No abstract

Three experiments were conducted on female Swiss albino mice in order to determine whether open-field (OF) ambulation and thigmotaxis (wall-seeking) alter both as functions of reproductive phases such as estrus, mating, gestation, partus, lactation, weaning, as well as of presence, absence and OF location of a newborn pup. The results revealed increased thigmotaxis as an effect of estrus (p < 0.001). From mating to one month postpartum a growing tendency towards maternal occupation of centre OF partitions was observed. Maternal ambulation reached its peak two days before partus but dropped to its lowest level during the lactation period at which time the mice were the least wall-seeking. Ambulation was enhanced (p < 0.001) in the presence of a pup regardless of OF starting point and the pup's placement. However, when the mouse dam was initially placed together with the pup by the OF wall, she hardly penetrated centre units at all.

Both male (n = 244) and female (n = 223) Swiss albino mice displayed a U-shaped pattern of thigmotaxis (wall-seeking) in a circular open-field (OF) before and after a daily maze-running. A significant increase of mice's tendency to occupy the inner partitions of the OF after the maze trial on the last three out of five days of training was observed. When factor analyzed, the variables indicating the wall-seeking behaviour of both sexes were divided into two factors interpreted as "spontaneous" in conjunction with the first three to four maze trials and as "learning-related thigmotactic behaviour" during the subsequent trials in the course of the learning process.

Significant differences were observed in thigmotaxis, ambulation, and latency to move (time to start ambulating) between highly aggressive (TA) and low aggressive (TNA) male mice. The former displayed more thigmotaxis, ambulated more, and had a shorter latency to move than the TNA animals. Also they voided a greater number of urinary spots and defecated less than TNA. Further they were superior to the TNA mice in maze-learning capacity. The tendency to enter inner partitions of the field as well as total ambulation increased after learning by TA mice. The training toward nonaggressiveness of TA mice suppressed aggressive responses, thigmotaxis, and the number of urinary spots but enhanced defecation. All measures returned to their initial levels after one month of rest. The attacking behaviour of TA animals increased both thigmotaxis and ambulation.

During the 11-yr. period of 1976 to 1986 leukemia or lymphoma treatment at the Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki was electively discontinued for the children in 90 different families. Of the 53 (59%) patients (mean age 6.4 yr. at diagnosis and 12.8 yr. at completion of questionnaires) who agreed to participate in the present study, 48 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and five nonHodgkin lymphoma. Patients' and parents' impressions of the patients' psychological reactions during patients' prior chemotherapy were evaluated on parental and self-ratings. Also, knowledge of and presumed causes of the malignancy were studied. Patients' reactions of aggression, depression, eating disorders, hypersensitivity, phobic anxiety, death anxiety, and night terror were examined using factor analysis. Aggression, in the form of irritation and anger, was displayed more often by girls than by boys. Patients of families suffering from stress were prone to exhibit aggression in the form of mood changes, irritation, and anger. Patients with disease-related knowledge, as opposed to those less well informed, were less depressed. Discrepancies between parents' and patients' thoughts about the origin of the malignancy were noted.