitive mechanisms underlying decision making involving risk of explicit punishment in male and female rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:248-275. [PMID: 36539558 PMCID: PMC10065932 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01052-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals engage in the process of risk-based decision making on a daily basis to navigate various aspects of life. There are, however, individual differences in this form of decision making, with some individuals exhibiting preference for riskier choices (risk taking) and others exhibiting preference for safer choices (risk aversion). Recent work has shown that extremes in risk taking (e.g., excessive risk taking or risk aversion) are not only cognitive features of neuropsychiatric diseases, but may in fact predispose individuals to the development of such diseases. To better understand individual differences in risk taking, and thus the mechanisms by which they confer disease vulnerability, the current study investigated the cognitive contributions to risk taking in both males and females. Rats were first behaviorally characterized in a decision-making task involving risk of footshock punishment and then tested on a battery of cognitive behavioral assays. Individual variability in risk taking was compared with performance on these tasks. Consistent with prior work, females were more risk averse than males. With the exception of the Set-shifting Task, there were no sex differences in performance on other cognitive assays. There were, however, sex-dependent associations between risk taking and specific cognitive measures. Greater risk taking was associated with better cognitive flexibility in males whereas greater risk aversion was associated with better working memory in females. Collectively, these findings reveal that distinct cognitive mechanisms are associated with risk taking in males and females, which may account for sex differences in this form of decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Emily M Cooper
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 1601B Trinity Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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6
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Gancarz AM, Mitchell SH, George AM, Martin CD, Turk MC, Bool HM, Aktar F, Kwarteng F, Palmer AA, Meyer PJ, Richards JB, Dietz DM, Isiwari K. Reward Maximization Assessed Using a Sequential Patch Depletion Task in a Large Sample of Heterogeneous Stock Rats. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2525080. [PMID: 36778344 PMCID: PMC9915773 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2525080/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Choice behavior requires animals to evaluate both short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of all potential alternatives. Impulsive choice is traditionally measured in laboratory tasks by utilizing delay discounting (DD), a paradigm that offers a choice between a smaller immediate reward, or a larger more delayed reward. This study tested a large sample of Heterogeneous Stock (HS) male (n = 896) and female (n = 898) rats, part of a larger genetic study, to investigate whether measures of reward maximization overlapped with traditional models of delay discounting via the patch depletion model using a Sequential Patch Depletion procedure. In this task, rats were offered a concurrent choice between two water "patches" and could elect to "stay" in the current patch or "leave" for an alternative patch. Staying in the current patch resulted in decreasing subsequent reward magnitudes, whereas the choice to leave a patch was followed by a delay and a resetting to the maximum reward magnitude. Based on the delay in a given session, different visit durations were necessary to obtain the maximum number of rewards. Visit duration may be analogous to an indifference point in traditional DD tasks. While differences in traditional DD measures (e.g., delay gradient) have been detected between males and females, these effects were small and inconsistent. However, when examining measures of reward maximization, females made fewer patch changes at all delays and spent more time in the patch before leaving for the alternative patch compared to males. This pattern of choice resulted in males having a higher rate of reinforcement than females. Consistent with this, there was some evidence that females deviated from the optimal more, leading to less reward. Measures of reward maximization were only weakly associated with traditional DD measures and may represent distinctive underlying processes. Taken together, females performance differed from males with regard to reward maximization that were not observed utilizing traditional measures of DD, suggesting that the patch depletion model was more sensitive to modest sex differences when compared to traditional DD measures in a large sample of HS rats.
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7
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Sex Differences in Behavioral Responding and Dopamine Release during Pavlovian Learning. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0050-22.2022. [PMID: 35264461 PMCID: PMC8941639 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0050-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning associations between cues and rewards require the mesolimbic dopamine system. The dopamine response to cues signals differences in reward value in well trained animals. However, these value-related dopamine responses are absent during early training sessions when cues signal differences in the reward rate. These findings suggest cue-evoked dopamine release conveys differences between outcomes only after extensive training, though it is unclear whether this is unique to when cues signal differences in reward rate, or whether this is also evident when cues signal differences in other value-related parameters such as reward size. To address this, we used a Pavlovian conditioning task in which one audio cue was associated with a small reward (one pellet) and another audio cue was associated with a large reward (three pellets). We performed fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to record changes in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of male and female rats throughout learning. While female rats exhibited higher levels of conditioned responding, a faster latency to respond, and elevated post-reward head entries relative to male rats, there were no sex differences in the dopamine response to cues. Multiple training sessions were required before cue-evoked dopamine release signaled differences in reward size. Reward-evoked dopamine release scaled with reward size, though females displayed lower reward-evoked dopamine responses relative to males. Conditioned responding related to the decrease in the peak reward-evoked dopamine response and not to cue-evoked dopamine release. Collectively, these data illustrate sex differences in behavioral responding as well as in reward-evoked dopamine release during Pavlovian learning.
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McNealy KR, Houser SD, Barrett ST, Bevins RA. Investigating sex differences and the effect of drug exposure order in the sensory reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and d-amphetamine alone and in combination. Neuropharmacology 2022; 202:108845. [PMID: 34678376 PMCID: PMC8627442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine enhances the rewarding effects of other environmental stimuli; this reward-enhancement encourages and maintains nicotine consumption. Nicotine use precedes other psychostimulant use, but receiving a stimulant prescription also predicts future smoking. Previously, no study has investigated effects of drug exposure order in reward-enhancement, nor with nicotine and d-amphetamine. Thus, we aimed to investigate how drug exposure order impacted the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and d-amphetamine, alone and in combination. We used 20 male and 20 female Sprague-Dawley rats. Enhancement was investigated within-subjects by examining responding maintained by a visual stimulus reinforcer following a pre-session injection of either d-amphetamine (Sal, 0.1, 0.3, or 0.6 mg/kg) or nicotine (Sal, 0.03, 0.06, 0.1, 0.3 mg/kg). Twenty rats (10 M, 10 F) completed enhancement testing with nicotine before d-amphetamine. The other 20 rats (10 M, 10 F) completed testing with d-amphetamine before nicotine. Following these phases, rats were then given two pre-session injections: one of d-amphetamine (Sal, 0.1, 0.3, or 0.6 mg/kg) and another of nicotine (Sal, 0.03, 0.06, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg). Experiencing amphetamine before nicotine increased reward-enhancing effects of nicotine. Females exhibited greater effects of d-amphetamine on reward-enhancement, with no effect of exposure order. During the interaction phase, receiving nicotine before amphetamine enhanced the interaction between nicotine and d-amphetamine for females whereas amphetamine before nicotine heightened this interaction for males. From this, prior and current amphetamine use, in addition to sex, should be considered when treating nicotine dependency and when examining factors driving poly-substance use involving nicotine and d-amphetamine. Keywords: Adderall, ADHD, Dexedrine, operant, smoking, polysubstance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R McNealy
- Department of Psychology University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Sydney D Houser
- Department of Psychology University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Scott T Barrett
- Department of Psychology University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Rick A Bevins
- Department of Psychology University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA.
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9
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Delays to Reward Delivery Enhance the Preference for an Initially Less Desirable Option: Role for the Basolateral Amygdala and Retrosplenial Cortex. J Neurosci 2021; 41:7461-7478. [PMID: 34315810 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0438-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal costs influence reward-based decisions. This is commonly studied in temporal discounting tasks that involve choosing between cues signaling an imminent reward option or a delayed reward option. However, it is unclear whether the temporal delay before a reward can alter the value of that option. To address this, we identified the relative preference between different flavored rewards during a free-feeding test using male and female rats. Animals underwent training where either the initial preferred or the initial less preferred reward was delivered noncontingently. By manipulating the intertrial interval during training sessions, we could determine whether temporal delays impact reward preference in a subsequent free-feeding test. Rats maintained their initial preference if the same delays were used across all training sessions. When the initial less preferred option was delivered after short delays (high reward rate) and the initial preferred option was delivered after long delays (low reward rate), rats expectedly increased their preference for the initial less desirable option. However, rats also increased their preference for the initial less desirable option under the opposite training contingencies: delivering the initial less preferred reward after long delays and the initial preferred reward after short delays. These data suggest that sunk temporal costs enhance the preference for a less desirable reward option. Pharmacological and lesion experiments were performed to identify the neural systems responsible for this behavioral phenomenon. Our findings demonstrate the basolateral amygdala and retrosplenial cortex are required for temporal delays to enhance the preference for an initially less desirable reward.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The goal of this study was to determine how temporal delays influence reward preference. We demonstrate that delivering an initially less desirable reward after long delays subsequently increases the consumption and preference for that reward. Furthermore, we identified the basolateral amygdala and the retrosplenial cortex as essential nuclei for mediating the change in reward preference elicited by sunk temporal costs.
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Francoeur MJ, Tang T, Fakhraei L, Wu X, Hulyalkar S, Cramer J, Buscher N, Ramanathan DR. Chronic, Multi-Site Recordings Supported by Two Low-Cost, Stationary Probe Designs Optimized to Capture Either Single Unit or Local Field Potential Activity in Behaving Rats. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:678103. [PMID: 34421671 PMCID: PMC8374626 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.678103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models of cognitive behavior have greatly contributed to our understanding of human neuropsychiatric disorders. However, to elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of such disorders or impairments, animal models are more useful when paired with methods for measuring brain function in awake, behaving animals. Standard tools used for systems-neuroscience level investigations are not optimized for large-scale and high-throughput behavioral battery testing due to various factors including cost, time, poor longevity, and selective targeting limited to measuring only a few brain regions at a time. Here we describe two different "user-friendly" methods for building extracellular electrophysiological probes that can be used to measure either single units or local field potentials in rats performing cognitive tasks. Both probe designs leverage several readily available, yet affordable, commercial products to facilitate ease of production and offer maximum flexibility in terms of brain-target locations that can be scalable (32-64 channels) based on experimental needs. Our approach allows neural activity to be recorded simultaneously with behavior and compared between micro (single unit) and more macro (local field potentials) levels of brain activity in order to gain a better understanding of how local brain regions and their connected networks support cognitive functions in rats. We believe our novel probe designs make collecting electrophysiology data easier and will begin to fill the gap in knowledge between basic and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda J. Francoeur
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tianzhi Tang
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Leila Fakhraei
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Xuanyu Wu
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sidharth Hulyalkar
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jessica Cramer
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Nathalie Buscher
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dhakshin R. Ramanathan
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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11
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McNealy KR, Ramsay ME, Barrett ST, Bevins RA. Reward-enhancing effects of d-amphetamine and its interactions with nicotine were greater in female rats and persisted across schedules of reinforcement. Behav Pharmacol 2021; 32:435-447. [PMID: 34010168 PMCID: PMC8266728 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine enhances the value of environmental stimuli and rewards, and reward enhancement can maintain nicotine consumption. Stimulants such as d-amphetamine are misused more by women and are commonly co-used with nicotine. d-Amphetamine potentiates nicotine's effects in human and animal research. To date, there are no published studies examining this interaction in a reward-enhancement task. The current study sought to investigate the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine alongside and coadministered with d-amphetamine. Further, we evaluated the persistence of reward enhancement across ratio and temporal schedules of reinforcement. We used 10 male and 10 female Sprague-Dawley rats. Enhancement was assessed within subjects by examining active lever pressing for a visual stimulus reinforcer on variable ratio 3, variable interval 30 s and variable time 30 s - variable ratio 3 schedules. Before 1-h sessions, rats received one injection of saline, 0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg d-amphetamine and one of saline or 0.4 mg/kg nicotine, making six possible drug combinations (saline + saline, saline + nicotine, 0.1 d-amphetamine + aline, 0.1 d-amphetamine + nicotine, 0.3 d-amphetamine + saline and 0.3 d-amphetamine + nicotine) experienced in a randomized order by each rat. When d-amphetamine was coadministered with nicotine, we found an interaction effect on reward enhancement that persisted across schedules of reinforcement. Males and females exhibited reward enhancement by 0.3 d-amphetamine, while only females showed reward enhancement by 0.1 d-amphetamine. Further, females responded more for the visual stimulus than males in all d-amphetamine conditions. Future studies should assess how reward enhancement is involved in high nicotine-amphetamine comorbidity rates and enhanced amphetamine misuse in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R McNealy
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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12
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Bravo-Rivera H, Rubio Arzola P, Caban-Murillo A, Vélez-Avilés AN, Ayala-Rosario SN, Quirk GJ. Characterizing Different Strategies for Resolving Approach-Avoidance Conflict. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:608922. [PMID: 33716644 PMCID: PMC7947632 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.608922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of animals to maximize benefits and minimize costs during approach-avoidance conflicts is an important evolutionary tool, but little is known about the emergence of specific strategies for conflict resolution. Accordingly, we developed a simple approach-avoidance conflict task in rats that pits the motivation to press a lever for sucrose against the motivation to step onto a distant platform to avoid a footshock delivered at the end of a 30 s tone (sucrose is available only during the tone). Rats received conflict training for 16 days to give them a chance to optimize their strategy by learning to properly time the expression of both behaviors across the tone. Rats unexpectedly separated into three distinct subgroups: those pressing early in the tone and avoiding later (Timers, 49%); those avoiding throughout the tone (Avoidance-preferring, 32%); and those pressing throughout the tone (Approach-preferring, 19%). The immediate early gene cFos revealed that Timers showed increased activity in the ventral striatum and midline thalamus relative to the other two subgroups, Avoidance-preferring rats showed increased activity in the amygdala, and Approach-preferring rats showed decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. This pattern is consistent with low fear and high behavioral flexibility in Timers, suggesting the potential of this task to reveal the neural mechanisms of conflict resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Patricia Rubio Arzola
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Albit Caban-Murillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Adriana N. Vélez-Avilés
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Shantée N. Ayala-Rosario
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Gregory J. Quirk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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13
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Moreno M, Azocar V, Vergés A, Fuentealba JA. High impulsive choice is accompanied by an increase in dopamine release in rat dorsolateral striatum. Behav Brain Res 2021; 405:113199. [PMID: 33636234 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine neurotransmission has been consistently associated with individual differences in impulsive choice. Clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that low striatal dopamine D2 signaling predisposes to engage in impulsive behaviors. Although dopamine D2 signaling controls dopamine (DA) extracellular levels, the relationship between striatal dopamine extracellular levels and impulsive choice remains poorly understood. Using quantitative microdialysis, we investigated whether extracellular DA levels in rat dorsolateral striatum (DLS) correlates with preference for an immediate small reward or for a delayed larger reward. Rats were tested in a delay-discounting task and classified as high impulsive (HI) or low impulsive (LI) according to the area under the discounting curve (AUC). No-net flux microdialysis experiments, assessing basal DA release, DA-uptake, and DA extracellular concentration (DA Cext), were carried out in dorsolateral striatum (DLS) of urethane-anesthetized rats. Rats classified as HI showed a higher DA release compared with LI rats. Differences in DLS DA-uptake and DA Cext were non-significant. Importantly, a significant negative correlation was observed between AUC and DA release, indicating that the lower the AUC, the higher the DLS DA release. This finding shows that DA release is augmented in the DLS of rats classified as HI, suggesting that a hyper-activated nigro-striatal pathway contributes to impulsive choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Moreno
- Department of Pharmacy and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Victor Azocar
- Department of Pharmacy and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alvaro Vergés
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Antonio Fuentealba
- Department of Pharmacy and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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14
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Garman TS, Setlow B, Orsini CA. Effects of a high-fat diet on impulsive choice in rats. Physiol Behav 2021; 229:113260. [PMID: 33227243 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Obesity and binge eating disorder are associated with high levels of impulsivity, but the causal role of eating and palatable food in these associations is unclear. Studies in rodents show that a high-fat diet can increase one aspect of impulsivity (impulsive action); it is less clear, however, whether a dissociable aspect of impulsivity (impulsive choice) is similarly affected. Hence, the aim of this study was to ascertain whether chronic exposure to a high-fat diet would alter impulsive choice. METHODS Male rats were maintained on either a high-fat or control chow diet for two weeks ad libitum. They then underwent equi-caloric food restriction for the duration of the experiment, with each group maintained on their respective diet. To measure impulsive choice, rats were trained on a delay discounting task (DDT) in which they made discrete choices between a lever that delivered a small food reward immediately and a lever that delivered a large food reward accompanied by systematically increasing delays. Upon reaching stable performance on the DDT, rats were given acute systemic injections of amphetamine prior to testing in the DDT to determine whether increased monoamine transmission affected impulsive choice differently in the two diet groups. Lastly, subjects were tested on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement to assess motivation for a sucrose reward. RESULTS There was no significant effect of the high-fat diet on impulsive choice. Further, amphetamine decreased choice of the large, delayed reward (increased impulsive choice) to the same extent in both groups. Exposure to the high-fat diet did, however, increase motivation to obtain a sucrose reward. CONCLUSIONS These experiments reveal that, under conditions that do not promote weight gain, a chronic high-fat diet does not affect impulsive choice in a delay discounting task. The data are surprising in light of findings showing that this same diet alters impulsive action, and highlight the necessity of further research to elucidate relationships between palatable food consumption and impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry; McKnight Brain Institute; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry; McKnight Brain Institute; Department of Psychology, Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.
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15
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Garrigos D, Martínez-Morga M, Toval A, Kutsenko Y, Barreda A, Do Couto BR, Navarro-Mateu F, Ferran JL. A Handful of Details to Ensure the Experimental Reproducibility on the FORCED Running Wheel in Rodents: A Systematic Review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:638261. [PMID: 34040580 PMCID: PMC8141847 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.638261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A well-documented method and experimental design are essential to ensure the reproducibility and reliability in animal research. Experimental studies using exercise programs in animal models have experienced an exponential increase in the last decades. Complete reporting of forced wheel and treadmill exercise protocols would help to ensure the reproducibility of training programs. However, forced exercise programs are characterized by a poorly detailed methodology. Also, current guidelines do not cover the minimum data that must be included in published works to reproduce training programs. For this reason, we have carried out a systematic review to determine the reproducibility of training programs and experimental designs of published research in rodents using a forced wheel system. Having determined that most of the studies were not detailed enough to be reproducible, we have suggested guidelines for animal research using FORCED exercise wheels, which could also be applicable to any form of forced exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Garrigos
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marta Martínez-Morga
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Angel Toval
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Yevheniy Kutsenko
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Alberto Barreda
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Bruno Ribeiro Do Couto
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Fernando Navarro-Mateu
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Unidad de Docencia, Investigación y Formación en Salud Mental (UDIF-SM), Servicio Murciano de Salud, Murcia, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - José Luis Ferran
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- *Correspondence: José Luis Ferran,
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16
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Hernandez CM, Orsini C, Wheeler AR, Ten Eyck TW, Betzhold SM, Labiste CC, Wright NG, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Testicular hormones mediate robust sex differences in impulsive choice in rats. eLife 2020; 9:58604. [PMID: 32985975 PMCID: PMC7521924 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in choosing optimally between immediate and delayed rewards are associated with numerous psychiatric disorders. Such ‘intertemporal’ choice is influenced by genetic and experiential factors; however, the contributions of biological sex are understudied and data to date are largely inconclusive. Rats were used to determine how sex and gonadal hormones influence choices between small, immediate and large, delayed rewards. Females showed markedly greater preference than males for small, immediate over large, delayed rewards (greater impulsive choice). This difference was neither due to differences in food motivation or reward magnitude perception, nor was it affected by estrous cycle. Ovariectomies did not affect choice in females, whereas orchiectomies increased impulsive choice in males. These data show that male rats exhibit less impulsive choice than females and that this difference is at least partly maintained by testicular hormones. These differences in impulsive choice could be linked to gender differences across multiple neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Caitlin Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Tyler W Ten Eyck
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Sara M Betzhold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Chase C Labiste
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Noelle G Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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17
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Yates JR, Ellis AL, Evans KE, Kappesser JL, Lilly KM, Mbambu P, Sutphin TG. Pair housing, but not using a controlled reinforcer frequency procedure, attenuates the modulatory effect of probability presentation order on amphetamine-induced changes in risky choice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 390:112669. [PMID: 32417278 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Probability discounting is often measured with independent schedules. Independent schedules have several limitations, such as confounding preference for one alternative with frequency of reward presentation and generating ceiling/floor effects at certain probabilities. To address this potential caveat, a controlled reinforcer frequency schedule can be used, in which the manipulandum that leads to reinforcement is pseudo-randomly determined before each trial. This schedule ensures subjects receive equal presentations of the small and large magnitude reinforcers across each block of trials. A total of 24 pair-housed and 11 individually housed female Sprague Dawley rats were tested in a controlled reinforcer frequency procedure. For half of the rats, the odds against (OA) receiving the large magnitude reinforcer increased across the session (ascending schedule); the OA decreased across the session for half of the rats (descending schedule). Following training, rats received treatments of amphetamine (AMPH; 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg; s.c.). For pair-housed rats, AMPH (0.5 mg/kg) increased risky choice, regardless of probability presentation order, whereas a higher dose of AMPH (1.0 mg/kg) decreased discriminability of reinforcer magnitude for rats trained on the descending schedule only. For individually housed rats, probability presentation order modulated the effects of AMPH on probability discounting, as AMPH (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) increased risky choice in rats trained on the ascending schedule but not on the descending schedule. These results show that pair-housing animals, but not using a controlled reinforcer frequency procedure, attenuates the modulatory effects of probability presentation order on drug effects on risky choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA.
| | - Alexis L Ellis
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Karson E Evans
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Joy L Kappesser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Kadyn M Lilly
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Prodiges Mbambu
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Tanner G Sutphin
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
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18
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Li G, Zhang S, Le TM, Tang X, Li CSR. Neural Responses to Reward in a Gambling Task: Sex Differences and Individual Variation in Reward-Driven Impulsivity. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa025. [PMID: 32864617 PMCID: PMC7446303 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work suggests sex differences in reward sensitivity. However, it remains unclear how men and women differ in the neural processes of reward-driven impulsivity. With a data set of 968 subjects (502 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project, we investigated sex differences in regional activations to reward and to punishment in a gambling task. Individual variations in reward-driven impulsivity were quantified by the difference in reaction time between reward and punishment blocks in the gambling task, as well as by a behavioral measure of delay discounting. At a corrected threshold, men and women exhibited significant differences in regional activations to reward and to punishment. Longer reaction times during reward versus punishment blocks, indicative of more cautious responding, were associated with left-hemispheric lateral prefrontal cortical activation to reward in men but not women. Steeper discounting was associated with higher activation to reward in the right-hemispheric dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and angular gyrus in women but not men. These sex differences were confirmed in slope tests. Together, the results highlight the sex-specific neural processes of reward-driven impulsivity with left-hemispheric prefrontal cortex supporting impulse control in men and right-hemispheric saliency circuit playing a more important role in diminished impulse control in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, China
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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19
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Yates JR, Day HA, Evans KE, Igwe HO, Kappesser JL, Miller AL, Murray CP, Torline BT, Ellis AL, Stacy WL. Effects of d-amphetamine and MK-801 on impulsive choice: Modulation by schedule of reinforcement and delay length. Behav Brain Res 2019; 376:112228. [PMID: 31520689 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Procedural modifications can modulate drug effects in delay discounting, such as signaling the delay to reinforcement and altering the order in which delays are presented. Although the schedule of reinforcement can alter the rate at which animals discount a reinforcer, research has not determined if animals trained on different schedules of reinforcement are differentially affected by pharmacological manipulations. Similarly, research has not determined if using different delays to reinforcement can modulate drug effects in delay discounting. Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 36) were split into four groups and were trained in a delay-discounting procedure. The schedule of reinforcement (fixed ratio [FR] 1 vs. FR 10) and delays to reinforcement (0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 s vs. 0, 10, 30, 60, 100 s) were manipulated for each group. Following behavioral training, rats were treated with d-amphetamine (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0, 0.03, and 0.06 mg/kg). Results showed that amphetamine decreased impulsive choice when a FR 1 schedule was used, but only when the short delay sequence was used. Conversely, amphetamine decreased impulsive choice when a FR 10 schedule was used, but only when rats were trained on the long delay sequence. MK-801 decreased impulsive choice in rats trained on a FR 1 schedule, regardless of delay sequence, but did not alter choice in rats trained on a FR 10 schedule. These results show that schedule of reinforcement and delay length can modulate drug effects in delay discounting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA.
| | - Haley A Day
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Karson E Evans
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Hephzibah O Igwe
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Joy L Kappesser
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Amber L Miller
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Christopher P Murray
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Brett T Torline
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Alexis L Ellis
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - William L Stacy
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
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20
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Freund N, Jordan CJ, Lukkes JL, Norman KJ, Andersen SL. Juvenile exposure to methylphenidate and guanfacine in rats: effects on early delay discounting and later cocaine-taking behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:685-698. [PMID: 30411140 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5096-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Both methylphenidate (MPH), a catecholamine reuptake blocker, and guanfacine, an alpha2A agonist, are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Childhood impulsivity, including delay discounting, is associated with increased substance use during adolescence. These effects can be mitigated by juvenile exposure to MPH, but less is known about the long-term effects of developmental exposure to guanfacine in males and females. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine sex differences and dose-dependent effects of juvenile exposure to MPH or guanfacine on delay-discounting and later cocaine self-administration. METHODS The dose-dependent effects of vehicle, MPH (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg p.o.) or guanfacine (0.003, 0.03, and 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) on discounting were determined in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats beginning at postnatal day (P)20. At P90, the amount, motivation, and sensitivity to cocaine following early drug exposure were determined with self-administration. RESULTS Guanfacine, but not MPH, significantly reduced weight by 22.9 ± 4.6% in females. MPH dose dependently decreased delay discounting in both juvenile males and females, while guanfacine was only effective in males. Discounting was associated with cocaine self-administration in vehicle males (R2 = -0.4, P < 0.05) and self-administration was reduced by guanfacine treatment (0.3 mg/kg). Guanfacine significantly decreased cocaine sensitivity in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that MPH is effective in reducing delay discounting in both sexes. Due to both weight loss and ineffectiveness on discounting in females, guanfacine should be used only in males to reduce delay discounting and later cocaine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Freund
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.,Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Chloe J Jordan
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.,Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jodi L Lukkes
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin J Norman
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Susan L Andersen
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
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21
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Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:86-96. [PMID: 30143781 PMCID: PMC6235899 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The executive functions allow for purposeful, deliberate, and intentional interactions with the world-attention and focus, impulse control, decision making, and working memory. These measures have been correlated with academic outcomes and quality of life, and are impacted by deleterious environmental events throughout the life span, including gestational and early life insults. This review will address the topic of sex differences in executive function including a discussion of differences arising in response to developmental programming. Work on gender differences in human studies and sex differences in animal research will be reviewed. Overall, we find little support for significant gender or sex differences in executive function. An important variable that factors into the interpretation of potential sex differences include differing developmental trajectories. We conclude by discussing future directions for the field and a brief discussion of biological mechanisms.
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22
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Soares AR, Esteves M, Moreira PS, Cunha AM, Guimarães MR, Carvalho MM, Raposo-Lima C, Morgado P, Carvalho AF, Coimbra B, Melo A, Rodrigues AJ, Salgado AJ, Pêgo JM, Cerqueira JJ, Costa P, Sousa N, Almeida A, Leite-Almeida H. Trait determinants of impulsive behavior: a comprehensive analysis of 188 rats. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17666. [PMID: 30518850 PMCID: PMC6281674 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35537-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Impulsivity is a naturally occurring behavior that, when accentuated, can be found in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. The expression of trait impulsivity has been shown to change with a variety of factors, such as age and sex, but the existing literature does not reflect widespread consensus regarding the influence of modulating effects. We designed the present study to investigate, in a cohort of significant size (188 rats), the impact of four specific parameters, namely sex, age, strain and phase of estrous cycle, using the variable delay-to-signal (VDS) task. This cohort included (i) control animals from previous experiments; (ii) animals specifically raised for this study; and (iii) animals previously used for breeding purposes. Aging was associated with a general decrease in action impulsivity and an increase in delay tolerance. Females generally performed more impulsive actions than males but no differences were observed regarding delay intolerance. In terms of estrous cycle, no differences in impulsive behavior were observed and regarding strain, Wistar Han animals were, in general, more impulsive than Sprague-Dawley. In addition to further confirming, in a substantial study cohort, the decrease in impulsivity with age, we have demonstrated that both the strain and sex influences modulate different aspects of impulsive behavior manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rosa Soares
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Madalena Esteves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Pedro Silva Moreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Margarida Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marco Rafael Guimarães
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Miguel Murteira Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.,Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Catarina Raposo-Lima
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Pedro Morgado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Franky Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.,Department of General Surgery, Hospital of Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António Melo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António José Salgado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - José Miguel Pêgo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João José Cerqueira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrício Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Armando Almeida
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Hugo Leite-Almeida
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. .,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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Yates JR, Prior NA, Chitwood MR, Day HA, Heidel JR, Hopkins SE, Muncie BT, Paradella-Bradley TA, Sestito AP, Vecchiola AN, Wells EE. Effects of GluN2B-selective antagonists on delay and probability discounting in male rats: Modulation by delay/probability presentation order. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2018; 26:525-540. [PMID: 30035577 PMCID: PMC6283694 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor to impulsivity has recently been examined. Ro 63-1908, a highly selective antagonist for the GluN2B, decreases impulsive choice. Because the order in which delays are presented modulates drug effects in discounting procedures, one goal of the current study was to determine the effects of Ro 63-1908 in delay discounting procedures in which the delays to obtaining the large reinforcer either increase or decrease across the session. We also determined if Ro 63-1908 differentially alters risky choice in probability discounting procedures that use ascending/descending schedules. Male rats were trained in either delay (n = 24) or probability (n = 24) discounting in which the delay to/odds against reinforcement were presented in either ascending or descending order (n = 12 each schedule). Following training, rats received the GluN2B antagonists Ro 63-1908 (0-1.0 mg/kg) and CP-101,606 (0-3.0 mg/kg). In delay discounting, Ro 63-1908 (1.0 mg/kg), but not CP-101,606, decreased choice for the large reinforcer, but only when the delays decreased across the session. In probability discounting, Ro 63-1908 (0.3 mg/kg)/CP-101,606 (1.0 mg/kg) increased choice for the large reinforcer when the probability of obtaining this alternative decreased across the session, but Ro 63-1908 (1.0 mg/kg)/CP-101,606 (3.0 mg/kg) decreased choice when the probabilities increased. These results show that the GluN2B is a mediator of impulsive/risky choice, but the effects of GluN2B antagonists are dependent on the order in which delays/probabilities are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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24
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Belém-Filho IJA, Ribera PC, Nascimento AL, Gomes ARQ, Lima RR, Crespo-Lopez ME, Monteiro MC, Fontes-Júnior EA, Lima MO, Maia CSF. Low doses of methylmercury intoxication solely or associated to ethanol binge drinking induce psychiatric-like disorders in adolescent female rats. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2018; 60:184-194. [PMID: 29734102 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental contaminant that provokes damage to developing brain. Simultaneously, the consumption of ethanol among adolescents has increased. Evidence concerning the effects of MeHg low doses per se or associated with ethanol during adolescence are scarce. Thus, we investigate behavioral disorders resulted from exposure to MeHg low doses and co-intoxicated with ethanol in adolescent rats. Wistar rats received chronic exposure to low doses of MeHg (40 μg/kg/day for 5 weeks) and/or ethanol binge drinking (3 g/kg/day at 3 days per week for 5 weeks). Animals were submitted to behavioral assays to assess emotionality and cognitive function. Total mercury content was evaluated in the brain and hair. Oxidative parameters were analyzed in blood samples. MeHg at low doses or associated to ethanol binge drinking produced psychiatric-like disorders and cognitive impairment. Peripherally, MeHg altered oxidative parameters when associated to ethanol. Ethanol administration reduced brain mercury deposit. We proposed that ethanol reduces the necessity of mercury tissue levels to display psychiatric-like disorders/cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Cardoso Ribera
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Inflamação e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Aline Lima Nascimento
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Inflamação e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Rodrigues Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Funcional e Estrutural, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez
- Laboratório de Ensaios In Vitro, Imunologia e Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Marta Chagas Monteiro
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Enéas Andrade Fontes-Júnior
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Inflamação e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Oliveira Lima
- Laboratório de Toxicologia, Seção de Meio Ambiente, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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25
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Donovan CH, Wong SA, Randolph SH, Stark RA, Gibb RL, Gruber AJ. Sex differences in rat decision-making: The confounding role of extraneous feeder sampling between trials. Behav Brain Res 2018; 342:62-69. [PMID: 29355674 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Although male and female rats appear to perform differently in some tasks, a clear picture of sex differences in decision-making has yet to develop. This is in part due to significant variability arising from differences in strains and tasks. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of sex on specific response elements in a reinforcement learning task so as to help identify potential explanations for this variability. We found that the primary difference between sexes was the propensity to approach feeders out of the task context. This extraneous feeder sampling affects choice on subsequent trials in both sexes by promoting a lose-shift response away from the last feeder sampled. Female rats, however, were more likely to engage in this extraneous feeder sampling, and therefore exhibited a greater rate of this effect. Once trials following extraneous sampling were removed, there were no significant sex differences in any of the tested measures. These data suggest that feeder approach outside of the task context, which is often not recorded, could produce a confound in sex-based differences of reinforcement sensitivity in some tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford H Donovan
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Scott A Wong
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Sienna H Randolph
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Rachel A Stark
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Robbin L Gibb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Aaron J Gruber
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6T5, Canada.
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26
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Yates JR. Dissecting drug effects in preclinical models of impulsive choice: emphasis on glutamatergic compounds. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:607-626. [PMID: 29305628 PMCID: PMC5823766 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4825-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Impulsive choice is often measured with delay discounting paradigms. Because there are multiple discounting procedures, as well as different statistical analyses that can be applied to data generated from these paradigms, there are some inconsistencies in the literature regarding drug effects on impulsive choice. OBJECTIVES The goal of the current paper is to review the methodological and analytic approaches used to measure discounting and to discuss how these differences can account for differential drug effects observed across studies. RESULTS Because some procedures/analyses use a single data point as the dependent variable, changes in this value following pharmacological treatment may be interpreted as alterations in sensitivity to delayed reinforcement, but when other procedures/analyses are used, no changes in behavior are observed. Even when multiple data points are included, some studies show that the statistical analysis (e.g., ANOVA on raw proportion of responses vs. using hyperbolic/exponential functions) can lead to different interpretations. Finally, procedural differences (e.g., delay presentation order, signaling the delay to reinforcement, etc.) in the same discounting paradigm can alter how drugs affect sensitivity to delayed reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS Future studies should utilize paradigms that allow one to observe alterations in responding at each delay (e.g., concurrent-chains schedules). Concerning statistical analyses, using parameter estimates derived from nonlinear functions or incorporating the generalized matching law can allow one to determine if drugs affect sensitivity to delayed reinforcement or impair discrimination of the large and small magnitude reinforcers. Using these approaches can help further our understanding of the neurochemical underpinnings of delay discounting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA.
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27
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Perkins FN, Freeman KB. Pharmacotherapies for decreasing maladaptive choice in drug addiction: Targeting the behavior and the drug. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 164:40-49. [PMID: 28666892 PMCID: PMC5745300 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction can be conceptualized as a disorder of maladaptive decision making in which drugs are chosen at the expense of pro-social, nondrug alternatives. The study of decision making in drug addiction has focused largely on the role of impulsivity as a facilitator of addiction, in particular the tendency for drug abusers to choose small, immediate gains over larger but delayed outcomes (i.e., delay discounting). A parallel line of work, also focused on decision making in drug addiction, has focused on identifying the determinants underlying the choice to take drugs over nondrug alternatives (i.e., drug vs. nondrug choice). Both tracks of research have been valuable tools in the development of pharmacotherapies for treating maladaptive decision making in drug addiction, and a number of common drugs have been studied in both designs. However, we have observed that there is little uniformity in the administration regimens of potential treatments between the designs, which hinders congruence in the development of single treatment strategies to reduce both impulsive behavior and drug choice. The current review provides an overview of the drugs that have been tested in both delay-discounting and drug-choice designs, and focuses on drugs that reduced the maladaptive choice in both designs. Suggestions to enhance congruence between the findings in future studies are provided. Finally, we propose the use of a hybridized, experimental approach that may enable researchers to test the effectiveness of therapeutics at decreasing impulsive and drug choice in a single design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank N Perkins
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Kevin B Freeman
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States.
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28
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Orsini CA, Setlow B. Sex differences in animal models of decision making. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:260-269. [PMID: 27870448 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to weigh the costs and benefits of various options to make an adaptive decision is critical to an organism's survival and wellbeing. Many psychiatric diseases are characterized by maladaptive decision making, indicating a need for better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this process and the ways in which it is altered under pathological conditions. Great strides have been made in uncovering these mechanisms, but the majority of what is known comes from studies conducted solely in male subjects. In recent years, decision-making research has begun to include female subjects to determine whether sex differences exist and to identify the mechanisms that contribute to such differences. This Mini-Review begins by describing studies that have examined sex differences in animal (largely rodent) models of decision making. Possible explanations, both theoretical and biological, for such differences in decision making are then considered. The Mini-Review concludes with a discussion of the implications of sex differences in decision making for understanding psychiatric conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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29
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Wallin-Miller KG, Chesley J, Castrillon J, Wood RI. Sex differences and hormonal modulation of ethanol-enhanced risk taking in rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 174:137-144. [PMID: 28324816 PMCID: PMC5400719 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethanol (EtOH) intake correlates with increased risk-taking, and sex differences exist in both EtOH use and risk-taking in humans and rats. However, the interaction of sex and gonadal hormones to affect risk-taking under the influence of EtOH has not been determined. This was the focus of the current study. METHODS Adult Long-Evans rats (n=18 males and females) were gonadectomized and received hormone replacement at physiologic levels or blank implants (n=7-9/group). Risk-taking was assessed with probability discounting, requiring rats to choose between a small/certain reward and a large/uncertain reward delivered with decreasing probability throughout each daily session. Before testing, rats received saline or EtOH (0.5 or 1.0g/kg) ip. RESULTS In males, EtOH increased preference for the large/uncertain reward lever (F2,28=10.462, p<0.05). However, there was no effect of EtOH on lever preference in females (F1,30=0.914, p>0.05). At baseline, ORCHX+T males showed a greater preference for the large/uncertain reward lever then ORCHX males (F1,14=13.805, p<0.05). In females only, EtOH decreased choice latency relative to baseline (F1,10=7.25, p<0.05). EtOH decreased loss sensitivity in both sexes, with all rats exhibiting decreased lose-shift ratios (males: F2,18=5.10, p<0.05; females F2,10=4.37, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results show that EtOH, sex, and hormones interact to influence decision making. EtOH increases risk taking in males, but not in females. However, EtOH selectively decreases choice latency in females, and decreases loss sensitivity in both sexes. These findings are relevant to understanding human behavior, particularly in adolescents who experience increased hormone levels and often drink EtOH and engage in risky behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Wallin-Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Jordyn Chesley
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Juliana Castrillon
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Ruth I Wood
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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30
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Nautiyal KM, Wall MM, Wang S, Magalong VM, Ahmari SE, Balsam PD, Blanco C, Hen R. Genetic and Modeling Approaches Reveal Distinct Components of Impulsive Behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1182-1191. [PMID: 27976680 PMCID: PMC5437890 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Impulsivity is an endophenotype found in many psychiatric disorders including substance use disorders, pathological gambling, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Two behavioral features often considered in impulsive behavior are behavioral inhibition (impulsive action) and delayed gratification (impulsive choice). However, the extent to which these behavioral constructs represent distinct facets of behavior with discrete biological bases is unclear. To test the hypothesis that impulsive action and impulsive choice represent statistically independent behavioral constructs in mice, we collected behavioral measures of impulsivity in a single cohort of mice using well-validated operant behavioral paradigms. Mice with manipulation of serotonin 1B receptor (5-HT1BR) expression were included as a model of disordered impulsivity. A factor analysis was used to characterize correlations between the measures of impulsivity and to identify covariates. Using two approaches, we dissociated impulsive action from impulsive choice. First, the absence of 5-HT1BRs caused increased impulsive action, but not impulsive choice. Second, based on an exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor model described the data well, with measures of impulsive action and choice separating into two independent factors. A multiple-indicator multiple-causes analysis showed that 5-HT1BR expression and sex were significant covariates of impulsivity. Males displayed increased impulsivity in both dimensions, whereas 5-HT1BR expression was a predictor of increased impulsive action only. These data support the conclusion that impulsive action and impulsive choice are distinct behavioral phenotypes with dissociable biological influences that can be modeled in mice. Our work may help inform better classification, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders, which present with disordered impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Nautiyal
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melanie M Wall
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valerie M Magalong
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanne E Ahmari
- Department of Psychiatry, Translational Neuroscience Program; Center for Neuroscience Program and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Peter D Balsam
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,Psychology Departments, Barnard College and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carlos Blanco
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., P.I. Annex 731, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA, Tel: 212 646 774 7104, Fax: 212 646 774 7102, E-mail: or
| | - René Hen
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., P.I. Annex 731, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA, Tel: 212 646 774 7104, Fax: 212 646 774 7102, E-mail: or
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31
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Nautiyal KM, Okuda M, Hen R, Blanco C. Gambling disorder: an integrative review of animal and human studies. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1394:106-127. [PMID: 28486792 PMCID: PMC5466885 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Gambling disorder (GD), previously called pathological gambling and classified as an impulse control disorder in DSM-III and DSM-IV, has recently been reclassified as an addictive disorder in the DSM-5. It is widely recognized as an important public health problem associated with substantial personal and social costs, high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, poor physical health, and elevated suicide rates. A number of risk factors have been identified, including some genetic polymorphisms. Animal models have been developed in order to study the underlying neural basis of GD. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the risk factors, disease course, and pathophysiology. A focus on a phenotype-based dissection of the disorder is included in which known neural correlates from animal and human studies are reviewed. Finally, current treatment approaches are discussed, as well as future directions for GD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Nautiyal
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Mayumi Okuda
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Rene Hen
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Carlos Blanco
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, Maryland
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Sex differences and the role of dopamine receptors in the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:187-198. [PMID: 27695921 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nicotine and bupropion have been demonstrated to enhance the value of other reinforcers, and this may partially account for nicotine reward and dependence. Evidence suggests that the sexes differ in their sensitivity to the primary and secondary reinforcing effects of nicotine and nicotine-associated stimuli. Whether the sexes also differ in sensitivity to the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine (and bupropion) is yet unclear. OBJECTIVES The present study evaluated potential sex differences in the enhancement effects of nicotine and bupropion using a reinforcer demand approach. Furthermore, we sought to investigate the role that D1- and D2-type dopamine receptors play in the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion. METHODS Demand for sensory reinforcement was assessed in male and female rats responding on a progression of fixed ratio schedules. The effects of nicotine and 10 or 20 mg/kg bupropion on reinforcer demand were assessed within subjects. Subsequently, the effects of SCH-23390 and eticlopride were assessed on the enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion on progressive ratio responding. RESULTS Nicotine and bupropion enhanced demand metrics of reinforcement value in both sexes. Females were more sensitive to the enhancement effects of bupropion assessed by reinforcer demand and progressive ratio performance. D2-like dopamine receptor antagonism by eticlopride attenuated the enhancement effects of bupropion, but not of nicotine. CONCLUSIONS Nicotine and bupropion both enhance reinforcement value in both sexes, though females may be more sensitive to the reward-enhancing effects of bupropion. D2- and possibly D1-type receptors appear to be involved in the reward-enhancing effects of bupropion, but not necessarily nicotine.
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Lukkes JL, Thompson BS, Freund N, Andersen SL. The developmental inter-relationships between activity, novelty preferences, and delay discounting in male and female rats. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:231-42. [PMID: 26419783 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Increased locomotion, novelty-seeking, and impulsivity are risk factors associated with substance use. In this study, the inter-relationships between activity, novelty preferences, and delay discounting, a measure of impulsivity, were examined across three stages: juvenile/early adolescence (postnatal Day [P] 15, 19, and 42 for activity, novelty, and impulsivity, respectively), adolescent/late adolescent (P28, 32, 73), and adult (P90, 94, 137) in male and female rats. Our estimates of impulsive choice, where animals were trained to criterion, revealed an age × sex interaction where early adolescent females had the lowest levels of impulsivity. The relationships of activity and novelty to impulsivity significantly changed across age within each sex. Early adolescent males with high activity, but low novelty preferences, were more impulsive; however, low activity and high novelty preferences were related to high impulsivity in adult males. Female activity gradually increased across age, but did not show a strong relationship with impulsivity. Novelty preferences are moderately related to impulsivity into adulthood in females. These data show that males and females have different developmental trajectories for these behaviors. Males show greater sensation-seeking (e.g., activity) and risky behavior (e.g., novelty preferences) earlier in life, whereas these behaviors emerge during adolescence in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Lukkes
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, Belmont, MA.,Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478
| | | | - Nadja Freund
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, Belmont, MA.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susan L Andersen
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, Belmont, MA.,Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478
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Oberlin BG, Albrecht DS, Herring CM, Walters JW, Hile KL, Kareken DA, Yoder KK. Monetary discounting and ventral striatal dopamine receptor availability in nontreatment-seeking alcoholics and social drinkers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2207-16. [PMID: 25563235 PMCID: PMC4545519 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3850-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dopamine (DA) in the ventral striatum (VST) has long been implicated in addiction pathologies, yet its role in temporal decision-making is not well-understood. OBJECTIVES To determine if VST DA D2 receptor availability corresponds with greater impulsive choice in both nontreatment-seeking alcoholics (NTS) and social drinkers (SD). METHODS NTS subjects (n = 10) and SD (n = 13) received PET scans at baseline with the D2/D3 radioligand [(11)C]raclopride (RAC). Outside the scanner, subjects performed a delay discounting procedure with monetary rewards. RAC binding potential (BPND) was estimated voxelwise, and correlations were performed to test for relationships between VST BPND and delay discounting performance. Self-reported impulsivity was also tested for correlations with BPND. RESULTS Across all subjects, greater impulsive choice for $20 correlated with lower BPND in the right VST. NTS showed greater impulsive choice than SD and were more impulsive by self-report. Across all subjects, the capacity of larger rewards to reduce impulsive choice (the magnitude effect) correlated negatively (p = 0.028) with problematic alcohol use (AUDIT) scores. Self-reported impulsivity did not correlate with BPND in VST. CONCLUSIONS Preference for immediate reinforcement may reflect greater endogenous striatal DA or lower D2 number, or both. Alcoholic status did not mediate significant effects on VST BPND, suggesting minimal effects from alcohol exposure. The apparent lack of BPND correlation with self-reported impulsivity highlights the need for objective behavioral assays in the study of the neurochemical substrates of behavior. Finally, our results suggest that the magnitude effect may be more sensitive to alcohol-induced problems than single discounting measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon G. Oberlin
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Daniel S. Albrecht
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, IUSOM
| | - Christine M. Herring
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
| | - James W. Walters
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
| | - Karen L. Hile
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
| | - David A. Kareken
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, Indiana
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
- Department of Psychiatry, IUSOM
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, IUSOM
| | - Karmen K. Yoder
- Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSOM
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, IUSOM
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
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Tedford SE, Holtz NA, Persons AL, Napier TC. A new approach to assess gambling-like behavior in laboratory rats: using intracranial self-stimulation as a positive reinforcer. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:215. [PMID: 24966822 PMCID: PMC4052818 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological gambling is one manifestation of impulse control disorders. The biological underpinnings of these disorders remain elusive and treatment is far from ideal. Animal models of impulse control disorders are a critical research tool for understanding this condition and for medication development. Modeling such complex behaviors is daunting, but by its deconstruction, scientists have recapitulated in animals critical aspects of gambling. One aspect of gambling is cost/benefit decision-making wherein one weighs the anticipated costs and expected benefits of a course of action. Risk/reward, delay-based and effort-based decision-making all represent cost/benefit choices. These features are studied in humans and have been translated to animal protocols to measure decision-making processes. Traditionally, the positive reinforcer used in animal studies is food. Here, we describe how intracranial self-stimulation can be used for cost/benefit decision-making tasks and overview our recent studies showing how pharmacological therapies alter these behaviors in laboratory rats. We propose that these models may have value in screening new compounds for the ability to promote and prevent aspects of gambling behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E Tedford
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nathan A Holtz
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amanda L Persons
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
| | - T Celeste Napier
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
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