Biology subjects

Longueville, J.-E.

Publications and source records attributed to Longueville, J.-E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Delay of punishment highlights differential vulnerability to developing addiction-like behavior toward sweet food

Resistance to punishment is commonly used as a measure of compulsive behavior in addiction-related processes. We recently developed a progressive shock strength (PSS) procedure in which individual rats can titrate the amount of punishment that they are willing to tolerate to obtain food rewards. Here, we investigated the effects of a range of delays (0-12 sec) on resistance to punishment measured by PSS break points. As expected from delay discounting principles, we found that delayed shock was less effective as a punisher, as revealed by higher PSS breakpoints. However, this discounting effect was not equally distributed in the population of rats, and the introduction of a delay highlighted the existence of two populations: rats that were sensitive to immediate punishment were also weakly sensitive to delay, whereas rats that were resistant to immediate punishment showed strong temporal discounting of delayed punishment. Importantly, shock-sensitive rats suppressed responding even in non-punishment sessions, and they differed from shock-resistant rats in anxiety- like behavior but not in sensitivity to pain. These results show that manipulation of temporal contingencies of punishment in the PSS procedure provides a valuable tool to identify individuals with a double vulnerability to addiction: low sensitivity to aversion and excessive discounting of negative future consequences. Conversely, the shock-sensitive population may provide a model of humans who are vulnerable to opportunity loss due to excessive anxiety.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Complex social behaviour during an extended period of time in a valproic acid animal model of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized mainly by deficits in social communication and stereotyped and restricted interests. Deficits in social interactions in ASD animal models are generally analysed using the three chambers test paradigm that is simple to implement and use but fails to detect subtle social deficits or complex social behavior on an extended period of time within a group of mice. Here, we set up a novel procedure entitled the Live Mouse Tracker (LMT) that detects a great number of complex social behaviours that we recorded continuously for up to three days in groups of 4 mice. This was performed in the valproic acid (VPA) mouse model where VPA (450 mg/kg) was injected to pregnant females at E12.5. Studies were performed with a special focus on females given that ASD is 3-4 times more diagnosed in males than in females and that several ASD models failed to detect major social deficits in females, contrary to males. Comparisons were made within groups of 4 female animals with same treatment or within groups of different treatments (saline versus VPA). We report that VPA females show several types of social deficits and that are different in nature and magnitude in relation with time (from 1 hour to 3 days). These deficits were also different when VPA mice were tested together compared to when they were mixed with saline treated mice. Indeed, while social behavior was improved in VPA mice with the presence of saline mice that of saline mice was negatively affected by the presence of VPA mice. This study indicates that female VPA mice show several social deficits, contrary to the common knowledge. It further implies that ASD related behavior alters normal behavior in a mixed group of mice.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

A self-adjusting, progressive shock magnitude procedure to investigate resistance to punishment: characterization in male and female rats

Indifference to harmful consequences is one of the main characteristics of compulsive behaviors and addiction. Animal models that provide a rapid and effective measure of resistance to punishment could be critical for the investigation of mechanisms underlying these maladaptive behaviors. Here, analogous to the progressive ratio (PR) procedure widely used to evaluate appetitive motivation as the response requirement is increased, we developed a self-adjusting, progressive shock strength (PSS) procedure. The PSS provides, within a single session, a break point that quantifies the propensity to work for a reward in spite of receiving electric footshock that progressively increases in duration. In both male and female rats, the PSS break point was sensitive to 1) hunger; and 2) changes in the qualitative, but not quantitative, incentive value of the reward. In systematic comparisons between PSS and PR procedures in the same rats, we found that both measures are sensitive to manipulations of motivational states, but they are not intercorrelated, suggesting that they measure overlapping but partially distinct processes. Importantly, the PSS procedure represents a refinement in the 3Rs principles of animal research because animals can control the strength of shock that they are willing to tolerate. This self-adjusting PSS procedure may represent a useful tool to investigate mechanisms underlying maladaptive behavior that persists in certain individuals despite harmful consequences.

animal behavior and cognition↗