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Gross ME, Elliott JC, Schooler JW. Why creatives don't find the oddball odd: Neural and psychological evidence for atypical salience processing. Brain Cogn 2024; 178:106178. [PMID: 38823196 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Creativity has previously been linked with various attentional phenomena, including unfocused or broad attention. Although this has typically been interpreted through an executive functioning framework, such phenomena may also arise from atypical incentive salience processing. Across two studies, we examine this hypothesis both neurally and psychologically. First we examine the relationship between figural creativity and event-related potentials during an audio-visual oddball task, finding that rater creativity of drawings is associated with a diminished P300 response at midline electrodes, while abstractness and elaborateness of the drawings is associated with an altered distribution of the P300 over posterior electrodes. These findings support the notion that creativity may involve an atypical attribution of salience to prominent information. We further explore the incentive salience hypothesis by examining relationships between creativity and a psychological indicator of incentive salience captured by participants' ratings of enjoyment (liking) and their motivation to pursue (wanting) diverse real world rewards, as well as their positive spontaneous thoughts about those rewards. Here we find enhanced motivation to pursue activities as well as a reduced relationship between the overall tendency to enjoy rewards and the tendency to pursue them. Collectively, these findings indicate that creativity may be associated with atypical allocation of attentional and motivational resources to novel and rewarding information, potentially allowing more types of information access to attentional resources and motivating more diverse behaviors. We discuss the possibility that salience attribution in creatives may be less dependent on task-relevance or hedonic pleasure, and suggest that atypical salience attribution may represent a trait-like feature of creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine E Gross
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
| | - James C Elliott
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
| | - Jonathan W Schooler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
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Dinu LM, Georgescu AL, Singh SN, Byrom NC, Overton PG, Singer BF, Dommett EJ. Sign-tracking and goal-tracking in humans: Utilising eye-tracking in clinical and non-clinical populations. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114846. [PMID: 38184207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Pavlovian conditioning, learned behaviour varies according to the perceived value of environmental cues. For goal-trackers (GT), the cue merely predicts a reward, whilst for sign-trackers (ST), the cue holds incentive value. The sign-tracking/goal-tracking model is well-validated in animals, but translational work is lacking. Despite the model's relevance to several conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we are unaware of any studies that have examined the model in clinical populations. METHODS The current study used an eye-tracking Pavlovian conditioning paradigm to identify ST and GT in non-clinical (N = 54) and ADHD (N = 57) participants. Eye movements were recorded whilst performing the task. Dwell time was measured for two areas of interest: sign (i.e., cue) and goal (i.e., reward), and an eye-gaze index (EGI) was computed based on the dwell time sign-to-goal ratio. Higher EGI values indicate sign-tracking behaviour. ST and GT were determined using median and tertiary split approaches in both samples. RESULTS Despite greater propensity for sign-tracking in those with ADHD, there was no significant difference between groups. The oculomotor conditioned response was reward-specific (CS+) and present, at least partly, from the start of the task indicating dispositional and learned components. There were no differences in externalising behaviours between ST and GT for either sample. CONCLUSIONS Sign-tracking is associated with CS+ trials only. There may be both dispositional and learned components to sign-tracking, potentially more common in those with ADHD. This holds translational potential for understanding individual differences in reward-learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa-Maria Dinu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Alexandra-Livia Georgescu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Samriddhi N Singh
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Nicola C Byrom
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Paul G Overton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Cathedral Court, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
| | - Bryan F Singer
- School of Psychology, Sussex Addiction Research & Intervention Centre, Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Eleanor J Dommett
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
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3
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Przybysz KR, Ramirez LA, Pitock JR, Starr EM, Yang H, Glover EJ. A translational rodent model of individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:516-529. [PMID: 38303664 PMCID: PMC10939790 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A strong relationship exists between individual sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol and risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Despite this, our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the subjective response to ethanol is limited. A major contributor to this lack of knowledge is the absence of preclinical models that enable exploration of this individual variability such as is possible in studies of humans. METHODS Adult male and female Long-Evans rats were trained to associate a novel tastant (saccharin) with acute exposure to either saline or ethanol (1.5 g/kg or 2.0 g/kg i.p.) over three conditioning days using a standard conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedure. Variability in sensitivity to ethanol-induced CTA was phenotypically characterized using a median split across the populations studied. RESULTS When examining group averages, both male and female rats exposed to saccharin paired with either dose of ethanol exhibited lower saccharin intake relative to saline controls indicative of ethanol-induced CTA. Examination of individual data revealed a bimodal distribution of responses uncovering two distinct phenotypes present in both sexes. CTA-sensitive rats exhibited a rapid and progressive reduction in saccharin intake with each successive ethanol pairing. In contrast, saccharin intake was unchanged or maintained after an initial decrease from baseline levels in CTA-resistant rats. While CTA magnitude was similar between male and female CTA-sensitive rats, among CTA-resistant animals females were more resistant to the development of ethanol-induced CTA than males. Phenotypic differences were not driven by differences in baseline saccharin intake. CONCLUSIONS These data parallel work in humans by revealing individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol that emerge immediately after initial exposure to ethanol in both sexes. This model can be used in future studies to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that confer risk for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Przybysz
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lindsey A Ramirez
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joseph R Pitock
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - E Margaret Starr
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Hyerim Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Glover
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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4
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María-Ríos CE, Fitzpatrick CJ, Czesak FN, Morrow JD. Effects of predictive and incentive value manipulation on sign- and goal-tracking behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107796. [PMID: 37385521 PMCID: PMC10599606 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107796] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
When a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an appetitive reward, two different types of conditioned approach responses may develop: a sign-tracking response directed toward the neutral cue, or a goal-tracking response directed toward the location of impending reward delivery. Sign-tracking responses have been postulated to result from attribution of incentive value to conditioned cues, while goal-tracking reflects the assignment of only predictive value to the cue. We therefore hypothesized that sign-tracking rats would be more sensitive to manipulations of incentive value, while goal-tracking rats would be more responsive to changes in the predictive value of the cue. We tested sign- and goal-tracking before and after devaluation of a food reward using lithium chloride, and tested whether either response could be learned under negative contingency conditions that precluded any serendipitous reinforcement of the behavior that might support instrumental learning. We also tested the effects of blocking the predictive value of a cue using simultaneous presentation of a pre-conditioned cue. We found that sign-tracking was sensitive to outcome devaluation, while goal-tracking was not. We also confirmed that both responses are Pavlovian because they can be learned under negative contingency conditions. Goal-tracking was almost completely blocked by a pre-conditioned cue, while sign-tracking was much less sensitive to such interference. These results indicate that sign- and goal-tracking may follow different rules of reinforcement learning and suggest a need to revise current models of associative learning to account for these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina E María-Ríos
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 204 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Francesca N Czesak
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 204 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jonathan D Morrow
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 204 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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5
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Przybysz KR, Ramirez LA, Pitock JR, Starr EM, Yang H, Glover EJ. A translational rodent model of individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544209. [PMID: 37333122 PMCID: PMC10274910 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Background A strong relationship exists between individual sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol and risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Despite this, our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying subjective response to ethanol is relatively poor. A major contributor to this is the absence of preclinical models that enable exploration of this individual variability similar to studies performed in humans. Methods Adult male and female Long-Evans rats were trained to associate a novel tastant (saccharin) with acute exposure to either saline or ethanol (1.5 g/kg or 2.0 g/kg i.p.) over three conditioning days using a standard conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedure. Variability in sensitivity to ethanol-induced CTA was phenotypically characterized using a median split across the populations studied. Results When examining group averages, both male and female rats that had saccharin paired with either dose of ethanol exhibited reduced saccharin intake relative to saline controls of ethanol-induced CTA. Examination of individual data revealed a bimodal distribution of responses uncovering two distinct phenotypes present in both sexes. CTA-sensitive rats exhibited a rapid and progressive reduction in saccharin intake with each successive ethanol pairing. In contrast, saccharin intake was unchanged or maintained after an initial decrease from baseline levels in CTA-resistant rats. While CTA magnitude was similar between male and female CTA-sensitive rats, CTA-resistant females were more resistant to the development of ethanol-induced CTA than their male counterparts. Phenotypic differences were not driven by differences in baseline saccharin intake. CTA sensitivity correlated with behavioral signs of intoxication in only a subset of rats. Conclusions These data parallel work in humans by revealing individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol that emerge immediately after initial exposure to ethanol in both sexes. This model can be leveraged in future studies to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that confer risk for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Przybysz
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lindsey A Ramirez
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joseph R Pitock
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - E Margaret Starr
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hyerim Yang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Glover
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Valyear MD, LeCocq MR, Brown A, Villaruel FR, Segal D, Chaudhri N. Learning processes in relapse to alcohol use: lessons from animal models. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:393-416. [PMID: 36264342 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use is reliably preceded by discrete and contextual stimuli which, through diverse learning processes, acquire the capacity to promote alcohol use and relapse to alcohol use. OBJECTIVE We review contemporary extinction, renewal, reinstatement, occasion setting, and sex differences research within a conditioning framework of relapse to alcohol use to inform the development of behavioural and pharmacological therapies. KEY FINDINGS Diverse learning processes and corresponding neurobiological substrates contribute to relapse to alcohol use. Results from animal models indicate that cortical, thalamic, accumbal, hypothalamic, mesolimbic, glutamatergic, opioidergic, and dopaminergic circuitries contribute to alcohol relapse through separable learning processes. Behavioural therapies could be improved by increasing the endurance and generalizability of extinction learning and should incorporate whether discrete cues and contexts influence behaviour through direct excitatory conditioning or occasion setting mechanisms. The types of learning processes that most effectively influence responding for alcohol differ in female and male rats. CONCLUSION Sophisticated conditioning experiments suggest that diverse learning processes are mediated by distinct neural circuits and contribute to relapse to alcohol use. These experiments also suggest that gender-specific behavioural and pharmacological interventions are a way towards efficacious therapies to prevent relapse to alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Valyear
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Ave. Dr. Penfield, Room N8/5, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada.
| | - Mandy R LeCocq
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexa Brown
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Franz R Villaruel
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Diana Segal
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Maddux JM, Gonzales L, Kregar NP. β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes mediate nicotine-induced enhancement of Pavlovian conditioned responding to an alcohol cue. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1004368. [PMCID: PMC9596985 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1004368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine enhances Pavlovian conditioned responses to reward-associated cues. We investigated through which nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes nicotine acts to produce this behavioral effect to an alcohol-associated cue. Male Long-Evans rats with freely available food and water were first accustomed to drinking 15% ethanol in their home cages using an intermittent access, two-bottle choice procedure. Then the rats were given 15 Pavlovian conditioning sessions in which a 15-s audiovisual conditioned stimulus (CS) predicted the delivery of 0.2 ml of ethanol, the unconditioned stimulus (US). Each session contained 12 CS-US trials. A control group received explicitly unpaired presentations of the CS and US. We measured Pavlovian conditioned approach to the site of US delivery during presentations of the CS, accounting for pre-CS baseline activity. Before each conditioning session, rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) or saline (1 ml/kg). During nAChR antagonist test sessions, rats were first injected systemically with the β2*-selective nAChR antagonist dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DHβE; 3 mg/kg) or the α7-selective nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA; 6 mg/kg), followed by their assigned nicotine or saline injection before assessing their conditioned response to the alcohol-associated cue. Consistent with previous reports, nicotine enhanced the Pavlovian conditioned response to the alcohol-paired cue. DHβE attenuated this enhancement, whereas MLA did not. These results suggest that nicotine acts via β2*, but not α7, nAChRs to amplify Pavlovian conditioned responding to an alcohol cue. These findings contribute to a growing literature that identifies nAChRs as potential targets for pharmacological treatment of co-morbid alcohol and tobacco use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marie Maddux
- Department of Psychology, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Jean-Marie Maddux
| | - Leslie Gonzales
- Department of Psychology, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, United States
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Angelyn H, Loney GC, Meyer PJ. Nicotine Enhances Goal-Tracking in Ethanol and Food Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Paradigms. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:561766. [PMID: 34483813 PMCID: PMC8416423 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.561766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale Nicotine promotes alcohol intake through pharmacological and behavioral interactions. As an example of the latter, nicotine can facilitate approach toward food- and alcohol-associated stimuli ("sign-tracking") in lever-Pavlovian conditioned approach (PavCA) paradigms. However, we recently reported that nicotine can also enhance approach toward locations of reward delivery ("goal-tracking") triggered by ethanol-predictive stimuli when the location of ethanol delivery is non-static (i.e., a retractable sipper bottle). Objective To determine whether the non-static nature of the reward location could have biased the development of goal-tracking in our previous study (Loney et al., 2019); we assessed the effect of nicotine in a lever-PavCA paradigm wherein the location of ethanol delivery was static (i.e., a stationary liquid receptacle). Then, to determine whether nicotine's enhancement of goal-tracking is unique to ethanol-predictive stimuli, we assessed the effect of systemic nicotine on approach triggered by food-predictive stimuli in a lever-PavCA paradigm. Methods Long-Evans rats were used in two PavCA experiments wherein a lever predicted the receipt of ethanol (15% vol/vol; experiment 1) or food (experiment 2) into a stationary receptacle. Prior to testing, rats were administered nicotine (0.4 mg/kg subcutaneously) or saline systemically. Results In both experiments, nicotine increased measures of goal-tracking, but not sign-tracking. Conclusion Nicotine can facilitate approach to reward locations without facilitating approach to reward-predictive stimuli. As such, conceptualization of the mechanisms by which nicotine affects behavior must be expanded to explain an enhancement of goal-tracking by nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailley Angelyn
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Gregory C Loney
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Paul J Meyer
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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Keefer SE, Gyawali U, Calu DJ. Choose your path: Divergent basolateral amygdala efferents differentially mediate incentive motivation, flexibility and decision-making. Behav Brain Res 2021; 409:113306. [PMID: 33887310 PMCID: PMC8189324 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
To survive in a complex environment, individuals form associations between environmental stimuli and rewards to organize and optimize reward seeking behaviors. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) uses these learned associations to inform decision-making processes. In this review, we describe functional projections between BLA and its cortical and striatal targets that promote learning and motivational processes central to decision-making. Specifically, we compare and contrast divergent projections from the BLA to the orbitofrontal (OFC) and to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and examine the roles of these pathways in associative learning, value-guided decision-making, choice behaviors, as well as cue and context-driven drug seeking. Finally, we consider how these projections are involved in disorders of motivation, with a focus on Substance Use Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Keefer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Utsav Gyawali
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Donna J Calu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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Effects of dopamine receptor antagonism and amphetamine-induced psychomotor sensitization on sign- and goal-tracking after extended training. Behav Brain Res 2021; 407:113238. [PMID: 33744334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine system is important for incentive salience attribution, where motivational value is assigned to conditioned cues that predict appetitive reinforcers. However, the role of dopamine in this process may change with extended training. We tested the effects of dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptor antagonism on the expression of sign-tracking and goal-tracking conditioned responses following extended Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA) training. We also tested if amphetamine-induced psychomotor sensitization accelerates the enhanced acquisition of sign-tracking that is observed with extended training. In experiment 1, 24 male Long-Evans rats received 20 PCA sessions in which one lever (CS+, 10 s) predicted 0.2 ml sucrose (10 %, w/v) delivery and the other lever (CS-) did not. SCH-23390 (D1-like antagonist) or eticlopride (D2-like antagonist) were administered before non-reinforced behavioural tests at doses of 0, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/kg (s.c.). In experiment 2, rats received vehicle or 2 mg/kg amphetamine (i.p.) for 7 days (n = 12/group). Ten days later, they received 16 PCA training sessions. Both doses of SCH-23390 reduced sign- and goal-tracking, but also reduced locomotor behaviour. A low dose of eticlopride (0.01 mg/kg) selectively reduced goal-tracking, without affecting sign-tracking or locomotor behaviour. Amphetamine produced psychomotor sensitization, and this did not affect the acquisition of sign- or goal-tracking. Following extended PCA training, dopamine D2-like receptor activity is required for the expression of goal-tracking but not sign-tracking. Psychomotor sensitization to amphetamine did not impact incentive salience attribution; however, more selective manipulations of the dopamine system may be needed.
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms.
Recent Findings
The balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have found some evidence of reduced goal-directed/model-based control, but little evidence for stronger habitual responding. The employed Pavlovian learning and PIT paradigms have shown considerable differences regarding experimental procedures, e.g., alcohol-related or conventional reinforcers or stimuli.
Summary
While studies of basic learning processes in human participants with AUD support a role of Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of drug addiction, current studies are characterized by large variability regarding methodology, sample characteristics, and results, and translation from animal paradigms to human research remains challenging. Longitudinal approaches with reliable and ecologically valid paradigms of Pavlovian and instrumental processes, including alcohol-related cues and outcomes, are warranted and should be combined with state-of-the-art imaging techniques, computational approaches, and ecological momentary assessment methods.
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King CP, Tripi JA, Hughson AR, Horvath AP, Lamparelli AC, Holl KL, Chitre AS, Polesskaya O, Ishiwari K, Solberg Woods LC, Palmer AA, Robinson TE, Flagel SB, Meyer PJ. Sensitivity to food and cocaine cues are independent traits in a large sample of heterogeneous stock rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2223. [PMID: 33500444 PMCID: PMC7838206 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80798-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitivity to cocaine and its associated stimuli ("cues") are important factors in the development and maintenance of addiction. Rodent studies suggest that this sensitivity is related, in part, to the propensity to attribute incentive salience to food cues, which, in turn, contributes to the maintenance of cocaine self-administration, and cue-induced relapse of drug-seeking. Whereas each of these traits has established links to drug use, the relatedness between the individual traits themselves has not been well characterized in preclinical models. To this end, the propensity to attribute incentive salience to a food cue was first assessed in two distinct cohorts of 2716 outbred heterogeneous stock rats (HS; formerly N:NIH). We then determined whether each cohort was associated with performance in one of two paradigms (cocaine conditioned cue preference and cocaine contextual conditioning). These measure the unconditioned locomotor effects of cocaine, as well as conditioned approach and the locomotor response to a cocaine-paired floor or context. There was large individual variability and sex differences among all traits, but they were largely independent of one another in both males and females. These findings suggest that these traits may contribute to drug-use via independent underlying neuropsychological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P King
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University At Buffalo, Park Hall B72, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Jordan A Tripi
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University At Buffalo, Park Hall B72, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Alesa R Hughson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Aidan P Horvath
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Alexander C Lamparelli
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University At Buffalo, Park Hall B72, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Katie L Holl
- Department of Pediatrics, Human and Molecular Genetics Center and Children's Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA
| | - Apurva S Chitre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Oksana Polesskaya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Keita Ishiwari
- Clinical and Research Institute On Addictions, Buffalo, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University At Buffalo, Buffalo, USA
| | - Leah C Solberg Woods
- Department of Internal Medicine, Molecular Medicine, Center on Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Abraham A Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Terry E Robinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Paul J Meyer
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University At Buffalo, Park Hall B72, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
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13
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Behavioral determinants in the expression of the Kamin blocking effect: Implications for associative learning theory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:16-34. [PMID: 33497781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Associative learning makes important contributions to our behavior and decisions. The Kamin blocking effect is an associative learning phenomenon that plays a central role in understanding of the psychological principles underlying associative learning. However, several recent failures to replicate the blocking effect suggest that the conditions necessary for blocking are poorly understood. To understand the conditions necessary for blocking, here we review studies into the expression of blocking in subjects that either approach and interact with the conditioned cue (sign trackers) or approach and interact with the reward location (goal trackers) during appetitive classical conditioning. Psychological theory and the neurophysiological correlates of appetitive classical conditioning make opposing predictions regarding the expression of blocking in sign and goal trackers. We reconcile these opposing predictions in a qualitative model using two parallel learning processes. Such models offer a better framework for understanding the psychological associative structures acquired during learning, their interactions contributing to the conditioned response, and how they affect subsequent learning and the expression of the Kamin blocking effect.
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14
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Kochli DE, Keefer SE, Gyawali U, Calu DJ. Basolateral Amygdala to Nucleus Accumbens Communication Differentially Mediates Devaluation Sensitivity of Sign- and Goal-Tracking Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:593645. [PMID: 33324182 PMCID: PMC7723965 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.593645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Rats rely on communication between the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) to express lever directed approach in a Pavlovian lever autoshaping (PLA) task that distinguishes sign- and goal-tracking rats. During PLA, sign-tracking rats preferentially approach an insertable lever cue, while goal-tracking rats approach a foodcup where rewards are delivered. While sign-tracking rats inflexibly respond to cues even after the associated reward is devalued, goal-tracking rats flexibly reduce responding to cues during outcome devaluation. Here, we sought to determine whether BLA-NAc communication, which is necessary for sign, but not goal-tracking, drives a rigid appetitive approach of sign-tracking rats that are insensitive to manipulations of outcome value. Using a contralateral chemogenetic inactivation design, we injected contralateral BLA and NAc core with inhibitory DREADD (hm4Di-mCherry) or control (mCherry) constructs. To determine sign- and goal-tracking groups, we trained rats in five PLA sessions in which brief lever insertion predicts food pellet delivery. We sated rats on training pellets (devalued condition) or chow (valued condition) before systemic clozapine injections (0.1 mg/kg) to inactivate BLA and contralateral NAc during two outcome devaluation probe tests, in which we measured lever and foodcup approach. Contralateral BLA-NAc chemogenetic inactivation promoted a flexible lever approach in sign-tracking rats but disrupted the flexible foodcup approach in goal-tracking rats. Consistent with a prior BLA-NAc disconnection lesion study, we find contralateral chemogenetic inactivation of BLA and NAc core reduces lever, but not the foodcup approach in PLA. Together these findings suggest rigid appetitive associative encoding in BLA-NAc of sign-tracking rats hinders the expression of flexible behavior when outcome value changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E. Kochli
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sara E. Keefer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Utsav Gyawali
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Donna J. Calu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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15
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Vena AA, Zandy SL, Cofresí RU, Gonzales RA. Behavioral, neurobiological, and neurochemical mechanisms of ethanol self-administration: A translational review. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 212:107573. [PMID: 32437827 PMCID: PMC7580704 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder has multiple characteristics including excessive ethanol consumption, impaired control over drinking behaviors, craving and withdrawal symptoms, compulsive seeking behaviors, and is considered a chronic condition. Relapse is common. Determining the neurobiological targets of ethanol and the adaptations induced by chronic ethanol exposure is critical to understanding the clinical manifestation of alcohol use disorders, the mechanisms underlying the various features of the disorder, and for informing medication development. In the present review, we discuss ethanol's interactions with a variety of neurotransmitter systems, summarizing findings from preclinical and translational studies to highlight recent progress in the field. We then describe animal models of ethanol self-administration, emphasizing the value, limitations, and validity of commonly used models. Lastly, we summarize the behavioral changes induced by chronic ethanol self-administration, with an emphasis on cue-elicited behavior, the role of ethanol-related memories, and the emergence of habitual ethanol seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Vena
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, United States of America
| | | | - Roberto U Cofresí
- Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rueben A Gonzales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy and Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, United States of America.
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16
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da Silva SP, Williams AM. Translations in Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing: Autoshaping of Learner Vocalizations. Perspect Behav Sci 2020; 43:57-103. [PMID: 32440645 PMCID: PMC7198677 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-019-00228-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) is a procedure used by behavior analysis practitioners that capitalizes on respondent conditioning processes to elicit vocalizations. These procedures usually are implemented only after other, more customary methods (e.g., standard echoic training via modeling) have been exhausted. Unfortunately, SSP itself has mixed research support, probably because certain as-yet-unidentified procedural variations are more effective than others. Even when SSP produces (or increases) vocalizations, its effects can be short-lived. Although specific features of SSP differ across published accounts, fundamental characteristics include presentation of a vocal stimulus proximal with presentation of a preferred item. In the present article, we draw parallels between SSP procedures and autoshaping, review factors shown to affect autoshaping, and interpret autoshaping research for suggested SSP tests and applications. We then call for extended use and reporting of SSP in behavior-analytic treatments. Finally, three bridges created by this article are identified: basic-applied, respondent-operant, and behavior analysis with other sciences.
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17
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Valyear MD, Chaudhri N. Context controls the timing of responses to an alcohol-predictive conditioned stimulus. Behav Processes 2020; 173:104061. [PMID: 32017964 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Context can influence the number of responses elicited by a discrete, appetitive conditioned stimulus (CS) but can context control when a CS elicits a response? To test this fundamental question, we gave male, Long-Evans rats Pavlovian conditioning sessions in which the same auditory conditioned stimulus (CS, 30 s, 15 trials/session) was presented in 2 different physical contexts on alternating days, according to a within-subjects design. In one context, called the early context, alcohol (15 % ethanol, 0.2 ml/trial) was delivered from the onset of the 5th second until the termination of the 10th second of the 30 s CS. In the second late context, alcohol was delivered from the onset of the 25th second until the termination of the 30th second of the same CS. In a comparison of the last session of training, the probability of making a conditioned response during the first four seconds of the CS was significantly higher in the early context than in the late context. This result shows that context can signal when an unconditioned stimulus occurs in relation to a CS and highlights a role for context in controlling precisely timed alcohol-seeking responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Valyear
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Room SP 244, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada
| | - N Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Room SP 244, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada.
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18
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Keefer SE, Bacharach SZ, Kochli DE, Chabot JM, Calu DJ. Effects of Limited and Extended Pavlovian Training on Devaluation Sensitivity of Sign- and Goal-Tracking Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:3. [PMID: 32116587 PMCID: PMC7010919 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in Pavlovian approach predict differences in devaluation sensitivity. Recent studies indicate goal-tracking (GT) rats are sensitive to outcome devaluation while sign-tracking (ST) rats are not. With extended training in Pavlovian lever autoshaping (PLA), GT rats display more lever-directed behavior, typical of ST rats, suggesting they may become insensitive to devaluation with more Pavlovian training experience. Here, we use a within-subject satiety-induced outcome devaluation procedure to test devaluation sensitivity after limited and extended PLA training in GT and ST rats. We trained rats in PLA to determine GT and ST groups. Then, we sated rats on either the training pellets (devalued condition) or homecage chow (valued condition) prior to brief non-reinforced test sessions after limited (sessions 5/6) and extended (sessions 17/18) PLA training. GT rats decreased conditioned responding under devalued relative to valued conditions after both limited and extended training, demonstrating they are sensitive to satiety devaluation regardless of the amount of PLA training. While ST rats were insensitive to satiety devaluation after limited training, their lever directed behavior became devaluation sensitive after extended training. To determine whether sign-tracking rats also displayed sensitivity to illness-induced outcome devaluation after extended training, we trained a separate cohort of rats in extended PLA and devalued the outcome with lithium chloride injections after pellet consumption in the homecage. ST rats failed to decrease conditioned responding after illness-induced outcome devaluation, while Non-ST rats (GT and intermediates) were sensitive to illness-induced outcome devaluation after extended training. Together, our results confirm devaluation sensitivity is stable in GT rats across training and devaluation approaches. Extended training unmasks devaluation sensitivity in ST rats after satiety, but not illness-induced devaluation, suggesting ST rats respond appropriately by decreasing responding to cues during state-dependent but not inference-based devaluation. The differences in behavioral flexibility across tracking groups and devaluation paradigms have translational relevance for the understanding state- vs. inference-based reward devaluation as it pertains to drug addiction vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Keefer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sam Z Bacharach
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Daniel E Kochli
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jules M Chabot
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, United States
| | - Donna J Calu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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19
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Cofresí RU, Bartholow BD, Piasecki TM. Evidence for incentive salience sensitization as a pathway to alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:897-926. [PMID: 31672617 PMCID: PMC6878895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incentive salience sensitization (ISS) theory of addiction holds that addictive behavior stems from the ability of drugs to progressively sensitize the brain circuitry that mediates attribution of incentive salience (IS) to reward-predictive cues and its behavioral manifestations. In this article, we establish the plausibility of ISS as an etiological pathway to alcohol use disorder (AUD). We provide a comprehensive and critical review of evidence for: (1) the ability of alcohol to sensitize the brain circuitry of IS attribution and expression; and (2) attribution of IS to alcohol-predictive cues and its sensitization in humans and non-human animals. We point out gaps in the literature and how these might be addressed. We also highlight how individuals with different alcohol subjective response phenotypes may differ in susceptibility to ISS as a pathway to AUD. Finally, we discuss important implications of this neuropsychological mechanism in AUD for psychological and pharmacological interventions attempting to attenuate alcohol craving and cue reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto U Cofresí
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States.
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Thomas M Piasecki
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
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20
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Cofresí RU, Monfils MH, Chaudhri N, Gonzales RA, Lee HJ. Cue-alcohol associative learning in female rats. Alcohol 2019; 81:1-9. [PMID: 31002878 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The ability of environmental cues to trigger alcohol-seeking behaviors is believed to facilitate problematic alcohol use. We previously showed that the development of this cue-evoked alcohol approach reflects cue-alcohol learning and memory in the adult male rat; however, we do not know whether the same is true for similarly aged female rats. Consequently, adult Long-Evans female rats were allowed to drink unsweetened alcohol in the home cage (Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 24-h two-bottle choice; 5 weeks) and were subsequently split into two experimental groups: Paired and Unpaired. Groups were matched for ingested doses and alcohol bottle preference across the pre-conditioning home cage period. Both groups were trained in conditioning chambers using a Pavlovian procedure. For the Paired group, the chamber houselight was illuminated to signal access to an alcohol sipper. Houselight onset was yoked for the Unpaired group, but access to the alcohol sipper was scheduled to occur only during the intervening periods (in the absence of light). We found that in the Paired, but not Unpaired group, an alcohol approach reaction was conditioned to houselight illumination, and the level of cue-conditioned reactivity predicted drinking behavior within trials. Groups experienced equivalently low but non-negligible blood alcohol concentrations over the course of conditioning sessions. We conclude that cue-triggered alcohol-seeking behavior in adult female rats reflects associative learning about the relationship between alcohol availability and houselight illumination.
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21
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Alcohol-associated antecedent stimuli elicit alcohol seeking in non-dependent rats and may activate the insula. Alcohol 2019; 76:91-102. [PMID: 30612041 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol self-administration produces brain and behavior adaptations that facilitate a progressive loss of control over drinking and contribute to relapse. One possible adaptation is the ability of antecedent environmental stimuli that are consistently paired with alcohol to trigger alcohol-seeking behaviors. We previously modeled this adaptation in rats using a Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which illumination of a houselight preceded the presentation of a sipper tube that produced unsweetened alcohol when licked. However, in our previous work we did not demonstrate whether this adaptation represented a consequence of repeated exposure to alcohol or the houselight, or whether it was the consequence of associative learning and memory. Thus, in the present study, we tested the associative basis of alcohol seeking in response to houselight illumination in our task using adult male rats that were not food- or water-deprived and were not dependent on alcohol. Separate groups of rats received houselight illumination that was explicitly paired or unpaired with presentation of the retractable sipper that provided access to unsweetened alcohol. Our primary dependent variable was appetitive alcohol-directed behavior: the frequency of movement toward and interaction with the hole in the wall of the chamber through which the sipper was presented during the period of houselight illumination trial before each sipper presentation. However, we also analyzed consummatory sipper licking behavior and blood ethanol concentration in the same rats. Finally, we explored the brain basis of cue-elicited alcohol seeking using c-Fos immunohistochemistry. Our findings confirmed the associative basis of cue-elicited alcohol seeking in our paradigm and mapped these onto the insular cortex, suggesting a role for this brain region in early stages of brain and behavior adaptation to regular alcohol use.
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22
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Cannabinoid receptor-1 signaling contributions to sign-tracking and conditioned reinforcement in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3031-3043. [PMID: 30109373 PMCID: PMC6344029 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4993-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are critical gatekeepers of dopaminergic signaling, and disrupting cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1) signaling alters DA dynamics to attenuate cue-motivated behaviors. Prior studies suggest that dopamine (DA) release plays a critical role in driving sign-tracking. OBJECTIVES Here, we determine whether systemic injections of rimonabant, a CB1 receptor inverse agonist, during Pavlovian lever autoshaping impair the expression of sign-tracking. We next examine whether rimonabant blocks the reinforcing properties of the Pavlovian lever cue in a conditioned reinforcement test. METHODS In Exp. 1, we trained rats in Pavlovian lever autoshaping prior to systemic rimonabant injections (0, 1, 3 mg/kg) during early and late Pavlovian lever autoshaping sessions. In Exp. 2, we trained rats in Pavlovian lever autoshaping prior to systemic rimonabant injections (0, 1 mg/kg) during a conditioned reinforcement test. RESULTS Rimonabant dose-dependently decreased lever contact and probability, and increased sign-tracker's latency to approach the lever cue early in Pavlovian training. With extended training, many previously goal-tracking and intermediate rats shifted to lever approach, which remained dose-dependently sensitive to rimonabant. Rimonabant attenuated cue-evoked food cup approach early, but not late, in conditioning, and did not affect pellet retrieval or consumption. The inserted lever cue served as a robust conditioned reinforcer after Pavlovian lever autoshaping, and 1 mg/kg rimonabant blocked conditioned reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results suggest that CB1 signaling mediates two critical properties of incentive stimuli; their ability to attract (Exp. 1) and their ability to reinforce (Exp. 2) behavior.
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23
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Fiorenza AM, Shnitko TA, Sullivan KM, Vemuru SR, Gomez-A A, Esaki JY, Boettiger CA, Da Cunha C, Robinson DL. Ethanol Exposure History and Alcoholic Reward Differentially Alter Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens to a Reward-Predictive Cue. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1051-1061. [PMID: 29602178 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conditioned stimuli (CS) that predict reward delivery acquire the ability to induce phasic dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This dopamine release may facilitate conditioned approach behavior, which often manifests as approach to the site of reward delivery (called "goal-tracking") or to the CS itself (called "sign-tracking"). Previous research has linked sign-tracking in particular to impulsivity and drug self-administration, and addictive drugs may promote the expression of sign-tracking. Ethanol (EtOH) acutely promotes phasic release of dopamine in the accumbens, but it is unknown whether an alcoholic reward alters dopamine release to a CS. We hypothesized that Pavlovian conditioning with an alcoholic reward would increase dopamine release triggered by the CS and subsequent sign-tracking behavior. Moreover, we predicted that chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure would promote sign-tracking while acute administration of naltrexone (NTX) would reduce it. METHODS Rats received 14 doses of EtOH (3 to 5 g/kg, intragastric) or water followed by 6 days of Pavlovian conditioning training. Rewards were a chocolate solution with or without 10% (w/v) alcohol. We used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure phasic dopamine release in the NAc core in response to the CS and the rewards. We also determined the effect of NTX (1 mg/kg, subcutaneous) on conditioned approach. RESULTS Both CIE and alcoholic reward, individually but not together, associated with greater dopamine to the CS than control conditions. However, this increase in dopamine release was not linked to greater sign-tracking, as both CIE and alcoholic reward shifted conditioned approach from sign-tracking behavior to goal-tracking behavior. However, they both also increased sensitivity to NTX, which reduced goal-tracking behavior. CONCLUSIONS While a history of EtOH exposure or alcoholic reward enhanced dopamine release to a CS, they did not promote sign-tracking under the current conditions. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that EtOH can stimulate conditioned approach, but indicate that the conditioned response may manifest as goal-tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Fiorenza
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Tatiana A Shnitko
- Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kaitlin M Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sudheer R Vemuru
- Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Alexander Gomez-A
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Julie Y Esaki
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Claudio Da Cunha
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.,Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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24
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Alcohol-seeking and relapse: A focus on incentive salience and contextual conditioning. Behav Processes 2017; 141:26-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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