Abstract
Typically, approach behaviour is displayed in the context of moving towards a desired goal, while avoidance behaviour is displayed in the context of moving away from threatening or novel stimuli. In the current research, we detected three sub-populations of C57BL/6J mice that spontaneously responded with avoiding, balancing or approaching behaviours in the presence of the same conflicting stimuli. While the balancing animals reacted with balanced responses between approach and avoidance, the avoiding or approaching animals exhibited inhibitory or advance responses towards one of the conflicting inputs, respectively. Individual differences in approach and avoidance motivation might be modulated by the normal variance in the level of functioning of different systems, such as endocannabinoid system (ECS). The present research was aimed at analysing the ECS involvement on approach and avoidance behavioural processes. To this aim, in the three selected sub-populations of mice that exhibited avoiding or balancing or approaching responses in an approach/avoidance Y-maze we analysed density and functionality of CB1 receptors as well as enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase activity in different brain regions, including the networks functionally responsible for emotional and motivational control. The main finding of the present study demonstrates that in both approaching and avoiding animals higher CB1 receptor density in the amygdaloidal centro-medial nuclei and in the hypothalamic ventro-medial nucleus was found when compared with the CB1 receptor density exhibited by the balancing animals. The characterization of the individual differences to respond in a motivationally based manner is relevant to clarify how the individual differences in ECS activity are associated with differences in motivational and affective functioning.
Highlights
The superordinate division of emotions is distributed along a bipolar dimension of affective valence, from approaching to avoiding stimuli
When Mann-Whitney U Test was performed on the significant effects in amygdaloidal nuclei and hypothalamic ventro-medial nucleus, cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1) receptor density was increased in AV and AP animals in comparison to BA animals, as reported in Fig. 2 B
Approach behaviour is typically displayed in the context of moving towards a desired goal, while avoidance behaviour is displayed in the context of moving away from threatening or novel stimuli [1]
Summary
The superordinate division of emotions is distributed along a bipolar dimension of affective valence, from approaching to avoiding stimuli. Approaching can be defined as the tendency to direct behaviour towards rewarding situations, objects and possibilities, whereas avoiding as the tendency to direct behaviour away from fearful situations, objects and possibilities. It is postulated that approach and avoidance behaviours determine one’s disposition to the primary emotions of fear, anger and attachment and one’s behavioural responses to the environmental stimuli related to danger, novelty and reward [1]. The likelihood of a subject in engaging in approach or avoidance behaviours varies across situations, individuals and lifespan. It is hypothesized that approach or avoidance behaviours are associated with the brain networks that control cognitive and attentional functions, reward sensitivity and emotional expression and involve cortico-limbic circuitry including prefrontal cortex, amygdala and striatum [3,4]. There is considerable variability among individuals in the cortico-limbic system reactivity to novel and emotional stimuli, the origin of the individual differences is not yet fully clarified
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