Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies
IntroductionDecision-making requires individuals to perceive probabilities and risks associated with different options. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk by varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gamblin...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1490196/full |
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| author | Frida A. Lindberg Christakis Kagios Christakis Kagios Nikita Tjernström Erika Roman Erika Roman |
| author_facet | Frida A. Lindberg Christakis Kagios Christakis Kagios Nikita Tjernström Erika Roman Erika Roman |
| author_sort | Frida A. Lindberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionDecision-making requires individuals to perceive probabilities and risks associated with different options. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk by varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gambling task (rGT), based on the IGT, is a preclinical test using varying number of palatable reinforcers as wins and different duration of timeouts as punishment, mimicking losses. The rGT requires extensive operant training prior to the free choice sessions. The aim of the present study was to investigate if task acquisition and number of training days affected subsequent individual differences in decision-making strategies in the rGT, and if behavioral profiles impacted on task learning.MethodTraining time and performance of 70 male Lister Hooded rats from previously published studies were herein used to investigate whether learning time affected later decision-making strategies in the free choice rGT. Behavioral profiles generated from a subset of animals were used to study the impact of underlying behavior on learning time.ResultsThere were differences in training days between fast, intermediate and slow learners. However, time required to acquire the rGT did not affect subsequent decision-making strategies in the free choice rGT. Finally, learning time was independent of underlying behavioral profiles.DiscussionIn conclusion, neither decision-making strategies in the rGT nor behavioral profiles were correlated or differed between animals with different learning speed. This suggests that the large variation in training time between animals is unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies during free choice rGT. Such information is valuable for researchers using the rGT. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-84ea5bc9e5cc4bc1aa883bbc4082f7c0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-84ea5bc9e5cc4bc1aa883bbc4082f7c02025-01-27T06:40:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-01-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.14901961490196Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategiesFrida A. Lindberg0Christakis Kagios1Christakis Kagios2Nikita Tjernström3Erika Roman4Erika Roman5Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenIntroductionDecision-making requires individuals to perceive probabilities and risks associated with different options. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk by varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gambling task (rGT), based on the IGT, is a preclinical test using varying number of palatable reinforcers as wins and different duration of timeouts as punishment, mimicking losses. The rGT requires extensive operant training prior to the free choice sessions. The aim of the present study was to investigate if task acquisition and number of training days affected subsequent individual differences in decision-making strategies in the rGT, and if behavioral profiles impacted on task learning.MethodTraining time and performance of 70 male Lister Hooded rats from previously published studies were herein used to investigate whether learning time affected later decision-making strategies in the free choice rGT. Behavioral profiles generated from a subset of animals were used to study the impact of underlying behavior on learning time.ResultsThere were differences in training days between fast, intermediate and slow learners. However, time required to acquire the rGT did not affect subsequent decision-making strategies in the free choice rGT. Finally, learning time was independent of underlying behavioral profiles.DiscussionIn conclusion, neither decision-making strategies in the rGT nor behavioral profiles were correlated or differed between animals with different learning speed. This suggests that the large variation in training time between animals is unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies during free choice rGT. Such information is valuable for researchers using the rGT.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1490196/fullbehavioral profileimpulsivityIowa Gambling Tasklearning speedmultivariate concentric square fieldpersonality |
| spellingShingle | Frida A. Lindberg Christakis Kagios Christakis Kagios Nikita Tjernström Erika Roman Erika Roman Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies Frontiers in Psychiatry behavioral profile impulsivity Iowa Gambling Task learning speed multivariate concentric square field personality |
| title | Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies |
| title_full | Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies |
| title_fullStr | Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies |
| title_short | Individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision-making strategies |
| title_sort | individual differences in training time in the rat gambling task are unrelated to subsequent decision making strategies |
| topic | behavioral profile impulsivity Iowa Gambling Task learning speed multivariate concentric square field personality |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1490196/full |
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