Behavioral analysis in laboratory rats: Challenges and usefulness of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations

Schwarting, Rainer K.W.

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105260

Cited by 15 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 139 publications

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“…Accordingly, we may suppose that at least some of the rats that received dopaminergic antagonists fluctuated from a positive to a negative emotional state during repeated pharmacological treatment, which could explain why they emitted 22-kHz USVs. Finally, it has been suggested that the emission of 50-kHz USVs in rats repeatedly treated with psychoactive drugs may reflect not only heightened affect but also depend, at least in part, on phenomena unrelated to the affective properties of drugs ( Schwarting, 2023 ), such as drug-induced overactivation of dopamine transmission ( Simola and Morelli, 2015 ). The latter consideration could provide a complementary explanation for the robust emission of 50-kHz USVs observed here after amphetamine challenge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent Acute and Enduring Changes in 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats Repeatedly Treated With Amphetamine and Dopaminergic Antagonists: New Insights on the Role of Dopamine in Calling Behavior

Serra,

Costa,

Onaivi

et al. 2024

International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology

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Background Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to non-pharmacological and pharmacological stimuli, with addictive psychostimulants being the most effective drugs that elicit calling behavior in rats. Earlier investigations found that dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptors modulate the emission of 50-kHz USVs stimulated in rats by the acute administration of addictive psychostimulants. Conversely, information is lacking on how dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptors modulate calling behavior in rats that are repeatedly treated with addictive psychostimulants. Methods We evaluated the emission of 50-kHz USVs in rats repeatedly treated (×5 on alternate days) with amphetamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), either alone or together with: i) SCH 23390 (0.1-1 mg/kg, s.c.), a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, ii) raclopride (0.3-1 mg/kg, s.c.), a selective dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, or iii) a combination of SCH 23390 and raclopride (0.1 + 0.3 mg/kg, s.c.). Calling behavior of rats was recorded following pharmacological treatment, as well as in response to the presentation of amphetamine-paired cues and to amphetamine challenge (both performed 7 days after treatment discontinuation). Results Amphetamine-treated rats displayed a sensitized 50-kHz USV emission during repeated treatment, as well as marked calling behavior in response to amphetamine-paired cues and to amphetamine challenge. Antagonism of D1 or D2 receptors either significantly suppressed or attenuated the emission of 50-kHz USVs in amphetamine-treated rats, with a maximal effect after synergistic antagonism of both receptors. Conclusions These results shed further light on how dopamine transmission modulates the emission of 50-kHz USVs in rats treated with psychoactive drugs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent Acute and Enduring Changes in 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats Repeatedly Treated With Amphetamine and Dopaminergic Antagonists: New Insights on the Role of Dopamine in Calling Behavior

Serra,

Costa,

Onaivi

et al. 2024

International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology

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“…Echolocation was hypothesized as a function since the discovery of rodent ultrasonic vocalisations (Kahmann and Ostermann 1951 ; Anderson 1954 ) and was supported by early behavioural experiments in rats which demonstrated their ability to navigate mazes when blind and to discriminate distance to a platform in the dark only with intact hearing (Rosenzweig et al 1955 ; Chase et al 1980 ; Burn et al 2008 ). This interpretation subsequently became less popular and was superseded by the communication hypothesis (Schwarting et al 2023 ). However, recent confirmation of echolocation in a genus of soft-furred tree mice ( Typhlomys ) gives new credence to this possibility (He et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrasonic vocalisation rate tracks the diurnal pattern of activity in winter phenotype Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

Harding,

Walker,

Hackett

et al. 2024

J Comp Physiol B

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Vocalisations are increasingly being recognised as an important aspect of normal rodent behaviour yet little is known of how they interact with other spontaneous behaviours such as sleep and torpor, particularly in a social setting. We obtained chronic recordings of the vocal behaviour of adult male and female Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) housed under short photoperiod (8 h light, 16 h dark, square wave transitions), in different social contexts. The animals were kept in isolation or in same-sex sibling pairs, separated by a grid which allowed non-physical social interaction. On approximately 20% of days hamsters spontaneously entered torpor, a state of metabolic depression that coincides with the rest phase of many small mammal species in response to actual or predicted energy shortages. Animals produced ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) with a peak frequency of 57 kHz in both social and asocial conditions and there was a high degree of variability in vocalisation rate between subjects. Vocalisation rate was correlated with locomotor activity across the 24-h light cycle, occurring more frequently during the dark period when the hamsters were more active and peaking around light transitions. Solitary-housed animals did not vocalise whilst torpid and animals remained in torpor despite overlapping with vocalisations in social-housing. Besides a minor decrease in peak USV frequency when isolated hamsters were re-paired with their siblings, changing social contexts did not influence vocalisation behaviour or structure. In rare instances, temporally overlapping USVs occurred when animals were socially-housed and were grouped in such a way that could indicate coordination. We did not observe broadband calls (BBCs) contemporaneous with USVs in this paradigm, corroborating their correlation with physical aggression which was absent from our experiment. Overall, we find little evidence to suggest a direct social function of hamster USVs. We conclude that understanding the effects of vocalisations on spontaneous behaviours, such as sleep and torpor, will inform experimental design of future studies, especially where the role of social interactions is investigated.

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“…For instance, it implies the necessity of mimicking the natural light-dark cycle in the animal facilities, and the importance of studying rats' behavior at their active (dark) phase. As rats exhibit the positive and negative affect, expressed as the 50-kHz "happy" and 22-kHz "alarm" ultrasonic calls, respectively (see [4] for the recent review), it is also likely that the "positive" affect is more intense at the active (dark), than at the resting (light) phase. In this respect, Burgdorf et al, [5] reported that the lights-off is a strong signal for the induction of locomotor activity and pro-social behavior resulting in hedonic 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure23. The associations of the flat ultrasonic calls with 3 other USV call types as well as with 11 behaviors recorded over early (1-3) and late(4)(5)(6) days of the evening experiment, analyzed separately for the beginning and the end of the twilight. These calls were associated mostly with the adjacent lying behavior.…”

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confidence: 99%

Deep Learning Algorithms Reveal Increased Social Activity of Rats at the Start of Evening Twilight

Popik,

Cyrano,

Golebiowska

et al. 2024

Preprint

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1.SummaryThe rapid decrease of light intensity is a potent and natural stimulus of rats’ activity. The nature of this activity, in that, the character of the social behavior and the composition of concomitant ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) is unknown.This study, using deep learning algorithms, sought to assess the social life of rats’ pairs kept in the semi-natural conditions at the two twilight periods. Over six days, animals were video and audio recorded during the morning and the evening sessions lasting for 20-minutes each. The videos were used to train and use the DeepLabCut neural network examining animals’ movement in space and time. Numerical data generated by DeepLabCut were subjected to the Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) toolkit, to build models of 11 distinct social and non-social behaviors. DeepSqueak toolkit was used to examine USVs.Deep learning algorithms revealed lights-off induced increases of fighting, mounting, crawling, and rearing behaviors, as well as of 22-kHz alarm calls and 50-kHz flat and short, but not frequency modulated calls. In contrast, lights-on stimulus increased the general activity, as well as adjacent lying (huddling), anogenital sniffing and rearing behaviors. The animals adapted to the housing conditions showing decreased ultrasonic calls, as well as of grooming and rearing behaviors, but not fighting.Present study shows lights-off induced increase of aggressive behavior but fail to demonstrate an increase in the positive affect defined by the hedonic USVs. We further confirm and extend the utility of deep learning algorithms in analyzing rat social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations.Highlights- Rats display a natural increase in activity induced by lights-off stimulus- Deep learning algorithms allow for rapid characterization of social behavior and ultrasonic calls- The darkness increased aggressive behavior, 22-kHz alarm calls and 50-kHz flat and short, but not frequency modulated calls

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Behavioral analysis in laboratory rats: Challenges and usefulness of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations

Cited by 15 publications

References 139 publications

Divergent Acute and Enduring Changes in 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats Repeatedly Treated With Amphetamine and Dopaminergic Antagonists: New Insights on the Role of Dopamine in Calling Behavior

Divergent Acute and Enduring Changes in 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats Repeatedly Treated With Amphetamine and Dopaminergic Antagonists: New Insights on the Role of Dopamine in Calling Behavior

Ultrasonic vocalisation rate tracks the diurnal pattern of activity in winter phenotype Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

Deep Learning Algorithms Reveal Increased Social Activity of Rats at the Start of Evening Twilight

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