Further disentangling the motivational processes underlying benzodiazepine hyperphagia
David W Pittman1, Molly M McGinnis1, Caroline Liddy1
1Department of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663, USA.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|July 10, 2022
Summary
Benzodiazepines like chlordiazepoxide (CDP) enhance the taste appeal of normally avoided foods, increasing food intake. This effect is specific to taste, not general anxiety or thirst.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Benzodiazepines are known for anxiolytic effects but also induce hyperphagia.
- Previous research indicated chlordiazepoxide (CDP) alters taste-related licking microstructure.
- The specific hedonic and motivational mechanisms of CDP's effect on ingestive behavior require further examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hedonic and motivational specificity of chlordiazepoxide (CDP) on ingestive behavior.
- To differentiate CDP's effects from general anxiolytic actions and oromotor coordination.
- To assess taste-specific effects of CDP on orosensory processing.
Main Methods:
- Brief access (15-second) licking responses to various taste stimuli (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami, trigeminal) were measured.
- Animals were treated with chlordiazepoxide (CDP) or buspirone under water-restricted and water-replete conditions.
- Licking responses to water, NaCl, Q-HCl, citric acid, MSG, saccharin, capsaicin, and sucrose were analyzed.
Main Results:
- CDP dose-dependently increased licking for normally avoided taste stimuli, excluding capsaicin, indicating taste specificity.
- CDP enhanced licking for normally accepted concentrations of sucrose, saccharin, and MSG under water-replete conditions.
- Buspirone impaired oromotor coordination but did not alter tastant-evoked licking; neither drug affected water intake.
Conclusions:
- Benzodiazepines selectively enhance hedonic acceptance of gustatory stimuli.
- These effects are independent of anxiolytic properties, oromotor coordination, or physiological states like thirst.
- CDP's hyperphagic effect is primarily driven by altered orosensory processing and hedonic impact of tastes.
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