Effects of environmental enrichment on the consumption of a palatable food reward

Type :

Case study

Pages :

13 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

09/25/2008

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Ecology & environment

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Summary :

Abstract.
Introduction.
1. Background.
2. History.
3. Neurobiological and behavioral changes.
4. Central reward processes.
5. Environmental enrichment and reward.
6. Purpose of present investigation.
Methods.
1. Subjects.
2. Procedure.
3. Statistics.
Results.
1. Bodyweight.
2. LP food consumption.
3. HP food consumption.
4. Total consumption.
Discussion.
Acknowledgements.

Abstract

environmental enrichment (EE) is the study of organisms reared in complex, varied environments and the subsequent influences on behavior. Studies have shown many mechanisms for how EE elicits changes in behavior, mental and physical processes, and neurophysiology. EE has been shown to work as a preventive, protective or restorative treatment for many conditions and maladies. Drug use and abuse solicit changes in the reward pathways of the brain which are a natural incentive system to food and sex. These reward pathways, linked with dopaminergic neurons, are all affected by EE through the regulation of dopamine transporters and receptors, as well as through direct changes in the amount of synapses, neurons and glial cells in structures inherent in reward pathways. To expand on our knowledge of EE and reward systems, the effect of EE on a naturalistic reward such as palatable food was assessed. It was predicted that EE would cause subjects to ingest less palatable food because the same reward system that, under enriched conditions, causes rats to ingest less drugs would drive them to ingest less highly-palatable food as well. Rat subjects were reared in enriched and non-enriched environments, after which subjects' intake of highly-palatable and low-palatability food types was measured. No significant trend was found between environment and food preference in rat subjects.