Pre-exposure to wheel running disrupts taste aversion conditioning.
When rats are given access to a running wheel after drinking a flavored solution, they subsequently drink less of that flavor solution. It has been suggested that running produces a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). This study explored whether CTA is eliminated by prior exposure to wheel running [i.e., unconditioned stimulus (UCS) pre-exposure effect]. The rats in the experimental group (UW) were allowed to wheel run for 1 h daily for seven consecutive days of pre-exposure. Rats in the two other groups had either access to locked wheels (LW group) or were maintained in their home cages (HC group) during the pre-exposure days. All rats were then exposed to four paired and four unpaired trials using a "ABBAABBA" design. Conditioning trials were composed of one flavored liquid followed by 60-min access to wheel running. For the unpaired trials, rats received a different flavor not followed by the opportunity to run. All rats were then initially tested for water consumption followed by tests of the two flavors (paired or unpaired) in a counterbalanced design. Rats in the UW group show no CTA to the liquid paired with wheel running, whereas LW and HC groups developed CTA. These results indicate that pre-exposure to wheel running (i.e., the UCS), eliminates subsequent CTA.
Salvy
Sarah-Jeanne
SJ
Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3P8.
Pierce
W David
WD
Heth
Donald C
DC
Russell
James C
JC
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013894:Thirst / Q000502:physiology