What kind of behavior is that related to; anxiety, depression, etc? I am trying to find some literature on others who have used that parameter of the test, but I am coming up short.
Dear Shane,
Check this paper out:
D1 receptor agonist effects on spontaneous novelty
exploration and anxiety-like defensive responding in CD-1 mice
P.M. Wall a,b,∗, R.J. Blanchard a,b, C. Markhamb, M. Yangb, D.C. Blanchard a,c
Behavioural Brain Research 152 (2004) 67–79
Abstract
Mesocortical dopamine (DA) terminals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) integrate cognitive/emotional processing functions
underlying adaptive and appropriate behavioral responding to stressful environmental events. Results from several studies have also shown
that stressor-enhanced prefrontal DA activation exerts detrimental effects on cognitive performance. However, questions have arisen as to
whether stressor-enhanced vmPFCDAtransmission exerts direct control over conditioned or unconditioned responses to threatening events,
or whether enhanced prefrontal DA transmission gates cognitive processing to facilitate adaptive responding in threatening situations. We
have previously shown that infralimbic (IL) vmPFC dopamine D2 agonist and antagonist drug infusions reduced anxiety-like responding
in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and disrupted spontaneous exploration in the Y-maze in CD-1 mice. In the present study, the effects of IL
vmPFC infusions of the specific D1 receptor agonist, SKF-81297, in CD-1 mice were evaluated on spontaneous exploration in the Y-maze,
anxiety-like responding in a 2-trial elevated plus-maze procedure, and anti-predator defensive responding in the Mouse Defense Test Battery
(MDTB). SKF-81297 infusions disrupted spontaneous alternation performance along with potentiated repetitive 2-arm responding in the
Y-maze. In the elevated plus-maze, pre-trial 1 IL SKF-81297 infusions reduced anxiety-like responding (enhanced open arm entries and
time ratio, unprotected stretch attends and head dips), and reduced closed arm time ratio and protected risk assessment activity (protected
stretch attends). In trial 2, 24 h later (no drug infusions), open arm entries, open time ratio, and unprotected head dips remained enhanced
relative to trial 2 vehicle controls. In the MDTB, avoidance distance was enhanced in the approach test; risk assessment (approach) was enhanced in the closed alley test; and defensive threat (upright postures) was enhanced in the forced contact test. Results are discussed with respect to possible influences of IL vmPFC DA receptors on cognitively mediated responding to differing levels of threat in mice.
My comment:
Also if one arm in the Y-maze is covered and the other arm is uncovered it affects the perfomance. The ambulation of a mouse is affected by at least 30 parameters. On the human level depression correlates highly with anxiety, on the sub-human level e.g. demonstrated on the TV-show 'Dogwhisper' the dog turns around and human interpretes this as a behavior due to anxiety but it has to do with the dog's joy and excitement. Rats who like their caretakers are less likely to die when drugs are tested.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Physiology
- Physiological Processes
- Stress