A novel paradigm for measuring prediction abilities in a rat model using a speech-sound discrimination task.

Autor: Gunderson LPK; Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, United States., Brice K; Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, United States., Parra M; Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, United States., Engelhart AS; Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, United States., Centanni TM; Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, United States; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. Electronic address: tmcentanni@gmail.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Behavioural brain research [Behav Brain Res] 2024 Aug 24; Vol. 472, pp. 115143. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 08.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115143
Abstrakt: The ability to predict and respond to upcoming stimuli is a critical skill for all animals, including humans. Prediction operates largely below conscious awareness to allow an individual to recall previously encountered stimuli and prepare an appropriate response, especially in language. The ability to predict upcoming words within typical speech patterns aids fluent comprehension, as conversational speech occurs quickly. Individuals with certain neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and dyslexia have deficits in their ability to generate and use predictions. Rodent models are often used to investigate specific aspects of these disorders, but there is no existing behavioral paradigm that can assess prediction capabilities with complex stimuli like speech sounds. Thus, the present study modified an existing rapid speech sound discrimination paradigm to assess whether rats can form predictions of upcoming speech sound stimuli and utilize them to improve task performance. We replicated prior work showing that rats can discriminate between speech sounds presented at rapid rates. We also saw that rats responded exclusively to the target at slow speeds but began responding to the predictive cue in anticipation of the target as the speed increased, suggesting that they learned the predictive value of the cue and adjusted their behavior accordingly. This prediction task will be useful in assessing prediction deficits in rat models of various neurodevelopmental disorders through the manipulation of both genetic and environmental factors.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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