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Dissertation_resub_4.pdf (18.6 MB)
ETD Abstract Container
Abstract Header
Reward Comparison in the Striatum
Author Info
Webber, Emily S
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1370269518
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2013, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Experimental.
Abstract
Reward comparison is a key component of decision making. Prior research has found single cells in the primate striatum that are influenced by relative reward value. This work used an operant task that demonstrated reward comparison without changing outcome-expectancy relationships or using devaluation or delays. This allowed experimenters to examine how animals compare rewards simply by manipulating the context in which different rewards were presented, and represents a more basic comparison scenario. There are some gaps in the literature regarding the brain and reward comparison. The first major gap is the lack of an operant paradigm to examine basic reward comparison in the rat model and a lack of a detailed analysis of behavior during basic reward comparison. The second major gap is a lack of demonstration of these basic neural reward comparison processes in rats during appetitive behavior and a lack of examination of the relationships to behavior. The third major gap is the absence of a topographical examination regarding the participation of single cells in two major subregions of the striatum during reward comparison (dorsal versus ventral). There were three specific aims. First, a novel behavioral paradigm was developed to examine basic reward comparison behavior in the rat model. Second, changes in neural activity in the two major subregions of the striatum were measured during this reward comparison task and correlated with changes in behavior. Third, proportions of activity in the ventral and dorsal striatum were examined during reward comparison. Results showed that the behavioral reward comparison effects were found in individual animal behavior. Behavioral results also showed that one of the behavioral measures was specifically sensitive to the presence of variety. Single unit results showed neurons in the striatum that were sensitive to relative reward value. These were most numerous during the consummatory aspect of the task, and were overall more prevalent in the ventral versus the dorsal striatum. Single units sensitive to variety were also found in the striatum. Changes in single unit firing were not correlated with changes in behavior. Findings are discussed in an overall framework of animal behavioral paradigms and brain reward circuitry.
Committee
Howard Cromwell, PhD (Advisor)
Verner Bingman, PhD (Committee Member)
Mike Geusz, PhD (Committee Member)
William Ingle, PhD (Committee Member)
Pages
182 p.
Subject Headings
Neurosciences
;
Psychology
Keywords
reward contrast
;
reward comparison
;
the relative reward effect
;
single unit recordings
;
instrumental behavior
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Citations
Webber, E. S. (2013).
Reward Comparison in the Striatum
[Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1370269518
APA Style (7th edition)
Webber, Emily.
Reward Comparison in the Striatum.
2013. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1370269518.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Webber, Emily. "Reward Comparison in the Striatum." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1370269518
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
bgsu1370269518
Download Count:
343
Copyright Info
© 2013, some rights reserved.
Reward Comparison in the Striatum by Emily S Webber is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.