Effects of Stimulation of the Dopaminergic System of the Brain on Food Preference in Rats

Abstract

Experiments in rats addressing searching behavior in a maze with symmetrical reinforcement demonstrated an effect consisting of preference for food presented in a particular form. The dopaminergic system of the brain was shown to have an important role in forming reinforcement preference when the sensory properties of the food presented to the experiment animals changed. The possibility of using this type of discrete reinforcement as an experimental model for studies of the physiological mechanisms of addiction, which is directly related to food preference, as well as various forms of pathological dependence seen on consumption of pharmacological agents, was assessed.