title: Olfactory preference conditioning changes the reward value of reinforced and non-reinforced odors.
abstract: Olfaction is determinant for the organization of rodent behavior. In a feeding context, rodents must quickly discriminate whether a nutrient can be ingested or whether it represents a potential danger to them. To understand the learning processes that support food choice, aversive olfactory learning and flavor appetitive learning have been extensively studied. In contrast, little is currently known about olfactory appetitive learning and its mechanisms. We designed a new paradigm to study conditioned olfactory preference in rats. After 8 days of exposure to a pair of odors (one paired with sucrose and the other with water), rats developed a strong and stable preference for the odor associated with the sucrose solution. A series of experiments were conducted to further analyze changes in reward value induced by this paradigm for both stimuli. As expected, the reward value of the reinforced odor changed positively. Interestingly, the reward value of the alternative odor decreased. This devaluation had an impact on further odor comparisons that the animal had to make. This result suggests that appetitive conditioning involving a comparison between two odors not only leads to a change in the reward value of the reinforced odor, but also induces a stable devaluation of the non-reinforced stimulus.
authors: Neurophysiology and Behavior Laboratory, Neuroscience Paris-Seine - IBPS, CNRS UMR 8246 - UPMC UM CR18 - INSERM U1130 Paris, France.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Torquet
authors: Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center New York, USA.
authors: Pascaline
authors: P
authors: Aimé
authors: Equipe Olfaction: du Codage à la Mémoire, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292 - INSERM U1028, Université Lyon 1 Lyon, France.
authors: Belkacem
authors: B
authors: Messaoudi
authors: Equipe Olfaction: du Codage à la Mémoire, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292 - INSERM U1028, Université Lyon 1 Lyon, France.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Garcia
authors: Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3571 Genes, Synapses and Cognition Paris, France.
authors: Elodie
authors: E
authors: Ey
authors: Equipe Olfaction: du Codage à la Mémoire, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292 - INSERM U1028, Université Lyon 1 Lyon, France.
authors: Rémi
authors: R
authors: Gervais
authors: Equipe Olfaction: du Codage à la Mémoire, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292 - INSERM U1028, Université Lyon 1 Lyon, France.
authors: A Karyn
authors: AK
authors: Julliard
authors: Equipe Olfaction: du Codage à la Mémoire, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292 - INSERM U1028, Université Lyon 1 Lyon, France.
authors: Nadine
authors: N
authors: Ravel
keywords: behavior; conditioning; discrimination; odor; olfaction; olfactory preference; rat