Male Goal-Tracker and Sign-Tracker Rats Do Not Differ in Neuroendocrine or Behavioral Measures of Stress Reactivity

Environmental cues attain the ability to guide behavior via learned associations. As predictors, cues can elicit adaptive behavior and lead to valuable resources (e.g., food). For some individuals, however, cues are transformed into incentive stimuli and elicit motivational states that can be maladaptive. The goal-tracker (GT)/sign-tracker (ST) animal model captures individual differences in cue-motivated behaviors, with reward-associated cues serving as predictors of reward for both phenotypes but becoming incentive stimuli to a greater degree for STs. While these distinct phenotypes are characterized based on Pavlovian conditioned approach (PavCA) behavior, they exhibit differences on a number of behaviors relevant to psychopathology. To further characterize the neurobehavioral endophenotype associated with individual differences in cue-reward learning, neuroendocrine and behavioral profiles associated with stress and anxiety were investigated in male GT, ST, and intermediate responder (IR) rats. It was revealed that baseline corticosterone (CORT) increases with Pavlovian learning, but to the same degree, regardless of phenotype. No significant differences in behavior were observed between GTs and STs during an elevated plus maze (EPM) or open field test (OFT), nor were there differences in CORT response to the OFT or physiological restraint. Upon examination of central markers associated with stress reactivity, we found that STs have greater glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA expression in the ventral hippocampus, with no phenotypic differences in the dorsal hippocampus or prelimbic cortex (PrL). These findings demonstrate that GTs and STs do not differ on stress-related and anxiety-related behaviors, and suggest that differences in neuroendocrine measures between these phenotypes can be attributed to distinct cue-reward learning styles.