Source Paper
An Animal Model of Genetic Vulnerability to Behavioral Disinhibition and Responsiveness to Reward-Related Cues: Implications for Addiction
Shelly B Flagel, Terry E Robinson, Jeremy J Clark, Sarah M Clinton, Stanley J Watson et al.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 2009
Novelty-Induced Locomotor Activity Assessment
Objective: Assessment of high or low reactivity to a novel environment to selectively breed rat lines with different behavioral traits related to addiction vulnerability
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment1
Not specified in provided text • Not specified in provided text • Not specified in provided text • Not mentioned
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Protocol Steps
Selective breeding based on novelty reactivity
Rats were selectively bred into two lines based on their reactivity to a novel environment, creating bred high-responder (bHR) and bred low-responder (bLR) lines
Note: This is the foundational breeding procedure that created the two experimental lines
View evidence from paper
“Rats selectively bred based on high or low reactivity to a novel environment were characterized for other behavioral and neurobiological traits”
Characterization of behavioral traits
The two lines of animals were characterized for behavioral and neurobiological traits thought to be relevant to addiction vulnerability, including propensity to self-administer drugs, value attributed to reward-associated cues, impulsive behavior, and dopamine system characteristics
Note: Multiple behavioral and neurobiological measures were assessed across the two lines
View evidence from paper
“The two lines of animals, which differ in their propensity to self-administer drugs, also differ in the value they attribute to cues associated with reward, in impulsive behavior, and in their dopamine system”