Search results for "exploratory behavior"
showing 10 items of 101 documents
Evaluation of chronic alcohol self-administration by a 3-bottle choice paradigm in adult male rats. Effects on behavioural reactivity, spatial learni…
2011
Chronic ethanol consumption is able to modify emotional behaviour and cognition in humans. In particular, the effects exerted by alcohol may depend on doses, time and modalities of administration. In this study we investigated, in adult male rats, ethanol self-administration and preference patterns using a 3-bottle choice paradigm with water, 10% ethanol solution, and white wine (10%, v/v), along a four-week period. The influence of alcohol free-access on novelty-induced explorative behaviour in the open field, and on spatial learning and reference memory in the Morris water maze was also evaluated. Our results indicate that: (i) rats show a higher preference for alcohol, in the first two w…
Structure of rat behavior in hole-board: II) multivariate analysis of modifications induced by diazepam.
2009
In our previous study we suggested that multivariate analysis could improve hole-board test reliability providing a more useful tool to determine behavioral effects of anxiolytic drugs. To support this hypothesis, a multivariate analysis of rat behavior in hole-board, following administration of the reference anxiolytic drug diazepam, was carried out. Four groups, each composed of thirty male Wistar rats, were used: one saline and three diazepam injected (0.25, 0.5 and 2 mg/kg IP). Rat behavior was recorded for 10 min through a digital videocamera. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were carried out. In all groups, more than 80% of whole behavioral structure encompassed walking, climbing…
Studies on effects of tamoxifen (ICI 46474) on agonistic encounters between pairs of intact mice.
1988
The anti-estrogen tamoxifen (Tam), which has been shown to dramatically suppress offensive behavior in male rats without markedly influencing other aspects of the social encounter, was tested for its effectiveness in mice. TO strain albino mice were given control injections or 50 or 100 micrograms of Tam for 4 or 8 days. Subsequently, mice were tested in pairs (for a particular dose and treatment duration) in which both animals received Tam, one animal received Tam and one saline, or both animals received saline control injections. Ten-minute videotaped encounters were analyzed in terms of total times allocated to nonsocial investigation, social investigation, offense, defense, sexual activ…
Reversal of prenatal diazepam-induced deficit in a spatial-object learning task by brief, periodic maternal separation in adult rats.
2005
In the rat, prenatal exposure to diazepam (DZ) induces a permanent reduction in GABA/BZ receptor (R) function and behavioural abnormalities. Environmental modifications during early stages of life can influence brain development and induce neurobiological and behavioural changes throughout adulthood. Indeed, a subtle, periodic, postnatal manipulation increases GABA/BZ R activity and produces facilitatory effects on neuroendocrine and behavioural responses. We here investigated the impact of prenatal treatment with DZ on learning performance in adult 3- and 8-month-old male rats and the influence of a brief, periodic maternal separation on the effects exerted by prenatal DZ exposure. Learnin…
Single, intense prenatal stress decreases emotionality and enhances learning performance in the adolescent rat offspring: Interaction with a brief, d…
2006
Perinatal manipulations can lead to neurobehavioural changes in the progeny. In this study we investigated, in adolescent male rat offspring, the consequences of a single, intense prenatal stress induced by a 120 min-maternal immobilization at gestational day 16, and of a daily, brief maternal separation from postnatal day 2 until 21, on: unconditioned fear/anxiety-like behaviour in open field and in elevated plus-maze; learning performance in the "Can test", a non-aversive spatial and tactile/visual task; corticosterone plasma levels under basal and stress-induced conditions. Our results indicate that both prenatal stress and maternal separation procedures decrease emotionality and enhance…
Effect of pinealectomy and circadian rhythm on avoidance behavior in the male rat.
1985
Male adult albino rats were divided into six groups: two pinealectomized (Px); two sham-operated (Sh) and two serving as controls (C). Half of these groups were studied in daylight and the other half at night. The animals were open-field tested and then conditioned by the avoidance behavior test in the appropriate light period. No differences were observed among the groups when they were conditioned in the dark; however, the Px were conditioned significantly more rapidly than Sh or C in daylight. Intragroup comparisons between night/day conditioning showed them to be similar in Px but more rapid at night in both Sh and C. The Sh group is unique and not comparable to controls.
Combination of open field and elevated plus-maze: a suitable test battery to assess strain as well as treatment differences in rat behavior.
1998
Abstract 1. 1. A test battery consisting of a standard open field, an enriched open field and an elevated plus maze was used to study behavior in rats. 2. 2. Male rats of the strains PVG/OlaHsd (PVG) and Sprague-Dawely-Hsd (SPRD) (150–200g body wt) were used to assess interstrain differences as well as handling effects. In a subsequent experiment an other set of male PVG rats (150–200g body wt) treated either with diazepam or zolpidem was used to evaluate the test battery for pharmacological purposes. 3. 3. SPRD rats displayed higher motor activity levels and also higher levels of exploratory behavior than the PVG rats. In contrast plus-maze activity indicated more anxiety of SPRD than PVG …
Sulpiride has an antiaggressive effect in mice without markedly depressing motor activity
1991
The atypical neuroleptic, sulpiride is a selective D2 antagonist, having a preferential action on mesolimbic regions. The effects of acute and chronic treatment with sulpiride on aggressive behaviour in male mice were studied using an ethologically based analysis. It was hypothesized that sulpiride would diminish "threat" and "attack" but would not produce marked "immobility", because of the mesolimbic effect referred to above. Isolated albino male mice (experimental animals) were confronted by "standard opponents". Acutely-treated experimental animals received an intraperitoneal injection of sulpiride (20, 50 or 100 mg/kg) 30 min before testing. Chronically-treated animals received sulpiri…
Microstructure of rat behavioral response to anxiety in hole-board
2010
Aim of present research was to assess, by means of descriptive and multivariate approaches, in Wistar rats tested in hole-board apparatus, whether a microstructure of hole exploratory behavior may be identified in the behavioral response to anxiety. Two groups of 15 subjects were tested: one received 1 ml of saline IP and one was IP injected with diazepam at 0.5 mg/kg dissolved in 1 ml of saline. Following saline, six not yet reported hole-exploratory components were identified: active-dip, static-dip, rapid-dip, circular-sniff, point-sniff and central-sniff. Diazepam provoked significant changes of their per cent distribution. Results of multivariate analyses revealed a complex microstruct…
Detection of behavioral alterations and learning deficits in mice lacking synaptophysin.
2009
The integral membrane protein synaptophysin is one of the most abundant polypeptide components of synaptic vesicles. It is not essential for neurotransmission despite its abundance but is believed to modulate the efficiency of the synaptic vesicle cycle. Detailed behavioral analyses were therefore performed on synaptophysin knockout mice to test whether synaptophysin affects higher brain functions. We find that these animals are more exploratory than their wild type counterparts examining novel objects more closely and intensely in an enriched open field arena. We also detect impairments in learning and memory, most notably reduced object novelty recognition and reduced spatial learning. Th…