Environmental enrichment attenuates cue-induced reinstatement of sucrose seeking in rats.
This study examined the effect of environmental enrichment on sucrose seeking in rats made abstinent from sucrose for 1 month, as measured by response for a tone+light cue previously associated with 10% sucrose self-administration. Rats were either enriched throughout the study (experiment 1) or only after sucrose self-administration training (experiment 2). Enrichment consisted of either housing the rats in pairs or grouping four rats (ENR4) in a large environment, both with novel objects. Controls (CON) were singly housed without novel objects. In experiment 1, ENR4 rats responded less to the sucrose-paired cue versus CON rats, but this difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, the decrease in response of ENR4 rats versus CON rats in experiment 2 was dramatic and significant. These findings, along with findings from other laboratories, support a hypothesis that the enrichment may provide individuals with a greater ability to discriminate the availability of reward. This may impart a decreased vulnerability to relapse behavior. Therefore, these results are relevant to both eating disorder and drug addiction - disorders characterized by relapse.
Grimm
Jeffery W
JW
Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225-9089, USA. jeff.grimm@wwu.edu
Osincup
Daniel
D
Wells
Barbara
B
Manaois
Meghan
M
Fyall
Amber
A
Buse
Carl
C
Harkness
John H
JH
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003463:Cues; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004777:Environment; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose; D003042:Cocaine