Nucleus Accumbens Amphetamine Microinjections Unconditionally Elicit 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats

The authors have hypothesized that, in adult rats, 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) index a state characterized by high arousal and expectations of reward. This study was conducted to investigate whether dopamine agonism of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) could evoke such an appetitive state, by...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral neuroscience 2001-08, Vol.115 (4), p.940-944
Main Authors: Burgdorf, Jeffrey, Knutson, Brian, Panksepp, Jaak, Ikemoto, Satoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphetamine - administration & dosage
Amphetamine - pharmacology
Amphetamines
Animal
Animal Vocalizations
Animals
Appetitive Behavior - drug effects
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage
Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacology
Dopamine Agents - administration & dosage
Dopamine Agents - pharmacology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Male
Microinjections
Neurotransmission and behavior
Nucleus Accumbens
Nucleus Accumbens - drug effects
Nucleus Accumbens - pathology
Nucleus Accumbens - physiology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Ultrasonics
Vocalization, Animal - drug effects
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The authors have hypothesized that, in adult rats, 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) index a state characterized by high arousal and expectations of reward. This study was conducted to investigate whether dopamine agonism of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) could evoke such an appetitive state, by examining the effects of NAcc amphetamine (AMPH) microinjections on USVs. Intra-NAcc AMPH injections (0.3, 1.0, 3.0, 10.0 μg unilaterally) produced robust, dose-dependent increases in 50-kHz USVs, which could not be accounted for by concomitant increases in locomotor activity (LA). However, AMPH injections into dorsal control caudate putamen sites produced a modest, dose-dependent increase in LA without significant increases in 50-kHz USVs. These findings indicate that NAcc AMPH microinjections selectively evoke 50-kHz USVs in rats, supporting the notion that dopamine elevations in the NAcc may unconditionally elicit a state of reward anticipation.
ISSN:0735-7044
1939-0084
DOI:10.1037/0735-7044.115.4.940