Conflict Test Battery for Studying the Act of Facing Threats in Pursuit of Rewards

Survival depends on the ability of animals to avoid threats and approach rewards. Traditionally, these two opposing motivational systems have been studied separately. In nature, however, they regularly compete for control behavior. When threat- reward-eliciting stimuli (learned or unlearned) occur simultaneously, a conflict emerges that challenges individuals weigh available options execute single behavioral response (avoid approach). Most previous animal models using approach/avoidance conflicts often focused by forgoing delaying opportunity obtain contrast, tasks designed capitalize actively choose behaviors despite are scarce. Thus, we developed test battery composed three directly study rats confronting rewards guided innate conditioned cues. One task involves crossing potentially electrified grid food opposite end straight alley, second is based step-down threat avoidance paradigm, third one modified version open field test. We used diazepam pharmacologically validate in our tasks. found that, regardless whether competing were innate, low dose decreased risk assessment facilitated taking action face during conflict, without affecting choice behavior when there was no involved. Using this validated ethologically innate/learned could help understand fundamental brain mechanisms underlying confront achieve goals.