Activity-induced reward and related phenomena

我对运动的动机/奖励效应的兴趣源于对大鼠活动性厌食症的研究，这是人类神经性厌食症的动物模型。为了产生活动性厌食症，允许大鼠每天有限地获取食物（例如，60分钟）。剩下的时间里，这些老鼠可以使用轮子。老鼠在轮子里跑，体重减轻;体重减轻得越多，跑得越多。有些老鼠一天跑20公里。此外，他们在日常饮食中吃得不够，无法补偿跑步消耗的能量，因此，如果允许这个过程继续下去，死亡就会降临。更令人惊讶的是，跑步抑制了进食。这些老鼠在日常饮食中比其他同样被剥夺食物但不允许跑步的老鼠吃得更少。 B医生。T.莱特和我开始了一项研究计划，其基础是这样一种假设：过度的转轮运转及其对进食的影响涉及大脑中一个奖励系统的激活--也许与吗啡或安非他明等成瘾药物激活的系统相同。建议的研究计划的主要目标是达到更好地了解运动的动机和奖励效果。反过来，这应该有助于更好地理解奖励和动机的行为和神经机制。 至少有两个应用的工作是具有普遍意义的：1。大鼠的活动性厌食症被认为是人类神经性厌食症的动物模型，因此有关大鼠现象的原因和机制的任何信息都可能对理解和治疗人类疾病具有实际意义。2.某些非药物奖励活动，如运动，会上瘾的观点越来越被接受。因此，我们对大鼠轮跑运动的研究可能会对运动成瘾产生影响，更广泛地说，对其他非药物奖励活动（赌博，饮食等）的成瘾也有影响。

My interest in the motivational/rewarding effects of exercise stems from studies of activity anorexia in rats, an animal model of anorexia nervosa in humans. To produce activity anorexia, rats are allowed limited daily access to food (e.g., 60 min). The rest of the day these rats have access to running wheels. The rats run in the wheels and lose weight; the more weight they lose, the more they run. Some rats run as much as 20 km a day. Moreover, they do not eat enough during their daily meal to compensate for the energy expended in running, so, if the process is allowed to continue, death ensues. Even more amazing is the fact that running suppresses eating. These rats eat less during their daily meal than other rats that are similarly food deprived, but not allowed to run.      Dr. B. T. Lett and I started a research program based on the hypothesis that the excessive wheel running and its effects on eating involve activation of a reward system in the brain - perhaps the same system as that activated by addictive drugs such as morphine or amphetamine. The main objective of the proposed research program is to arrive at a better understanding of the motivational and rewarding effects of exercise. In turn, this should contribute to a greater understanding of the behavioral and neural mechanisms of reward and motivation.      At least two applications of the work are of general significance: 1. Activity anorexia in rats is considered an animal model of anorexia nervosa in humans, so any information about the causes and mechanisms of the phenomenon in rats may have practical implications for understanding and treating the disorder in humans. 2. The view that certain nondrug rewarding activities, like exercise, are addictive is becoming more accepted. Thus our research on wheel-running exercise in rats may have implications for exercise addiction, and, more generally, for addictions to other nondrug rewarding activities (gambling, eating, etc.)