Evaluation of 3,4 Methylenedioxypyrovalerone-Induced Impulsive Choice in Rats Trained on an Adjusting Delay Discounting Procedure

Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Lisa Baker, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Alan Poling, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Cynthia Pietras, Ph.D.

Keywords

Delay discounting, impulsive choice, psychostimulant use disorder, synthetic cathinones

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

4-1-2027

Abstract

Psychostimulant use disorder (PUD) is a public health concern characterized by compulsive substance-seeking behaviors despite adverse risks. Whereas impulsive behaviors are frequently observed in PUD and associated mental health conditions, behavioral assessments of impulsivity are essential to preclinical screening of novel psychoactive substances. Impulsive choice is a quantifiable behavioral measure commonly assessed using delay discounting. The current study replicated and extended a previous study by Hyatt et al. (2019) using a modified experimental design to evaluate the pro-impulsive effects of the synthetic cathinone, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). Sixteen adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to lever press in a delay discounting procedure with adjusting delays. Training sessions were conducted five days a week and consisted of 15 blocks of trials. Each block of trials included two forced-choice and two free-choice trials. The primary outcome measure, mean adjusted delay (MAD), was calculated across trials. Once rats met stability criteria, a satiety challenge was conducted to determine the effects of feeding on the MAD. Rats were subsequently trained for 26 sessions until the MAD was stable across four consecutive sessions. Subjects were then divided into two groups, counterbalanced on squad and lever assignment, and matched on the average MAD. These groups were randomly assigned to either the MDPV (N=8) or saline (N=8) treatment group. MDPV (0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg, I.P.) or saline was administered once per week prior to test sessions. MDPV treatment produced a dose-dependent decline in MAD, but the difference between MDPV and saline-treated rats was not statistically significant at any dose. Although the current study did not evaluate chronic treatment, the findings with acute MDPV treatment are comparable to previous reports.

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