Quantifying Social Motivation in Mice Using Operant Conditioning

Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE
Loren Martin, Erica Iceberg

Abstract

In this protocol, social motivation is measured in mice through a pair of operant conditioning paradigms. To conduct the experiments, two-chambered shuttle boxes were equipped with two operant levers (left and right) and a food receptacle in one chamber, which was then divided from the second chamber by an automated guillotine door covered by a wire grid. Different stimulus mice, rotated across testing days, served as a social stimulus behind the wire grid, and were only visible following the opening of the guillotine door. Test mice were trained to lever press in order to open the door and gain access to the stimulus partner for 15 sec. The number of lever presses required to obtain the social reward progressively increased on a fixed schedule of 3. Testing sessions ended after test mice stopped lever pressing for 5 consecutive minutes. The last reinforced ratio or breakpoint can be used as a quantitative measure of social motivation. For the second paradigm, test mice were trained to discriminate between left and right lever presses in order to obtain either a food reward or the social reward. Mice were rewarded for every 3 presses of each respective lever. The number of food and social rewards can be compared as a measuremen...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 20, 2020·Brain Structure & Function·Chia-Chun HsuDonald G Rainnie
Apr 7, 2021·Nature Neuroscience·Rongfeng K HuWeizhe Hong
Nov 3, 2021·ELife·Annaliese K BeeryNatalie S Bourdon

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