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Interoceptive Signals Bias Decision Making in Rhesus Macaques
Michael A Cardenas1,2, Ryan P Le1, Tess M Champ1
1Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 19, 2024
Summary
Altering the body's physiological state with drugs reduced rhesus monkeys' tolerance for unpleasant stimuli. This suggests interoceptive signals from the body influence decision-making by altering aversion, not reward value.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Interoceptive signals from the body to the brain are theorized to coordinate complex behaviors.
- Understanding how bodily states influence decision-making is crucial for behavioral neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of experimentally altered physiological states on decision-making in rhesus monkeys.
- To determine if autonomic nervous system changes selectively affect aversion tolerance or reward value.
Main Methods:
- Administered glycopyrrolate (parasympathetic antagonist) and isoproterenol (sympathetic agonist) to induce a sympathetic-dominated state.
- Assessed decision-making using an approach-avoidance task measuring tolerance for aversive stimuli.
- Evaluated reward value using a food preference task.
Main Results:
- Both drugs significantly reduced tolerance for aversive stimuli (hot stimulus, airflow).
- Reward value, assessed via food preference, remained unaltered by glycopyrrolate.
- Increased heart rate indexed the induced sympathetic-dominated peripheral state.
Conclusions:
- Sympathetic-dominated physiological states selectively decrease tolerance for aversive stimuli.
- Decision-making biases appear to be driven by interoceptive signals reflecting the body's physiological state.
- These findings support the role of interoception in mediating behavioral responses to aversive situations.
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