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

Sign Tracking and Goal Tracking Task

behavioralratBred high-responder (bHR) and bred low-responder (bLR) lines selectively bred based on reactivity to novel environment

Objective: To assess whether rats learn to approach cues paired with reward (sign tracking) versus the location of reward delivery (goal tracking), and to characterize differences between bred high-responder and bred low-responder rats in their attribution of incentive value to reward-related cues

Protocol Steps

Cue-Reward Pairing Task

A cue was paired with food or cocaine reward. Rats were observed to determine whether they learned to approach the cue (sign tracking) or the location of food delivery (goal tracking).

Not specifiedNot specified

Note: bHR rats learned to approach the cue, while bLR rats learned to approach the location of food delivery

View evidence from paper

“When a cue was paired with food or cocaine reward bred high-responder rats (bHRs) learned to approach the cue, whereas bred low-responder rats (bLRs) learned to approach the location of food delivery”