Chronic corticosterone enhances the rewarding effect of hypothalamic self-stimulation in rats

Excessive levels of glucocorticoids have been implicated in the etiology of affective disorders in humans, and in a range of behavioral deficits in animals. In the present study, we used an established regimen of corticosterone administration (40 mg/kg, for 21 days) to determine its effects upon res...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 2000-09, Vol.875 (1), p.196-201
Main Authors: Barr, Alasdair M, Brotto, Lori A, Phillips, Anthony G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
affective disorders
Animals
Behavior
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Corticosterone
Corticosterone - administration & dosage
Corticosterone - pharmacology
Drug Administration Schedule
Electric Stimulation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Glucocorticoid
Hormones and behavior
Hypothalamus - drug effects
Hypothalamus - physiology
Male
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Rat
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Reward
Self Stimulation - physiology
Self-stimulation
Stress
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Summary:Excessive levels of glucocorticoids have been implicated in the etiology of affective disorders in humans, and in a range of behavioral deficits in animals. In the present study, we used an established regimen of corticosterone administration (40 mg/kg, for 21 days) to determine its effects upon responding for rewarding brain stimulation in rats. After chronic treatment, subjects exhibited an unexpected but significantly increased sensitivity to the rewarding effects of brain stimulation. These results suggest that chronic, high levels of corticosterone are unlikely to cause anhedonia in rodents.
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/S0006-8993(00)02652-4