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High impulsivity predicting vulnerability to cocaine addiction in rats: some relationship with novelty preference but not novelty reactivity, anxiety or stress

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Abstract

Rationale

Impulsivity is a vulnerability marker for drug addiction in which other behavioural traits such as anxiety and novelty seeking (‘sensation seeking’) are also widely present. However, inter-relationships between impulsivity, novelty seeking and anxiety traits are poorly understood.

Objective

The objective of this paper was to investigate the contribution of novelty seeking and anxiety traits to the expression of behavioural impulsivity in rats.

Methods

Rats were screened on the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) for spontaneously high impulsivity (SHI) and low impulsivity (SLI) and subsequently tested for novelty reactivity and preference, assessed by open-field locomotor activity (OF), novelty place preference (NPP), and novel object recognition (OR). Anxiety was assessed on the elevated plus maze (EPM) both prior to and following the administration of the anxiolytic drug diazepam, and by blood corticosterone levels following forced novelty exposure. Finally, the effects of diazepam on impulsivity and visual attention were assessed in SHI and SLI rats.

Results

SHI rats were significantly faster to enter an open arm on the EPM and exhibited preference for novelty in the OR and NPP tests, unlike SLI rats. However, there was no dimensional relationship between impulsivity and either novelty-seeking behaviour, anxiety levels, OF activity or novelty-induced changes in blood corticosterone levels. By contrast, diazepam (0.3–3 mg/kg), whilst not significantly increasing or decreasing impulsivity in SHI and SLI rats, did reduce the contrast in impulsivity between these two groups of animals.

Conclusions

This investigation indicates that behavioural impulsivity in rats on the 5-CSRTT, which predicts vulnerability for cocaine addiction, is distinct from anxiety, novelty reactivity and novelty-induced stress responses, and thus has relevance for the aetiology of drug addiction.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Wellcome Trust (089589/z/09/z) and MRC (G0401068, G0701500) within the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Cambridge University and by the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme (‘Imagen’ LSHM-CT-2007-037286). This paper reflects only the authors’ views and the Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. M.M was supported by a Jose Castillejo Fellowship and a grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaión of Spain (PSI2009-08626).

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Author notes

  1. Margarita Moreno

    Present address: Department of Neuroscience and Health Sciences, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain

  2. Anna C. Molander

    Present address: CNS Pharmacology - Psychiatry, NeuroSearch A/S, Pederstrupvej 93, Ballerup, DK-2750, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK

    Anna C. Molander, Adam Mar, Agnes Norbury, Sarah Steventon, Margarita Moreno, Daniele Caprioli, David E. H. Theobald, David Belin, Barry J. Everitt, Trevor W. Robbins & Jeffrey W. Dalley

  2. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK

    Anna C. Molander, Adam Mar, Agnes Norbury, Sarah Steventon, Margarita Moreno, Daniele Caprioli, David E. H. Theobald, David Belin, Barry J. Everitt, Trevor W. Robbins & Jeffrey W. Dalley

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK

    Jeffrey W. Dalley

  4. Pôle Biologie Santé, Equipe Avenir INSERM, Psychobiology of Compulsive Disorders, CNRS UMR 6187 & Université de Poitiers, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022, Poitiers cedex, France

    David Belin

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Correspondence to Jeffrey W. Dalley.

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Molander, A.C., Mar, A., Norbury, A. et al. High impulsivity predicting vulnerability to cocaine addiction in rats: some relationship with novelty preference but not novelty reactivity, anxiety or stress. Psychopharmacology 215, 721–731 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2167-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2167-x

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