The influence of drugs of abuse on reward-based decision-making

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dc.contributor.authorWong, Scott
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorGruber, Aaron J.
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-06T20:25:24Z
dc.date.available2016-09-06T20:25:24Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractAnimals are thought to learn from reinforcement by a dopamine-dependent reward prediction error, based on the difference between the expected and actual value of a reward. Here we demonstrate that this learning signal can be manipulated by drugs of abuse (amphetamine and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), resulting in reduced loss sensitivity on a competitive binary choice task. This effect is distinct from global choice strategy, as the randomness of choice responding is unaffected by drug and animals with on-board Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are still capable of flexibly tracking changing reward contingencies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that lose-shift responding is increased following amphetamine sensitization. We propose this increase is indicative of drug-induced plastic changes facilitating a shift in behavioral control towards dorsolateral striatum. These results highlight the potential for drugs of abuse to alter reward-based decision-making and provide a novel measure of the shift in behavioral control towards dorsolateral striatum that is proposed to occur in addiction.en_US
dc.embargoNoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/4599
dc.language.isoen_CAen_US
dc.proquest.subject0419en_US
dc.proquest.subject0602en_US
dc.proquest.subject0603en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscienceen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Neuroscienceen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectaddictionen_US
dc.subjectdopamineen_US
dc.subjectreinforcement learningen_US
dc.titleThe influence of drugs of abuse on reward-based decision-makingen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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