Date of Award

2024-11-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Computational Science

Advisor(s)

Alexander Friedman

Abstract

Understanding the effects of substance use on decision-making is critical for both clinical andtranslational research. In this thesis, I present two complementary studies that explore decision- making behavior in rodents with a focus on alcohol consumption and novel experimental frame- works. The first study examines the impact of acute alcohol consumption on decision-making in a behavioral approach-avoidance task. Rats were presented with a concurrent choice of consuming alcohol and sucrose mixtures across four distinct concentrations, allowing for the analysis of ap- proach or avoidance behavior. Sex-dependent differences emerged, with male rats demonstrating a significantly higher tendency to approach higher alcohol concentrations, while female rats showed minimal changes in their choice behavior. This novel protocol highlights the individual variability in decision-making under alcohol exposure and provides a method for identifying abnormalities that could predict vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. The second study introduces the REward-COst in Rodent Decision-making (RECORD) sys- tem, an automated, high-throughput framework designed to study decision-making across multiple reward and cost levels. By integrating 3D-printed arenas, custom electronic hardware, and soft- ware, RECORD enables the analysis of complex decision-making behaviors without the need for food or water restriction. Using test cases involving oxycodone self-administration and alcohol consumption, we reveal how individual and group behavioral heterogeneity can be quantified, of- fering new insights into perturbations in decision-making. Together, these studies provide innovative tools and insights for studying decision-making un- der substance use, with the potential to inform research on psychiatric disorders and addiction vulnerability.

Language

en

Provenance

Recieved from ProQuest

File Size

87 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Atanu Giri

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