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Age-related behavioral changes of rats in tunnel mazes
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We have examinedthe occurrence of collateral rearing in rats during exploration of a Y-maze on a sub-chronic test regime under the influence of amphetamine and the dopamine antagonist haloperidol. Both experience and drug-treatment d i f f e r e n t i a l l y affect rearing and other search behaviour at the choice point between alleys compared to that occurring at the end of an alley. I t is argued that whereas the l a t t e r may represent exploratory behaviour the former is addit i o n a l l y affected by mechanisms involved in learning. The treatments
indicate
that collateral behaviour at the choice point and hence the mechanisms involved are reversibly affected by agonism/antagonism of dopaminergic a c t i v i t y . REFERENCES I. Mackintosh, N., Psychol. Rev., 82 (1975) 276-298. 2. Hinde, R., Animal Behaviour, McGraw-Hill, London, (1970). 3. Simon, H., Scatton, B. and Le Moal, M., Nature, 286 (1980) 150-151. 4. Oades, R., Biol. Psychiat., 17 (1982) 243-258.
AGE-RELATED BEHAVIORAL CHANGESOF RATS IN TUNNEL MAZES OETTINGER, R., MARTIN, J.R. AND BATTIG, K. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute of Behavioral Science, Behavioral Biology Laboratory, CH-8092 ZUrich, Switzerland Behavioral measures were obtained from 20 senescent (30 mo), 20 mature adult (17 mo) and 20 young (5 mo) Wistar rats, using a computerized tunnel m~ze system This complex tunnel system, variation of the alley configurations and the inclusion of an open f i e l d , has been described elsewhere I. Behavioral variables for spontaneous locomotion, open f i e l d anxiety and spatial cognitive capacity were calculated from the continuous place-time records. In comparison with the young controls, senescent subjects showed a decrease of spontaneous locomotion, an increase of open f i e l d anxiety, and a loss of patrolling efficiency, the l a t t e r indicating a d e f i c i t for spatial cognitive concept formation. REFERENCES I. B~ttig, K. In: Application of Behavioral Pharmacology in Toxicology, G. Zbinden et a l . , Raven Press, New York, 1983.
We have examinedthe occurrence of collateral rearing in rats during exploration of a Y-maze on a sub-chronic test regime under the influence of amphetamine and the dopamine antagonist haloperidol. Both experience and drug-treatment d i f f e r e n t i a l l y affect rearing and other search behaviour at the choice point between alleys compared to that occurring at the end of an alley. I t is argued that whereas the l a t t e r may represent exploratory behaviour the former is addit i o n a l l y affected by mechanisms involved in learning. The treatments
indicate
that collateral behaviour at the choice point and hence the mechanisms involved are reversibly affected by agonism/antagonism of dopaminergic a c t i v i t y . REFERENCES I. Mackintosh, N., Psychol. Rev., 82 (1975) 276-298. 2. Hinde, R., Animal Behaviour, McGraw-Hill, London, (1970). 3. Simon, H., Scatton, B. and Le Moal, M., Nature, 286 (1980) 150-151. 4. Oades, R., Biol. Psychiat., 17 (1982) 243-258.
AGE-RELATED BEHAVIORAL CHANGESOF RATS IN TUNNEL MAZES OETTINGER, R., MARTIN, J.R. AND BATTIG, K. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute of Behavioral Science, Behavioral Biology Laboratory, CH-8092 ZUrich, Switzerland Behavioral measures were obtained from 20 senescent (30 mo), 20 mature adult (17 mo) and 20 young (5 mo) Wistar rats, using a computerized tunnel m~ze system This complex tunnel system, variation of the alley configurations and the inclusion of an open f i e l d , has been described elsewhere I. Behavioral variables for spontaneous locomotion, open f i e l d anxiety and spatial cognitive capacity were calculated from the continuous place-time records. In comparison with the young controls, senescent subjects showed a decrease of spontaneous locomotion, an increase of open f i e l d anxiety, and a loss of patrolling efficiency, the l a t t e r indicating a d e f i c i t for spatial cognitive concept formation. REFERENCES I. B~ttig, K. In: Application of Behavioral Pharmacology in Toxicology, G. Zbinden et a l . , Raven Press, New York, 1983.