This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of animal behavior, training rats to drive tiny cars in exchange for Froot Loops cereal. The study, published on October 24, 2019, found that the task lowers the rats' stress levels.
The study, led by senior author Kelly Lambert of the University of Richmond, aimed to explore the effects of neuroplasticity on rats housed in different environments. Lambert and her team modified a robot car kit to create a driver compartment, which the rats could control by touching a copper wire.
Seventeen rats were trained over several months to drive around an arena, with the researchers establishing that the animals could indeed be taught to drive forward as well as steer in more complex navigational patterns. The rats kept in "enriched environments" performed far better than their lab rat counterparts.
The study also found that the rats' faeces contained higher levels of dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone that counters stress, indicating a more relaxed state. This could be linked to the satisfaction of gaining mastery over a new skill, referred to as "self-efficacy" or "agency" in humans.
What's more, rats that drove themselves showed higher levels of dehydroepiandrosterone as compared to those who were merely passengers when a human controlled the vehicle, meaning they were less stressed.
Senior author Kelly Lambert told AFP, "There's no cure for schizophrenia or depression. We're behind, and we need to catch up and I think we need to look at different animal models and different types of tasks and really respect that behaviour can change our neurochemistry."
