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Cortical and subcortical activities during food rewards versus social interaction in rats

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Titel: Cortical and subcortical activities during food rewards versus social interaction in rats
Autoren: Florbela Rocha-Almeida, Ana R. Conde-Moro, Antonio Fernández-Ruiz, José M. Delgado-García, Agnès Gruart
Quelle: Scientific Reports, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2025)
Verlagsinformationen: Nature Portfolio, 2025.
Publikationsjahr: 2025
Bestand: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Schlagwörter: Rats, Reward preference, Food, Social interaction, Electrophysiology, Theta–Gamma coupling, Medicine, Science
Beschreibung: Abstract Balancing food foraging with social interaction is crucial for survival and reproduction in many species of mammals. We wanted to investigate the reward preferences in adult male rats by allowing them to lever-press for both food and social rewards (interaction with another rat), while their performance and electrophysiological activities were recorded. Local field potentials (LFPs) were analyzed across five neuroanatomical regions involved in reward processing, decision-making, and social behavior. Despite ad libitum food availability, rats consistently prioritized food. LFP analysis revealed a decrease in nucleus accumbens (NAc) spectral power following social interaction, accompanied by specific alterations in delta and theta bands within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The spectral power of LFPs delta and/or theta bands were different for the five selected regions following food reward vs. social interactions. Cross-frequency coupling analysis provided further insights, demonstrating dynamic changes in theta-to-gamma coupling during both food and social rewards, with distinct roles for slow- and fast-gamma frequencies. These findings shed light on the intricate neural processes underlying reward preferences and/or decision-making choices, highlighting the NAc’s potential role in social reward processing, and the mPFC’s involvement in modulating theta–gamma rhythms during reward-related decision-making.
Publikationsart: article
Dateibeschreibung: electronic resource
Sprache: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-87880-1
Zugangs-URL: https://doaj.org/article/95c49f9c540f479d874f61caefb8dbb3
Dokumentencode: edsdoj.95c49f9c540f479d874f61caefb8dbb3
Datenbank: Directory of Open Access Journals
Beschreibung
Abstract:Abstract Balancing food foraging with social interaction is crucial for survival and reproduction in many species of mammals. We wanted to investigate the reward preferences in adult male rats by allowing them to lever-press for both food and social rewards (interaction with another rat), while their performance and electrophysiological activities were recorded. Local field potentials (LFPs) were analyzed across five neuroanatomical regions involved in reward processing, decision-making, and social behavior. Despite ad libitum food availability, rats consistently prioritized food. LFP analysis revealed a decrease in nucleus accumbens (NAc) spectral power following social interaction, accompanied by specific alterations in delta and theta bands within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The spectral power of LFPs delta and/or theta bands were different for the five selected regions following food reward vs. social interactions. Cross-frequency coupling analysis provided further insights, demonstrating dynamic changes in theta-to-gamma coupling during both food and social rewards, with distinct roles for slow- and fast-gamma frequencies. These findings shed light on the intricate neural processes underlying reward preferences and/or decision-making choices, highlighting the NAc’s potential role in social reward processing, and the mPFC’s involvement in modulating theta–gamma rhythms during reward-related decision-making.
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-87880-1