Gli autori desiderano ringraziare finanziamenti UL1TR000071 (NCATS), P30DK079638 (NIDDK), P30DA028821 (NIDA) e T32DA07287 (NIDA).

Tutte le procedure sperimentali sono in conformità con la guida per la cura e l&#39;uso di animali da laboratorio (Istituto di Laboratorio risorse animali (US), 1996) e con l&#39;approvazione del Comitato Istituzionale cura degli animali ed uso presso l&#39;Università del Texas Medical Branch. 1. Soggetti <ol><li> Singola casa ratti maschi Sprague-Dawley peso di 225-250 gr a 21 ° C e 30-50% di umidità relativa con un ciclo luce-buio 12 ore (luci accese 06:00-6: 12:00). </li><li> Mantenere ratti su un alimento basso contenuto di grassi (grassi 10% da energia). Abituare i ratti al cibo e colonia stanza per almeno 7 giorni prima della sperimentazione. Gli animali sono abituati alla movimentazione e il dosaggio di veicolo per tre giorni prima di iniziare gli studi. Il primo giorno dopo l&#39;assuefazione è la Giornata sperimentale 1. </li></ol> 2. Preferenza Baseline <ol><li> Giorno 1, riempire due tramogge alimentari puliti, quella contrassegnata con A e B con l&#39;altro, con il cibo grasso 10% per ogni gabbia. Weigh le tramogge alimentari (con il cibo) e metterli in gabbia, assicurando il ratto ha accesso ad entrambi. </li><li> 2 ° giorno, approssimativamente alla stessa tramogge alimentari tempo sono stati collocati nella gabbia il giorno prima, registra i pesi tramoggia alimentari e cambiare le posizioni dei tramoggia A e B. Questa tramoggia mitiga polarizzazione posizione. Sempre esaminare la gabbia di casa per qualsiasi cibo rimosso dalla tramoggia, pesa, e conto. L&#39;assunzione di cibo è misurato dal cambiamento nel peso tramoggia tra i giorni. </li><li> Giorno 3, registrare i pesi tramoggia alimentari come prima. Esaminare la quantità di cibo consumato in ogni posizione cibo tramoggia e identificazione cibo tramoggia (A e B). Questo dato dà una comprensione di base della posizione pregiudizi e specifica la preferenza tramoggia, e dovrebbe avere un punteggio di preferenza di circa il 50% indica nessuna preferenza. Buttare via il cibo rimanente. </li></ol> 3. Preferenza Fat <ol><li> Giorno 3, ottieni due tramogge alimentari puliti per ogni gabbia. E &#39;importante utilizzare tramogge alimentari pulitiogni volta che il passaggio tra i diversi cibi da evitare che odori di confondimento da esperimenti precedenti. Riempire serbatoio A con il 12,5% di cibo grasso e tramoggia B con cibi grassi il 15% (Tabella 1). Registrare il peso di partenza di ogni tramoggia e posizionare sia in gabbia. </li><li> Giorno 4, registrare i pesi di ciascuna tramoggia, passando le posizioni di tramoggia A e B tramoggia su di metterli di nuovo in gabbia. </li><li> Giorno 5, registrare i pesi di ciascuna tramoggia. Dopo aver determinato i grammi di ogni alimento consumato in entrambi i giorni, cibo preferenza del ratto può essere determinato. </li><li> Ripetere i passi 3.1 a 3.3 più volte con gli stessi animali utilizzando 12,5% cibo grasso rispetto agli alimenti con l&#39;aumento del contenuto di grassi (ad esempio, prima 15%, prossima 17,5%, poi 20%, ed infine 45% di grasso). </li></ol> 4. Calcoli e analisi dei dati <ol><li> Calcolare la alimentazione quotidiana per ogni animale sottraendo la massa finale del cibo + tramoggia dalla massa di partenza del cibo+ Tramoggia. Poiché ogni cibo è misurato in 2 giorni, il totale di due giorni può essere sommati per ogni contenuto di grassi%. </li><li> Calcolare il punteggio di preferenza grasso dividendo l&#39;assunzione del cibo grasso superiore dal cibo totale consumata su ogni periodo di due giorni. Per esempio, un ratto mangiato 8,9 g di sostanza grassa 12,5% e 27,5 g dieta della dieta 17,5% in 2 giorni. Pertanto il punteggio di preferenza per l&#39;individuo animale è del 76% (27,5 diviso per 36,4). </li><li> Media e grafico il punteggio preferenza per ogni dieta (15%, 17,5%, 20%, e 45% di grassi) (Figura 3). L&#39;assunzione di cibo totale è anche informativo e può facilmente tracciare grammi (Figura 4). </li><li> Esprimere il punteggio di preferenza (figura 5A) e l&#39;assunzione di cibo totale (Figura 5B) in funzione del consumo totale di energia (kcal) usando la densità di energia in Tabella 1. </li><li> Se si utilizza più di un gruppo di animali, eseguire una ripetizione a due vieEd misura ANOVA seguita da un post-test di Bonferroni. Analisi della potenza indica che n = 8 animali per gruppo è appropriato per rilevare una differenza del 7% tra i gruppi di trattamento. </li></ol>

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C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pregnancy+restores+insulin+secretion+from+pancreatic+islets+in+cafeteria+diet-induced+obese+rats.">Pregnancy restores insulin secretion from pancreatic islets in cafeteria diet-induced obese rats.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 298 (2), (2010).</li><li>Johnson, S. L., McPhee, L., Birch, L. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conditioned+preferences:+young+children+prefer+flavors+associated+with+high+dietary+fat.">Conditioned preferences: young children prefer flavors associated with high dietary fat.</a> Physiol. Behav. 50 (6), 1245-1251 (1991).</li><li>Bolanos, C. A., Barrot, M., Berton, O., Wallace-Black, D., Nestler, E. 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Gli autori non hanno nulla da rivelare.

Il modello preferenza grasso è un saggio informativo e di facile esecuzione del comportamento alimentare. Questo saggio offre l&#39;opportunità di identificare neurali e meccanismi molecolari che sono alla base preferenza cibo, che è un&#39;importante area ancora poco studiato della ricerca sull&#39;obesità. Cambiamenti nelle preferenze dei grassi da differenze genetiche o manipolazioni farmacologiche possono essere visualizzate come spostamenti verso destra o verso sinistra della curva di preferenza (Figura...

L&#39;obesità è un problema diffuso negli Stati Uniti 1, con i Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stima che oltre un terzo degli adulti americani sono obesi. L&#39;obesità è stata anche identificata come un fattore di rischio per numerosi problemi di salute, tra cui il diabete di tipo 2, pressione alta e colesterolo alto 2. Mentre molti fattori hanno dimostrato di influenzare l&#39;aumento dei tassi di obesità, c&#39;è interesse in corso e polemiche nel ruolo macronutrienti svolgono nell&#39;obesità 3,4. Un fattore che contribuisce all&#39;obesità è elevata assunzione di grassi 5. Aumento del grasso alimentare è correlata con l&#39;aumento del consumo di energia umana 6 e aumenti significativi nel corpo contenuto di grasso 7,8. Inoltre, i grassi alimentari ha un valore di ricompensa sia durante che dopo il consumo di 7,9. Pertanto, per determinare quali fattori influenzano la preferenza per i cibi ad alto contenuto di grassi può entrambi desi farmacoterapeutiche guidagn e promuovere la comprensione delle scelte alimentari sottostanti che possono portare all&#39;obesità. Il modello Preferenze Fat qui descritta test per la preferenza dei topi tra gli alimenti di diverso contenuto di grassi, ma il valore nutritivo simile. In particolare, questo modello presenta i ratti con una scelta di due cibi diversi contemporaneamente permettendo così la quantificazione della preferenza basata sulla grammi consumato del cibo grasso più basso versi il cibo grasso superiore. Effetti farmacologici e genetici possono essere misurati come variazione di preferenza per il cibo con alto contenuto di grassi. Il modello preferenza Fat serve per integrare i modelli di assunzione di cibo appetibile ampiamente usati 10, ma offre anche diversi vantaggi. Questo modello permette lo sperimentatore di valutare specificamente comportamento alimentare in un ambiente controllato in cui sono disponibili due opzioni di cibo. Modelli alimentazione ricca di grassi tradizionali offrono solo alimento che elimina la capacità di studiare scelta degli alimenti, un importanteaspetto della assunzione di cibo umano. Alcuni saggi non offrono diversi tipi di cibo e sono spesso indicati come &quot;mensa&quot; studi tipo di alimentazione 11. Questi studi soffrono di riproducibilità perché il cibo umano è spesso usato nel test e non è adatto per l&#39;ambiente di laboratorio a causa della variabilità dei nutrienti. Usiamo diete definite che contengono singoli ingredienti depurati migliorando notevolmente la riproducibilità e la flessibilità per modificare il contenuto macronutrienti come grassi alimentari. Con maggiore apporto dietetico di grassi associata con l&#39;obesità nell&#39;uomo 5 e la preferenza naturale umano per maggiori cibi grassi 12, i trattamenti che alterano ratto preferenza per i cibi molto grassi possono fornire informazioni preziose in obesità.

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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 10 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D12450B</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">10 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 12.5 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040501</td>
			<td>12.5 % fat rat food</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 15 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040502</td>
			<td>15 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 17.5 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040503</td>
			<td>17.5 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 20 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040504</td>
			<td>20 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 45 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D12451</td>
			<td>45 % fat rat food</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">Rat feeders (3.75&#34;W x 2.875&#34;D x 5.25&#34;H)</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Labex of MA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">2528</td>
			<td>Food hoppers</td>
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fat preference: a novel model of eating behavior in rats

L&#39;obesità è un problema crescente negli Stati Uniti d&#39;America, con più di un terzo della popolazione classificati come obesi. Un fattore che contribuisce a questo disturbo multifattoriale è il consumo di una dieta ricca di grassi, un comportamento che ha dimostrato di aumentare sia l&#39;apporto calorico e contenuto di grasso corporeo. Tuttavia, gli elementi che regolano la preferenza per il cibo ricco di grassi rispetto ad altri alimenti restano poco studiato. Per superare questo deficit, un modello per verificare rapidamente e facilmente cambiamenti nella preferenza per grasso alimentare è stato sviluppato. Il modello Preferenze Fat presenta ratti con una serie di scelte tra cibi con diverso contenuto di grassi. Come gli esseri umani, i ratti hanno una tendenza naturale verso il consumo di alimenti ad alto contenuto di grassi, rendendo il modello di ratto ideale per gli studi traslazionali. Cambiamenti nelle preferenze possono essere attribuite a né l&#39;effetto di differenze genetiche o interventi farmacologici. Questo modello consente l&#39;esplorazione dei fattori che determinano la preferenza grasso e scherzare agenti farmacologici che influenzano l&#39;acquisizione di obesità.

I ratti hanno avuto accesso fisico ad entrambe le tramogge alimentari contemporaneamente (Figura 1), al fine di dimostrare la preferenza per scelte alimentari disponibili con diverso contenuto di grassi (Tabella 1). Cibo ratto è stato pesato ogni giorno e qualsiasi versamento cibo era facilmente reperibile e contabilizzato (Figura 2). Sversamenti di particelle di cibo sottili è risultata essere minima e non influenza in modo sostanziale i dati. Utilizzando il modello ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats at JoVE.com

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Influenze tenore di grassi alimentari, sia l&#39;apporto energetico e composizione corporea grasso nei mammiferi. Esaminando la preferenza ratti di cibo ricco di grassi in una serie di esperimenti di scelta, è possibile testare le differenze genetiche e interventi farmacologici sulla loro preferenza per il cibo ricco di grassi.

Preferenza Grasso: un modello Novel of Eating Comportamento in Rats

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States of America, with more than a third of the population classified as obese. One factor contributing to ...

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13.0K Views.  University of Texas Medical Branch.  Influenze tenore di grassi alimentari, sia l'apporto energetico e composizione corporea grasso nei mammiferi. Esaminando la preferenza ratti di cibo ricco di grassi in una serie di esperimenti di scelta, è possibile testare le differenze genetiche e interventi farmacologici sulla loro preferenza per il cibo ricco di grassi. 

Video: Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Stereotaxic Microinjection of Viral Vectors Expressing Cre Recombinase to Study the Role of Target Genes in Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference

Microinjecting recombinant adenoassociated viral (rAAV) vectors expressing Cre recombinase into distinct mouse brain regions to selectively knockout genes of interest allows for enhanced temporally- and regionally-specific control of gene deletion, compared to existing methods. While conditional deletion can also be achieved by mating mice that express Cre recombinase under the control of specific gene promoters with mice carrying a floxed gene, stereotaxic microinjection allows for targeting of discrete brain areas at experimenter-determined time points of interest. In the context of cocaine conditioned place preference, and other cocaine behavioral paradigms such as self-administration or psychomotor sensitization that can involve withdrawal, extinction and/or reinstatement phases, this technique is particularly useful in exploring the unique contribution of target genes to these distinct phases of behavioral models of cocaine-induced plasticity. Specifically, this technique allows for selective ablation of target genes during discrete phases of a behavior to test their contribution to the behavior across time. Ultimately, this understanding allows for more targeted therapeutics that are best able to address the most potent risk factors that present themselves during each phase of addictive behavior.

This article describes how to microinject viral vectors into mouse brain and then test in a conditioned place preference paradigm that includes an acquisition, extinction and reinstatement phase.

Microiniezione stereotassica di vettori virali che esprimono Cre ricombinasi per studiare il ruolo di geni bersaglio in cocaina condizionata place preference

Microinjecting recombinant adenoassociated viral (rAAV) vectors expressing Cre recombinase into distinct mouse brain regions to selectively knockout genes ...

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Inchworming: A Novel Motor Stereotypy in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J Mouse Model of Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by decreased reciprocal social interaction, abnormal communication, and repetitive behaviors with restricted interest. As diagnosis is based on clinical criteria, any potentially relevant rodent models of this heterogeneous disorder should ideally recapitulate these diverse behavioral traits. The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse is an established animal model of ASD, displaying repetitive behaviors such as increased grooming, as well as cognitive inflexibility. With respect to social interaction and interest, the juvenile play test has been employed in multiple rodent models of ASD. Here, we show that when BTBR mice are tested in a juvenile social interaction enclosure containing sawdust bedding, they display a repetitive synchronous digging motion. This repetitive motor behavior, referred to as &#34;inchworming,&#34; was named because of the stereotypic nature of the movements exhibited by the mice while moving horizontally across the floor. Inchworming mice must use their fore- and hind-limbs in synchrony to displace the bedding, performing a minimum of one inward and one outward motion. Although both BTBR and C56BL/6J (B6) mice exhibit this behavior, BTBR mice demonstrate a significantly higher duration and frequency of inchworming and a decreased latency to initiate inchworming when placed in a bedded enclosure. We conclude that this newly described behavior provides a measure of a repetitive motor stereotypy that can be easily measured in animal models of ASD.

Inchworming: A Novel Motor Stereotypy in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J Mouse Model of Autism

Inchworming is a highly repetitive synchronous digging motion displayed by BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice when placed in a testing cage with sufficient sawdust bedding. The procedure is a modification of the juvenile social interaction protocol and is used here to assess repetitive motor stereotypies relevant to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Inchworming: A Novel Motor stereotipia nel BTBR<em&gt; T<sup&gt; +</sup&gt; Itpr3<sup&gt; Tf</sup</em&gt; / J modello murino di autismo

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by decreased reciprocal social interaction, abnormal ...

A Novel Procedure for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Tastants in Laboratory Rats: Operant Intraoral Self-administration

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste reactivity with the behavioral aspects of operant self-administration of drugs. Under very brief general anaesthesia, rats are implanted with an intraoral (IO) cannula that allows delivery of test solutions directly in the oral cavity. Animals are then tested in operant self-administration chambers whereby they can press a lever to receive IO infusions of test solutions. IO self-administration has several advantages over experimental procedures that involve drinking a solution from a spout&#160;or operant responding for solid pellets or solutions delivered in a receptacle. Here, we show that IO self-administration can be employed to study self-administration of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Rats were first tested for self-administration on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, which assesses the maximum amount of operant behavior that will be emitted for different concentrations of HFCS (i.e.&#160;8%, 25%, and 50%). Following this test, rats self-administered these concentrations on a continuous schedule of reinforcement (i.e.&#160;one infusion for each lever press) for 10 consecutive days (1 session/day; each lasting 3 hr), and then they were retested on the PR schedule. On the continuous reinforcement schedule, rats took fewer infusions of higher concentrations, although the lowest concentration of HFCS (8%) maintained more variable self-administration. Furthermore, the PR tests revealed that 8% had lower reinforcing value than 25% and 50%. These results indicate that IO self-administration can be employed to study acquisition and maintenance of responding for sweet solutions. The sensitivity of the operant response to differences in concentration and schedule of reinforcement makes IO self-administration an ideal procedure to investigate the neurobiology of voluntary intake of sweets.

The current study evaluates a novel procedure for assessing the reinforcing effects of palatable solutions in laboratory rats: intraoral self-administration. To this end, operant responding (i.e.&#160;lever pressing) for intraoral infusions of sweet solutions at different concentrations was measured on continuous and progressive ratios schedules of reinforcement.

Una nuova procedura per valutare le proprietà di rinforzo di Tastants nei ratti di laboratorio: operante intraorale autosomministrazione

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste ...

A Procedure to Observe Context-induced Renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned Alcohol-seeking Behavior in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate drug-seeking behavior and prompt relapse in abstinent drug users. We have developed a procedure to study the behavioral and neural processes that mediate the impact of context on alcohol-seeking behavior in rats. Following acclimation to the taste and pharmacological effects of 15% ethanol in the home cage, male Long-Evans rats receive Pavlovian discrimination training (PDT) in conditioning chambers. In each daily (Mon-Fri) PDT session, 16 trials each of two different 10 sec auditory conditioned stimuli occur. During one stimulus, the CS+, 0.2 ml of 15% ethanol is delivered into a fluid port for oral consumption. The second stimulus, the CS-, is not paired with ethanol. Across sessions, entries into the fluid port during the CS+ increase, whereas entries during the CS- stabilize at a lower level, indicating that a predictive association between the CS+ and ethanol is acquired. During PDT each chamber is equipped with a specific configuration of visual, olfactory and tactile contextual stimuli. Following PDT, extinction training is conducted in the same chamber that is now equipped with a different configuration of contextual stimuli. The CS+ and CS- are presented as before, but ethanol is withheld, which causes a gradual decline in port entries during the CS+. At test, rats are placed back into the PDT context and presented with the CS+ and CS- as before, but without ethanol. This manipulation triggers a robust and selective increase in the number of port entries made during the alcohol predictive CS+, with no change in responding during the CS-. This effect, referred to as context-induced renewal, illustrates the powerful capacity of contexts associated with alcohol consumption to stimulate alcohol-seeking behavior in response to Pavlovian alcohol cues.

A procedure to study the capacity of an alcohol associated environmental context to trigger the renewal of alcohol-seeking behavior in rats is described.

Una Procedura di osservare Context-indotta Rinnovo pavloviano condizionata alcol-seeking comportamento in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate ...

The Modified Hole Board - Measuring Behavior, Cognition and Social Interaction in Mice and Rats

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure multiple dimensions of unconditioned behavior in small laboratory mammals (e.g., mice, rats, tree shrews and small primates). This paradigm is a valuable alternative for the use of a behavioral test battery, since a broad behavioral spectrum of an animal&#8217;s behavioral profile can be investigated in one single test.
The apparatus consists of a box, representing the &#8216;protected&#8217; area, separated from a group compartment. A board, on which small cylinders are staggered in three lines, is placed in the center of the box, representing the &#8216;unprotected&#8217; area of the set-up. The cognitive abilities of the animals can be measured by baiting some cylinders on the board and measuring the working and reference memory. Other unconditioned behavior, such as activity-related-, anxiety-related- and social behavior, can be observed using this paradigm. Behavioral flexibility and the ability to habituate to a novel environment can additionally be observed by subjecting the animals to multiple trials in the mHB, revealing insight into the animals&#8217; adaptive capacities.
Due to testing order effects in a behavioral test battery, na&#239;ve animals should be used for each individual experiment. By testing multiple behavioral dimensions in a single paradigm and thereby circumventing this issue, the number of experimental animals used is reduced. Furthermore, by avoiding social isolation during testing and without the need to food deprive the animals, the mHB represents a behavioral test system, inducing if any, very low amount of stress.

This protocol describes the modified hole board, which is a behavioral test set-up that comprises the characteristics of an open field and a traditional hole board. This set-up enables the differential analysis of unconditioned behavior of small laboratory mammals as well as the analysis of cognitive abilities.

The Hole Consiglio Modified - Behavior, Cognition e l&#39;interazione sociale in topi e ratti di misura

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure ...

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article describes a rodent version of the PVT&#8212;termed the &#34;rPVT&#34;&#8212;that measures similar aspects of attention (i.e., performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention). Data are presented that demonstrate both the short- and long-term usefulness of the rPVT when employed with laboratory rats. Rats easily learn the rPVT, and learning to perform the basic procedure takes less than two weeks of training. Once acquired, rat performances in the rPVT show a high degree of similarity to these same performance measures in the human PVT, including similarities in, lapses in attention, reaction times, vigilance decrements across session time (i.e., the human &#34;time-on-task&#34; effects), and the response-stimulus interval (RSI) effect described for humans. Thus the rPVT can be an extremely valuable tool for assessing the effects of a wide range of variables on sustained attention quite similar to human PVT performances, and thus can be useful for developing novel treatments for neurobehavioral dysfunctions.

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

A rat version of the human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is described that measures aspects of attention similar to those measured with the human PVT, including aspects of human vigilance such as performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention.

Il roditore psicomotorio vigilanza Test (rPVT): un metodo per la valutazione delle prestazioni neurocomportamentali in ratti e topi

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article ...

Automated Analysis of a Nematode Population-based Chemosensory Preference Assay

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' compact nervous system of only 302 neurons underlies a diverse repertoire of behaviors. To facilitate the dissection of the neural circuits underlying these behaviors, the development of robust and reproducible behavioral assays is necessary. Previous C. elegans behavioral studies have used variations of a "drop test", a "chemotaxis assay", and a "retention assay" to investigate the response of C. elegans to soluble compounds. The method described in this article seeks to combine the complementary strengths of the three aforementioned assays. Briefly, a small circle in the middle of each assay plate is divided into four quadrants with the control and experimental solutions alternately placed. After the addition of the worms, the assay plates are loaded into a behavior chamber where microscope cameras record the worms' encounters with the treated regions. Automated video analysis is then performed and a preference index (PI) value for each video is generated. The video acquisition and automated analysis features of this method minimizes the experimenter's involvement and any associated errors. Furthermore, minute amounts of the experimental compound are used per assay and the behavior chamber's multi-camera setup increases experimental throughput. This method is particularly useful for conducting behavioral screens of genetic mutants and novel chemical compounds. However, this method is not appropriate for studying stimulus gradient navigation due to the close proximity of the control and experimental solution regions. It should also not be used when only a small population of worms is available. While suitable for assaying responses only to soluble compounds in its current form, this method can be easily modified to accommodate multimodal sensory interaction and optogenetic studies. This method can also be adapted to assay the chemosensory responses of other nematode species.

We present a behavior recording setup and protocol that enables automated analysis of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' preference for soluble compounds in a population-based assay. This article describes the construction of a behavior chamber, the behavioral assay protocol, and video analysis software usage.

Analisi automatizzata di un esame preferenziale di Chemosensory basato sulla popolazione di Nematode

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' compact nervous system of only 302 neurons underlies a diverse repertoire of behaviors. To facilitate the dissection ...

Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm

The present protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse in drug addiction. In this model, animals are first trained to acquire a conditioned place preference in a drug-paired compartment, and after the post-conditioning test, they perform several sessions to extinguish the established preference. The CPP permits the evaluation of the conditioned rewarding effects of drugs related to environmental cues. Then, the extinguished CPP can be robustly reinstated by the non-contingent administration of a priming dose of the drug, and by exposure to stressful stimuli. Both methods will be explained here. When the animal reinitiates the behavioral response, a reinstatement of the conditioned reward is considered to have taken place.
The main advantages of this protocol are that it is non-invasive, inexpensive, and simple with good validity criteria. In addition, it allows the study of different environmental manipulations, such as stress or diet, which can modulate relapse into drug seeking behaviors. However, one limitation is that if the researcher aims to explore the motivation and primary reinforcing effects of the drug, it should be complemented with self-administration procedures, as they involve operant responses of animals.

This protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse. This procedure permits the measurement of relapse in laboratory animals, considering the impact of drug-associated environmental cues as craving and relapse in abstaining addicts is currently the focus of drug-abuse treatment programs.

Reintegrazione di droga in Cerca nei topi utilizzando il paradigma di Conditioned Place Preference

The present protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse in drug addiction. In this model, animals are first trained to ...

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is no existing format for studying the mechanism of action, prevention, containment, and treatment of contagious depression. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to establish the first animal model of contagious depression.
Healthy rats can contract depressive behaviors if exposed to depressed rats. Depression is induced in rats by subjecting them to several manipulations of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) over 5 weeks, as described in the protocol. A successful sucrose preference test confirmed the development of depression in the rats. The CUS-exposed rats were then caged with na&#239;ve rats from the contagion group (1 na&#239;ve rat/2 depressed rats in a cage) for an additional 5 weeks. 30 social groups were created from the combination of CUS-exposed rats and na&#239;ve rats.
This proposed depression-contagion protocol in animals consists mainly of cohabiting CUS-exposed and healthy rats for 5 weeks. To ensure that this method works, a series of tests are carried out - first, the sucrose preference test upon inducing depression to rats, then, the sucrose preference test, alongside the open field and forced-swim tests at the end of the cohabitation period. Throughout the experiment, rats are given tags and are always returned to their cages after each test.
A few limitations to this method are the weak differences recorded between the experimental and control groups in the sucrose preference test and the irreversible traumatic outcome of the forced swim test. These may be worth considering for suitability before any future application of the protocol. Nonetheless, following the experiment, na&#239;ve rats developed contagion depression after 5 weeks of sharing the same cage with the CUS-exposed rats.

This protocol describes a new model by which healthy rats could contract depression over a given time periodthrough contagion by exposure to chronic unpredictable stressed (CUS) rats.

Un nuovo metodo per indurre un comportamento depressione-come in ratti

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is ...

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve of food intake, meal duration and rate of eating modeled by a quadratic equation. The purpose of the method is to change eating behavior by providing visual feedback on the computer screen that the subject can adapt to because her/his own rate of eating appears on the screen during the meal. The data generated by the method is automatically analyzed and fitted to the quadratic equation using a custom made algorithm. The method has the advantage of recording eating behavior objectively and offers the possibility of changing eating behavior both in experiments and in clinical practice. A limitation may be that experimental subjects are affected by the method. The same limitation may be an advantage in clinical practice, as eating behavior is more easily stabilized by the method. A treatment that uses this method has normalized body weight and restored the health of several hundred patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders and has reduced the weight and improved the health of severely overweight patients.

Subjects eat food from a plate placed on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal. Feedback on the computer screen allows the subject to adapt her/his eating behavior to reference curves thus normalizing body weight.

Controllo di mangiare comportamento utilizzando un sistema di Feedback romanzo

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve ...