Andrew J Grottick1, Guy A Higgins. 1. PRBN-B, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, 4070 Basel, Switzerland. agrottick@arenapharm.com
Abstract
RATIONALE: In studies assessing sustained attention in humans, performance is often characterised by a decline in function over time. This response pattern, termed the vigilance decrement, is sensitive to manipulations affecting task difficulty, and to reversal with psychostimulant drugs. A valid test of attention in non-human species requires both comparable characteristics of performance, and sensitivity to similar psychoactive drugs. The five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) has been described as a test of sustained attention in the rat, however, studies describing vigilance decrements and performance effects of psychostimulants in this task are scarce. OBJECTIVES: We manipulated the standard 5-CSRTT to determine under which conditions a replicable vigilance decrement could be observed, and sought to determine whether this pattern of changes was sensitive to psychostimulant administration. METHODS: One and two-year-old rats performed in five-choice sessions extended to 250 trials. Task difficulty was manipulated by either increasing or decreasing the duration of stimulus presentation, and pre-feeding studies were performed to control for effects of the additional food earned. In the two-year-old group dose-responses were then derived for nicotine (0.1-0.4 mg/kg), amphetamine (0.05-0.4 mg/kg) and caffeine (3-10 mg/kg). RESULTS: Extending five-choice sessions revealed a decline in the performance of two-year-old rats as a function of trial number. Increasing task difficulty induced a response-decrement in one-year old rats; whilst reducing it enhanced the performance of two-year-old rats to that observed in younger subjects. Pre-feeding did not alter the response patterns observed in either group. Nicotine, amphetamine, and caffeine all reversed the performance decrement observed. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that similar performance characteristics can be observed in both human and rat, serving to validate further the 5-CSRTT as a measure of sustained attention.
RATIONALE: In studies assessing sustained attention in humans, performance is often characterised by a decline in function over time. This response pattern, termed the vigilance decrement, is sensitive to manipulations affecting task difficulty, and to reversal with psychostimulant drugs. A valid test of attention in non-human species requires both comparable characteristics of performance, and sensitivity to similar psychoactive drugs. The five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) has been described as a test of sustained attention in the rat, however, studies describing vigilance decrements and performance effects of psychostimulants in this task are scarce. OBJECTIVES: We manipulated the standard 5-CSRTT to determine under which conditions a replicable vigilance decrement could be observed, and sought to determine whether this pattern of changes was sensitive to psychostimulant administration. METHODS: One and two-year-old rats performed in five-choice sessions extended to 250 trials. Task difficulty was manipulated by either increasing or decreasing the duration of stimulus presentation, and pre-feeding studies were performed to control for effects of the additional food earned. In the two-year-old group dose-responses were then derived for nicotine (0.1-0.4 mg/kg), amphetamine (0.05-0.4 mg/kg) and caffeine (3-10 mg/kg). RESULTS: Extending five-choice sessions revealed a decline in the performance of two-year-old rats as a function of trial number. Increasing task difficulty induced a response-decrement in one-year old rats; whilst reducing it enhanced the performance of two-year-old rats to that observed in younger subjects. Pre-feeding did not alter the response patterns observed in either group. Nicotine, amphetamine, and caffeine all reversed the performance decrement observed. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that similar performance characteristics can be observed in both human and rat, serving to validate further the 5-CSRTT as a measure of sustained attention.
Authors: Caesar M Hernandez; Lauren M Vetere; Caitlin A Orsini; Joseph A McQuail; Andrew P Maurer; Sara N Burke; Barry Setlow; Jennifer L Bizon Journal: Neurobiol Aging Date: 2017-09-05 Impact factor: 4.673
Authors: Guy A Higgins; Theresa M Ballard; Michel Enderlin; Marie Haman; John A Kemp Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2005-03-10 Impact factor: 4.530