Investigative burying by laboratory mice may involve non-functional, compulsive, behaviour

Londei, Tiziano; Valentini, A; Leone, V.

doi:10.1016/s0166-4328(97)00162-9

Cited by 98 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…2B) is consistent with findings published previously (Thomas et al, 2009). This observation and the fact that all deer mice exhibited burying behavior (Table 2) support the hypothesis that novel, but harmless and nonreactive, objects are devoid of anxiogenic properties, and that the MB test more appropriately resembles investigative, rather than anxious, behavior (Londei et al, 1998). That MB behavior varies between species (Nicolas et al, 2006), with IBB being displayed in both behavioral cohorts of deer mice (N and H), suggests that MB behavior is a normal, not a pathological, activity within the species.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Furthermore, we identified a different withinspecies burying phenotype (HBB), displayed by a small minority of deer mice, that will require further investigation. Burying behavior is a natural phenomenon inherent to most rodent species, and requires experimental and methodological manipulation, such as pretest restraint (Kedia & Chattarji, 2014) or correlations with other behavioral tests (Londei et al, 1998;Torres-Lista et al, 2015), to be a useful screening tool for either anxiety or compulsivity. Using a known OCD translational model has identified the inherent shortcomings of the MB test for obsessive-compulsive behavior, although this finding should be confirmed in other translational models (e.g., Joel & Avisar, 2001;Szechtman et al, 2001), as well as in the promising range of genetic models currently available (Berridge, Aldridge, Houchard, & Zhuang, 2005;Chou-Green, Holscher, Dallman, & Akana, 2003;Shanahan et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another anxiety-related form of burying (or neophobic burying) relates to novelty-induced anxiety (Diamant, Croiset, De Zwart, & De Wied, 1991;TorresLista, López-Pousa, & Giménez-Llort, 2015) following exposure to novel, but nonreactive and harmless, objects. In theory, whereas animals demonstrate nonhabituation toward defensive burying, neophobic burying should attenuate over time following repeated exposure to the same stimuli (Londei, Valentini, & Leone, 1998).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, an abundance of literature (Egashira et al, 2008;Londei et al, 1998;Njung'e & Handley, 1991;Thomas et al, 2009) has demonstrated that rodents often persist in burying harmless forms of stimuli in the absence of anxiety-which, for the purpose of this article, will be referred to as inherent burying, of which marble-burying (MB) is a typical example. As such, it has been hypothesized that this represents nonfunctional repetitive behavior analogous to the behavioral symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; Thomas et al, 2009;Umathe, Manna, & Jain, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Of mice and marbles: Novel perspectives on burying behavior as a screening test for psychiatric illness

Wolmarans

Stein

Harvey

2016

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci

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Burying forms part of the normal behavioral routine of rodents, although its expression is species-specific. However, it has been suggested that aberrant burying behavior, of which marble-burying (MB) is an example, may represent neophobic and/or compulsive-like behavior. In the present investigation, we assessed MB in an established animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-namely, spontaneous stereotypy in the deer mouse-to establish whether high (H) stereotypy is associated with neophobia and/or another compulsive endophenotype, i.e. MB, as compared to nonstereotypical (N) controls. A three-trial, one-zone MB test was performed over three consecutive evenings both before and after chronic treatment with high-dose (50 mg/kg/ day) oral escitalopram. Neophobia was measured via the number of marbles buried during the first pre-and posttreatment MB trials, and compulsive-like behavior via the number of marbles buried over all pre-and posttreatment MB trials. The data from the present study support earlier findings that burying is a normal behavioral routine (inherent burying behavior, IBB) that is expressed by all deer mice, irrespective of stereotypical cohort, and is not associated with either neophobia or compulsiveness. Indeed, chronic escitalopram treatment, which is similarly effective in treating clinical anxiety and OCD, as well as in attenuating H behavior, failed to influence IBB. Although 11 % of the animals presented with a unique burying endophenotype (high burying behavior), escitalopram also failed to attenuate said behavior, necessitating further investigation as to its relevance. In conclusion, MB cannot be regarded as a measure of anxiety-like or compulsive behavior in the deer mouse model of OCD.Keywords Marble-burying . Obsessive-compulsive disorder . Neophobia . Deer mouse . Animal model . Escitalopram Burying, burrowing, and digging form part of the normal behavioral repertoire of rodents, in both the wild and the laboratory (Deacon, 2006;Smithers, 1983). These strain-specific behaviors are mostly aimed at searching for food, burying both noxious and harmless objects, and building adequate nurseries capable of protecting individuals against predators and providing suitable environments to breed (Smithers, 1983). Evidently, burying and digging are expressed in relatively nonanxiogenic scenarios (e.g., nesting, hoarding, foraging), as well as under anxiogenic circumstances (e.g., burying of noxious objects, confronting predators).Defensive burying (Pinel & Treit, 1978) can be defined as the process of moving loose bedding material vertically upward and over potentially harmful stimuli or sources of aversive stimulation (e.g., a shock prod). Due to the stressprovoking nature of an electric shock, defensive burying has been used as a measure of avoidance-dependent anxiety in a Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Of mice and marbles: Novel perspectives on burying behavior as a screening test for psychiatric illness

Wolmarans

Stein

Harvey

2016

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci

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“…Kemble and Bolwahnn, 1997), and may even prompt avoidance and/or defensive burying (e.g. Misslin and Ropartz, 1981;Londei et al, 1998). However, mice in general seem to investigate novel objects vigorously, and accept them rapidly (Potter, 1994;Randall, 1999).…”

Section: Behaviour Within the Territory: Stable Routines In A Varyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

From house mouse to mouse house: the behavioural biology of free-living Mus musculus and its implications in the laboratory

Latham

Mason

2004

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

293

236

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Understanding a species' behaviour in natural conditions can give insights into its development, responses and welfare in captivity. Here, we review research and pest control literatures on the free-living house mouse (Mus musculus), analysing its sensory world, developmental processes and behaviour to suggest how laboratory environments might affect mouse welfare, normalcy, test design, and behaviour. Mouse development from foetus to weaning is influenced by prenatal stress and nutrient levels, and post-natal litter size and other factors affecting maternal care, all with lasting effects on adult bodyweight, aggression, activity levels, stress responsiveness and masculinisation. These influences may well be important in the laboratory, for example unwittingly differing between facilities leading to site-differences in phenotype. Murine senses are dominated by olfactory, auditory and tactile cues. Their hearing extends into the ultrasonic, and vision, from mid-range wavelengths to the ultraviolet. In mouse facilities, behaviour and welfare may therefore also be affected by sensory stimuli unnoticed by humans. The physical and social environment and behaviour of wild mice differ greatly from those of laboratory mice. Dispersal age varies with resource-levels and social cues, and mice often either live alone or in family groups. Mice occupy territories/ranges measuring a few square meters to several square kilometers, and which allow running, climbing, and burrowing. Mice are often active during dawn/dusk, and spend their time patrolling their territories, investigating neighbours' odour cues, foraging, finding mates and rearing litters. The potential impact of these many differences and restrictions on laboratory mouse development, normalcy and welfare has only begun to be explored.

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Animal Models of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder

Witkin

2008

CP Neuroscience

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occurs with high prevalence, and the drugs used to treat OCD are limited in efficacy and have side-effect issues. The discovery of improved medicines for OCD has been hampered in part by the lack of predictive in vivo models. This unit provides a brief overview of two methods that might have such predictive utility. Marble burying and nestlet shredding are two behaviors that occur spontaneously with high frequency and repetitiveness in mice. These acute in vivo assays are relatively easy to conduct. Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors decrease these behaviors without producing motor side effects, as assessed by the behavior of walking on a rotating rod. In contrast, some other drugs (e.g., benzodiazepine anxiolytics) only affect marble burying and nestlet shredding at motor-impairing doses. The present methods might therefore provide one piece of in vivo information for the discovery of novel chemical treatment solutions for the symptoms of OCD.

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Investigative burying by laboratory mice may involve non-functional, compulsive, behaviour

Cited by 98 publications

References 11 publications

Of mice and marbles: Novel perspectives on burying behavior as a screening test for psychiatric illness

Of mice and marbles: Novel perspectives on burying behavior as a screening test for psychiatric illness

From house mouse to mouse house: the behavioural biology of free-living Mus musculus and its implications in the laboratory

Animal Models of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder

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