Hippocampal neurogenesis promotes effortful responding but does not regulate effort-based choice

A fundamental trait of depression is low motivation. Hippocampal neurogenesis has been associated with motivational deficits but detailed evidence on how it regulates human-relevant behavioral traits is still missing. We used the hGFAP-TK rat model to deplete actively dividing neural stem cells in the rat hippocampus. Use of the effort-discounting operant task allowed us to identify specific and detailed deficits in motivation behavior. In this task, rats are given a choice between small and large food rewards, where 2-20 lever presses are required to obtain the large reward (four sugar pellets) versus one press to receive the smaller reward (two sugar pellets). We found that depleting adult neurogenesis did not affect effort-based choice or general motivation to complete the task. However, lack of adult neurogenesis reduced the pressing rate and thus increased time to complete the required presses to obtain a reward. In summary, the present study finds that adult hippocampal neurogenesis specifically reduces response vigor to obtain rewards and thus deepens our understanding in how neurogenesis shapes depression.