An automated home-cage-based 5-choice serial reaction time task for rapid assessment of attention and impulsivity in rats

B Bruinsma,S F De Kloet,Tommy Pattij,Huibert D Mansvelder,M Loos,A Luchicchi,H Terra,E Remmelink,A J Timmerman

doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05189-0

B Bruinsma, S F De Kloet + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-019-05189-0

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Journal: Psychopharmacology	Publication Date: Mar 2, 2019
Citations: 20	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Amsterdam Neuroscience, Sylics (Netherlands)

Abstract

RationaleThe 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is a widely used operant task for measuring attention and motor impulsivity in rodents. Training animals in this task requires an extensive period of daily operant sessions. Recently, a self-paced, automated version of this task has been developed for mice, which substantially reduces training time. Whether a similar approach is effective for rats is currently unknown.ObjectiveHere, we tested whether attention and impulsivity can be assessed in rats with a self-paced version of the 5-CSRTT.MethodsOperant boxes were connected to home-cages with tunnels. Two groups of rats self-paced their training by means of an automated script. The first group of animals was allowed unlimited access (UA) to start trials in the task; for the second group, trial availability was restricted to the first 2.5 h of the dark cycle (TR). Task parameter manipulations, such as variable inter-trial intervals and stimulus durations as well as pharmacological challenges with scopolamine, were tested to validate the task.ResultsSelf-paced training took less than 1 week. Animals in the UA group showed higher levels of omissions compared with the TR group. In both protocols, variable inter-trial intervals increased impulsivity, and variable stimulus durations decreased attentional performance. Scopolamine affected cognitive performance in the TR group only.ConclusionsHome-cage-based training of the 5-CSRTT in rats, especially the TR protocol, presents a valid and fast alternative for measuring attention and impulsivity.

Highlights

Animal models of executive functioning are pivotal to understanding the neurobiology of psychiatric illness
Our main findings are that in the SP-5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), training time was less than 1 week and that animals gained weight during training without the necessity of prior food restriction
SP-5-CSRTT was sensitive to behavioral challenges in similar fashion as demonstrated in the conventional 5-CSRTT, whereas only in the the dark cycle (TR)-group, pharmacological interventions with scopolamine were effective

Summary

Objective

We tested whether attention and impulsivity can be assessed in rats with a self-paced version of the 5-CSRTT. The first group of animals was allowed unlimited access (UA) to start trials in the task; for the second group, trial availability was restricted to the first 2.5 h of the dark cycle (TR) Task parameter manipulations, such as variable inter-trial intervals and stimulus durations as well as pharmacological challenges with scopolamine, were tested to validate the task. Animals in the UA group showed higher levels of omissions compared with the TR group In both protocols, variable inter-trial intervals increased impulsivity, and variable stimulus durations decreased attentional performance. Conclusions Home-cage-based training of the 5-CSRTT in rats, especially the TR protocol, presents a valid and fast alternative for measuring attention and impulsivity.

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