EFFECTS OF D-AMPHETAMINE SENSITIZATION ON SPRAGUE-DAWLEY AND SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RAT ACQUISITION AND PREFERRED STRATEGY OF LEARNING

Previous neurobiological and behavioral research has demonstrated that place and response learning can occur simultaneously in the rat species. Studies have shown that while both strategies are learned, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats prefer a place strategy, while Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) prefer to use a response strategy. The objective of this study was to assess how the use of amphetamines affected the learning acquisition of the rats, operationally examined by choice in the maze, and if amphetamines affected the method used by the rat to navigate the maze. Using a multiple reversal, multiple baseline design, both strains of rats were given training periods in an 8-arm radial maze to determine their original learning preference before being treated with dextroamphetamine (d-amphetamine) and their preference after injections of d-amphetamine. Experimenters used sham injections of saline to control for any spurious effects that injections may have. Rats were randomly assigned to be in either a 3-day sensitization or 25-day sensitization group using a 1mg/kg d-amphetamine dosage. Approximately ten minutes after their injections in the morning, rats completed four consecutive training trials. Several hours later, rats completed conflict probe trials to assess which learning strategy was preferred. SHRs initially preferred the response strategy slightly more than the place strategy; however when injected with d-amphetamine the rats showed a greater preference for the place method during their first sensitization period, performing similarly to SDs. SDs initially preferred the place strategy over the response strategy, and continued to do so even following treatment with d-amphetamine, but there was an increase in their preference for using the response strategy.

Additional Abstract Information


Student(s): Melanie A. Vassallo, Matthew D. Meccariello, Emily A. Bates

Department: College of Health and Behavioral Studies, Psychology

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jeff Dyche

Type: Poster

Year: 2014

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