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Updated: Nov 27, 2025
Targeted Training of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Aged and Parkinsonian Rats
Published on: August 8, 2011
Spontaneous Ultrasonic Vocalization Transmission in Adult, Male Long-Evans Rats Is Age-Dependent and Sensitive to
Nitish Mittal1,2, W Todd Maddox3, Timothy Schallert4
1Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2409 University Avenue, Stop A1915, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Abstract:
Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are well-established markers of motivational and emotional status. Recent work from our lab has provided novel evidence for a role of USVs in models of ethanol (EtOH) use. For instance, USV acoustic characteristics can be used to accurately discriminate between rats selectively bred for high EtOH intake (e.g., alcohol-preferring (P) and high-alcohol-drinking (HAD)) versus EtOH-avoiding (e.g., alcohol-non-preferring (NP) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD)) strains, as well as differentiate between male and female rats. In the present study we sought to explore the effect of age and alcohol availability on spontaneously emitted 50-55 kHz frequency modulated (FM) and 22-28 kHz USVs in adult, male Long-Evans rats. With the hypothesis that age and alcohol experience influence spontaneous USV emissions, we examined USV data collected across a 24-week intermittent EtOH access experiment in male Long-Evans rats. USV counts and acoustic characteristic (i.e., mean frequency, duration, bandwidth and power) data revealed distinct age-dependent phenotypes in both 50-55 kHz FM and 22-28 kHz USV transmission patterns that were modulated by EtOH exposure. These results highlight the influence of age and EtOH experience on the unique emotional phenotypes of male Long-Evans rats.
