What a rat's ultrasonic call can tell us about food-related pleasure

Understanding how the brain processes rewarding experiences could help researchers better understand behaviors such as overeating, as well as conditions such as anhedonia—the inability to experience pleasure, a common symptom of depression. One way researchers study reward-related processes is through animal models. In rats, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), sounds that are too high-pitched for humans to hear, are associated with various emotional and motivational states, including responses to rewarding stimuli.

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