Appetitive to aversive counter-conditioning as intervention to reduce reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior: the role of the serotonin transporter

Peter Karel, Amanda Almacellas-Barbanoj, Jeffrey Prijn, Anne Marije Kaag, Liesbeth Reneman, Michel M.M. Verheij, Judith R. Homberg*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Counter-conditioning can be a valid strategy to reduce reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior. However, this has not been tested in laboratory animals with extended cocaine-taking backgrounds nor is it well understood, which individual differences may contribute to its effects. Here, we set out to investigate the influence of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype on the effectiveness of counter-conditioning after extended access to cocaine self-administration. To this end, 5-HTT+/+ and 5-HTT−/− rats underwent a touch screen-based approach to test if reward-induced reinstatement of responding to a previously counter-conditioned cue is reduced, compared with a non-counter-conditioned cue, in a within-subject manner. We observed an overall extinction deficit of cocaine-seeking behavior in 5-HTT−/− rats and a resistance to punishment during the counter-conditioning session. Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in reinstatement to cocaine and sucrose associated cues after counter-conditioning but only in 5-HTT+/+ rats. In short, we conclude that the paradigm we used was able to produce effects of counter-conditioning of sucrose seeking behavior in line with what is described in literature, and we demonstrate that it can be effective even after long-term exposure to cocaine, in a genotype-dependent manner.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)344-354
Number of pages11
JournalAddiction Biology
Volume24
Issue number3
Early online date2 Jan 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2019
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The work described in this paper was funded by The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw, project number 91211002 awarded to Dr. Homberg). ZonMw had no further role in the design of the study, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

FundersFunder number
Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
ZonMw91211002

    Keywords

    • cocaine
    • counter-conditioning
    • reinstatement
    • serotonin transporter
    • touch-screen

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Appetitive to aversive counter-conditioning as intervention to reduce reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior: the role of the serotonin transporter'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this