I have found my mice showed more rearing and grooming but my question is why they do that more and what does it indicates?
Thanks
MS
Hi, Monokesh
I guess perhaps you may observe the behavior of your mice (mouse?) in the open field apparatus. Open field test is a classic technique for measuring anxiety-like behavior. Since mice are prey for carnivores, they become anxious in an open space. In the apparatus without hiding place, they may stay or move along the walls and spend longer time at the corners. However, some individuals who have lower anxiety and higher curiosity may try to visit the center part more frequently. In regular experiments, we measure the number of visits, time spent staying and moving distance in the peripheral and central regions of the apparatus as parameters for anxiety-like behavior and curiosity.
Likewise, individuals with high curiosity (maybe low anxiety) may show increased number of rearings for exploration. Conversely, highly anxious individuals may have active sympathetic nervous system caused by high tension, resulting in piloerection, thus they groom theirselves. If your mice showed both increasing, they must be curious but tense and anxious.
Hi Kondo, great answer. So can i ask why certain drug intervention make animal more curious? Why they become curous? Thanks
Some drugs are known to alter mouse behavior in the open fields. Anxiolytics may reduce the emotional responsiveness in mice, resulting in the increased frequency of entry into the center area. Maybe this kind of drug does not affect their curiosity. However, since behaviors of anxiety and curiosity contradict each other, decreased anxiety-like behavior may disclose exploratory behavior caused by curiosity. Some drugs do not affect anxiety but increase only the activity. They may facilitate locomotor and exploratory behavior, and probably might activate the autonomic nervous system, possibly increasing grooming, defecation, urination and so on.
Behavioral scientists know animals sometimes, but not always, behave very clearly, and sometimes show utterly inexplainable behavior.’s fun. Good luck.
Great answer again! I think now a m curious to know indetail. Thanks Prof. Kondo.
Hi, Monokesh
Sometimes such behavior can be also characteristic for obsessive-compulsive like disorder
We have recorded much rearing and grooming relative to wall-seeking and emotional behaviors: