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Pharmacological studies of effort-related decision making using mouse touchscreen procedures: effects of dopamine antagonism do not resemble reinforcer devaluation by removal of food restriction

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Abstract

Rationale

Effort-based decision-making tasks offer animals choices between preferred reinforcers that require high effort to obtain vs. low effort/low reward options. The neural mechanisms of effort-based choice are widely studied in rats, and evidence indicates that mesolimbic dopamine (DA) and related neural systems play a key role. Fewer studies of effort-based choice have been performed in mice.

Objectives

The present studies used touchscreen operant procedures (Bussey-Saksida boxes) to assess effort-based choice in mice.

Methods

CD1 mice were assessed on a concurrent fixed ratio 1 panel pressing/choice procedure. Mice were allowed to choose between rearing to press an elevated panel on the touchscreen for a preferred food (strawberry milkshake) vs. consuming a concurrently available less preferred alternative (high carbohydrate pellets).

Results

The DA D2 antagonist haloperidol (0.05–0.15 mg/kg IP) produced a dose-related decrease in panel pressing. Intake of food pellets was not reduced by haloperidol, and in fact, there was a significant quadratic trend, indicating a tendency for pellet intake to increase at low/moderate doses. In contrast, reinforcer devaluation by removing food restriction substantially decreased both panel pressing and pellet intake. In free-feeding choice tests, mice strongly preferred milkshake vs. pellets. Haloperidol did not affect food intake or preference.

Conclusion

Haloperidol reduced the tendency to work for food, but this reduction was not due to decreases in primary food motivation or preference. Mouse touchscreen procedures demonstrate effects of haloperidol that are similar but not identical to those shown in rats. These rodent studies may be relevant for understanding motivational dysfunctions in humans.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Suzanne Cayer for her help with this project.

Funding

This research was supported by a grant to RHF and JS from The University of Connecticut Tier II program, the University of Connecticut Research Foundation (JS), and to MC from MINECO (PSI2015–68497-R) Spain. JS has received grants from, and done consulting work for, Pfizer, Roche, Shire, Prexa, Chronos, Lundbeck and Acadia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Jen-Hau Yang, Rose E. Presby, Adam A. Jarvie, Renee A. Rotolo, R. Holly Fitch, Mercè Correa & John D. Salamone

  2. Area de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain

    Mercè Correa

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  1. Jen-Hau Yang
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  2. Rose E. Presby
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Correspondence to John D. Salamone.

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Yang, JH., Presby, R.E., Jarvie, A.A. et al. Pharmacological studies of effort-related decision making using mouse touchscreen procedures: effects of dopamine antagonism do not resemble reinforcer devaluation by removal of food restriction. Psychopharmacology 237, 33–43 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-019-05343-8

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