Delay Exposure Training Produces Large and Lasting Changes in Impulsive Choice – Why?

项目摘要/摘要 延迟贴现描述了由于延迟而导致的后果(收益和损失)的贬值。 当延迟结果的价值贴现到较小-较早结果的价值以下时， 后者被选中--这是一个冲动的选择。纵向研究表明，这种类型的折扣先于 预测青少年吸毒，并与糟糕的健康决策模式相关。这些发现 提高减少冲动的前景，以此作为改善公共健康的一种手段。我们的实验室已经研制出 一种延迟暴露(DE)训练程序，可大幅、持久地降低大鼠的冲动。这个 拟议的实验将调查三种行为/认知机制，假设 DE训练的疗效。实验1将评估DE训练的大鼠是否更能容忍延迟(相对于 对照大鼠)，通过测量它们对延迟信号刺激的逃逸率。实验2将确定DE- 经过训练的大鼠表现出更好的间隔计时(精确度和/或准确度)，实验3将评估 DE训练增强了对延迟增援突发事件的检测的假设。识别 DE训练减少冲动的机制(S)很重要，因为它将使研究人员能够 提高降低冲动干预的效率和效果。这些干预措施必须是有效的 如果要将它们纳入旨在减少冲动的初级预防计划，则是有效的 这使个人面临成瘾和导致慢性病的糟糕健康决策的风险(例如， 肥胖)。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Delay discounting describes the devaluation of consequences (gains and losses) because they are delayed. When the value of a delayed consequence is discounted below the value of a smaller-sooner outcome, the latter is selected – an impulsive choice. Longitudinal studies reveal that this type of discounting precedes and predicts adolescent drug taking and is correlated with a pattern of poor health decision-making. These findings raise the prospect of reducing impulsivity as a means of improving public health. Our laboratory has developed a delay-exposure (DE) training procedure that produces large and lasting reductions in rats' impulsivity. The proposed experiments will investigate three behavioral/cognitive mechanisms hypothesized to underlie the efficacy of DE training. Experiment 1 will evaluate if DE trained rats are more tolerant of delays (relative to control rats) by measuring their rate of escape from delay-signaling stimuli. Experiment 2 will determine if DE- trained rats demonstrate improved interval timing (precision and/or accuracy), and Experiment 3 will evaluate the hypothesis that DE training enhances detection of delayed-reinforcement contingencies. Identifying the mechanism(s) by which DE training reduces impulsivity is important because it will allow researchers to improve the efficiency and efficacy of impulsivity-reducing interventions. These interventions must be efficient and effective if they are to be incorporated into primary prevention programs designed to reduce the impulsivity that puts individual at risk of addictions and the poor health decision-making that leads to chronic disease (e.g., obesity).