title: Infection of male rats with Toxoplasma gondii induces effort-aversion in a T-maze decision-making task.
abstract: Rats chronically infected with protozoan Toxoplasma gondii exhibit greater delay aversion in an inter-temporal task. Moreover T. gondii infection also results in dendritic atrophy of basolateral amygdala neurons. Basolateral amygdala is reported to bias decision making towards greater effortful alternatives. In this context, we report that T. gondii increases effort aversion in infected male rats. This host-parasite association has been widely studied in the context of loss of innate fear in the infected males. It is suggested that reduced fear towards predators reflects a parasitic behavioral manipulation to enhance trophic transmission of T. gondii. Observations reported here extend this paradigm away from a monolithic change in fear and towards a multi-dimensional change in decision making.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore. Electronic address: avyas@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Ajai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vyas
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000473:pathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Behavioral manipulation; Decision making; Effort discounting; Operant learning; Parasites