Serotonin depletion induces pessimistic-like behavior in a cognitive bias paradigm in pigs

Stracke, Jenny; Otten, Winfried; Tuchscherer, Armin; Puppe, Birger; Düpjan, Sandra

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.036

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The drug 4-chloro-DL-phenylalanine methyl ester hydrochloride (pCPA; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, United States) was used to pharmacologically induce a state of depression. This drug has been shown to decrease brain serotonin levels and increase depression-like behaviors in a number of animal species including sheep ( Kubala et al, 2008 ; Doyle et al, 2011 ; Stracke et al, 2017 ). The administration protocol for pCPA followed that described by Doyle et al (2011) , which caused a pessimistic judgment bias in sheep that was thought to reflect a depressed emotional state.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attention Bias Test Differentiates Anxiety and Depression in Sheep

Monk

Belson

Colditz

et al. 2018

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Negative affective states such as anxiety and depression pose a risk to animal welfare, however, practical tests for assessing these states in animals are limited. In humans, anxious individuals are shown to pay more attention toward threatening information than non-anxious individuals, known as an attention bias. Previously, an attention bias test was developed and validated as a measure of anxious states in sheep, where more anxious sheep showed increased attention toward a threat (dog) and were more vigilant than Control animals. Studies in humans suggest that attention biases also occur in depressed individuals, with observations of attention biases toward threats, as well as biases away from positive stimuli. Given these findings, we hypothesized that an attention bias test for sheep could also be used to assess states of depression. We predicted that Merino ewes in pharmacologically induced Depressed (para-chlorophenylalanine) and Anxious (m-chlorophenylpiperazine) states would show greater attention toward a threat than Control animals (saline), but that the Depressed sheep would show relatively less interest in a positive stimulus (photograph of a conspecific). During testing, Depressed sheep paid more attention toward the threat and less toward the photograph than Control animals as predicted (Analyses of Variance, P < 0.05, n = 16 per treatment). Interestingly, Anxious sheep showed an attention bias in the opposite direction, paying more attention toward the photograph and less toward the threat than Control animals (P < 0.05). Both Anxious and Depressed sheep were more vigilant than Control animals (P = 0.002). These results suggest the attention bias test can be used to measure and differentiate states of depression and anxiety in livestock. The bidirectional nature of the attention bias identified between treatments highlights the importance of measuring multiple behaviors in the test and considering the context in which the test is applied. This will enable a clearer characterization of the affective state of an animal, as an aspect of its welfare.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attention Bias Test Differentiates Anxiety and Depression in Sheep

Monk

Belson

Colditz

et al. 2018

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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“…The Open-Field Test and the Novel Object Test were performed on individual pigs as described in Stracke et al. (2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing animal individuality: links between personality and laterality in pigs

Goursot¹,

Düpjan²,

Kanitz³

et al. 2018

Current Zoology

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Animal individuality is challenging to explain because individual differences are regulated by multiple selective forces that lead to unique combinations of characteristics. For instance, the study of personality, a core aspect of individuality, may benefit from integrating other factors underlying individual differences, such as lateralized cerebral processing. Indeed, the approach-withdrawal hypothesis (the left hemisphere controls approach behavior, the right hemisphere controls withdrawal behavior), may account for differences in boldness or exploration between left and right hemispheric dominant individuals. To analyze the relationships between personality and laterality we tested 80 male piglets with established laterality patterns for 2 motor functions (tail curling direction and the side of the snout used for manipulation) and a combined classification integrating both motor functions using cluster analysis. We analyzed basal salivary testosterone and cortisol along with their behavior in standardized tests as pre-established indicators of different personality traits (Boldness, Exploration, Activity, Sociability, and Coping). We found that the direction of the single motor biases showed significant associations with few personality traits. However, the combined laterality classification showed more, and more robust, significant associations with different personality traits compared with the single motor biases. These results supported the approach-withdrawal hypothesis because right-biased pigs were bolder and more explorative in a context of novelty. Additionally, right-biased pigs were more sociable than left-biased pigs. Therefore, the present study indicates that personality is indeed related to lateralized cerebral processing and provides insight into the multifactorial nature of individuality.

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“…322,326 Similar difficulties in regard to their natural behavior are encountered with the use of the open field as a measure of anxiety in pigs. As such, it is often combined with a novel object test, [327][328][329] to measure the response to an unfamiliar stimulus, rather than time spent in the center of the open field. However, reports vary in the literature, with no effect on test parameters reported after depletion of serotonin or administration of an anxiolytic in diazepam, 321,329 whereas administration of a tranquilizer, azpaerone, increased time spent engaging with a novel object.…”

Section: Clinical Relevance Of Animal Behavior In Tbi 2389mentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical Relevance of Behavior Testing in Animal Models of Traumatic Brain Injury

Shultz

McDonald

Corrigan

et al. 2020

Journal of Neurotrauma

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, with patients often suffering from consequences such as cognitive deficits, social abnormalities, anxiety, depression, pain, and motor dysfunction. Given that these impairments often have a significant impact on the patient's quality of life, a key aim of therapeutic intervention in TBI is to mitigate these effects. Translational strategies to develop such interventions have heavily featured animal models of TBI. To assess the efficacy of interventions in these models, a range of behavioral outcomes are utilized. However, in light of the past translational failures that have plagued the TBI field, the clinical relevance of these preclinical behavioral tests is now being scrutinized. This article will summarize the behavioral consequences of TBI in humans; describe common methods available for testing cognition, social function, motor ability, pain, as well as depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in animal models of TBI; provide an overview of the results from TBI animal model studies that have utilized these methods; and discuss these pre-clinical behavior methods and findings in terms of their relevance to the clinical TBI setting. We conclude that there is translational value in these methods and their related findings, but also suggest strategies and future research to improve the clinical relevance of behavior testing in animal models of TBI.

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Serotonin depletion induces pessimistic-like behavior in a cognitive bias paradigm in pigs

Cited by 31 publications

References 48 publications

Attention Bias Test Differentiates Anxiety and Depression in Sheep

Attention Bias Test Differentiates Anxiety and Depression in Sheep

Assessing animal individuality: links between personality and laterality in pigs

Clinical Relevance of Behavior Testing in Animal Models of Traumatic Brain Injury

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