0000000000021829
AUTHOR
Asunción Pérez-martinez
Individual Differences in Novelty-Seeking and Behavioral Responses to Nicotine: A Review of Animal Studies
Individual differences in the behavioral responses to a novel environment have been proposed as a research tool to predict responsiveness to other behavioral tasks, response to certain events and individual vulnerability to nicotine addiction. In rats and mice, novelty seeking (defined as enhanced specific exploration of novel situations) is a complex behavior confirmed by a large body of neurochemical, endocrinological and behavioral data. We review the main standardized procedures employed to measure the novelty seeking trait in rodents and the ontogeny of this behavior throughout the life-span taking into account that novelty seeking can be permanently modified as a consequence of partic…
Nicotina y modelos animales: ¿qué nos aporta el paradigma de enriquecimiento ambiental?
El Enriquecimiento Ambiental (Environmental Enrichment o EE) es un modelo de alojamiento basada en la estimulacion a nivel fisico, cognitivo y sensorial de roedores. Esta condicion se caracteriza por el alojamiento de un grupo de animales en cajas grandes que contienen distintos objetos como tuneles, juguetes y ruedas de correr. El principal objetivo del presente trabajo es plantear los principales argumentos que sugieren que el alojamiento en condiciones de EE puede disminuir la vulnerabilidad a desarrollar adiccion a la nicotina y a otras drogas de abuso, asi como revisar estudios experimentales recientes relacionados con este area. Con este fin, se presenta una revision de los principale…
Behavioral effects of combined environmental enrichment and chronic nicotine administration in male NMRI mice
Abstract Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental paradigm which provides sensory, social, physical and cognitive stimulation for rodents. Experimental evidence indicates that this type of housing induces different neurobiological and behavioral changes. However, few studies have evaluated the consequences of combined exposure to an enriched environment and nicotine administration during a critical period of development such as adolescence. Taking into account previous studies, it can be hypothesized that a chronic treatment with nicotine would modulate the effects of rearing animals in enriched environments. In the current study, our main aim was to evaluate the effects of EE and c…
Environmental Enrichment Improves Novel Object Recognition and Enhances Agonistic Behavior in Male Mice
Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental paradigm in which rodents are housed in complex environments containing objects that provide stimulation, the effects of which are expected to improve the welfare of these subjects. EE has been shown to considerably improve learning and memory in rodents. However, knowledge about the effects of EE on social interaction is generally limited and rather controversial. Thus, our aim was to evaluate both novel object recognition and agonistic behavior in NMRI mice receiving EE, hypothesizing enhanced cognition and slightly enhanced agonistic interaction upon EE rearing. During a 4-week period half the mice (n = 16) were exposed to EE and the other…