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Adolescents exhibit behavioral differences from adults during instrumental learning and extinction
David A Sturman1, Daniel R Mandell1, Bita Moghaddam1
1Department of Neuroscience.
Behavioral Neuroscience
|February 10, 2010
Summary
Adolescent rats show heightened sensitivity to motivational factors like food restriction and cues during extinction learning compared to adults. This suggests developing brain circuitry influences behavioral responses during adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Adolescence involves significant brain development in cognition and emotion centers.
- These developmental changes are linked to increased behavioral and neuropsychiatric vulnerabilities.
- Understanding adolescent behavior is crucial for addressing disorders that emerge during this period.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare instrumental learning and extinction behavior in adolescent and adult rats.
- To investigate the influence of motivational factors (cue light, food restriction) on extinction in both age groups.
- To explore how developing neural circuitry impacts sensitivity to motivational stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Rats (adolescent: Postnatal Days 28-42; adult: Postnatal Day 60+) were trained on an instrumental task for food reward.
- Extinction sessions followed training, where the reward was withheld.
- The effects of a cue light and food restriction during extinction were assessed.
Main Results:
- Adolescents and adults performed similarly in training, but adolescents showed more exploratory, task-irrelevant pokes.
- During extinction, adolescents exhibited more perseverative (previously reinforced) pokes than adults.
- Adolescents displayed heightened sensitivity to combined motivational factors (food restriction and cue light) during extinction, and food restriction increased their open-field activity more than adults'.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent rats are differentially sensitive to motivational factors compared to adults.
- Developing neural circuits for motivated behavior during adolescence enhance behavioral sensitivity to these factors.
- This heightened sensitivity may offer insights into the mechanisms underlying adolescent-onset disorders.
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