A shortened protocol for assessing cognitive bias in rats

Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Nichola M Brydges, Lynsey Hall

Abstract

Reliable measurement of affective state in animals is a significant goal of animal welfare. Such measurements would also improve the validity of pre-clinical mental health research which relies on animal models. However, at present, affective states in animals are inaccessible to direct measurement. In humans, changes in cognitive processing can give reliable indications of emotional state. Therefore, similar techniques are increasingly being used to gain proxy measures of affective states in animals. In particular, the 'cognitive bias' assay has gained popularity in recent years. Major disadvantages of this technique include length of time taken for animals to acquire the task (typically several weeks), negative experiences associated with task training, and issues of motivation. Here we present a shortened cognitive bias protocol using only positive reinforcers which must actively be responded to. The protocol took an average of 4days to complete, and produced similar results to previous, longer methods (minimum 30days). Specifically, rats housed in standard laboratory conditions demonstrated negative cognitive biases when presented with ambiguous stimuli, and took longer to make a decision when faced with an ambiguous stimul...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 29, 2020·ILAR Journal·Alexandra L Whittaker, Debra L Hickman
Aug 9, 2018·Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI·Andrew CrumpEmily J Bethell
Aug 22, 2021·Scientific Reports·M G AndersonL Jacobs

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