Volume discrimination learning in golden hamsters: Effects of the structure of complex rearing cages

Thinus‐Blanc, Catherine

doi:10.1002/dev.420140413

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…It has been known since Hebb (1949) initiated this research that animals from EC housing outperform the other 2 groups on complex, appetitively-motivated tasks such as mazes. Although this may in part reflect greater familiarity with large, open, spatially-complex environments, there is also evidence that EC animals use different strategies and have more well-developed concepts of the properties of objects (Juraska and others 1984;Thinus-Blanc 1981).…”

Section: Experience-dependent Brain Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of Experience and Environment on the Developing and Mature Brain: Implications for Laboratory Animal Housing

Benefiel¹,

Greenough²

1998

ILAR Journal

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Decades of research have determined that an animal's brain structure and behavior are molded by experience. Expected experience that plays a critical role in early organization of the brain may be encoded via a process of overproduction of synaptic connections followed by the loss of those that are underutilized during a critical period. However, novel information may be encoded throughout life by the formation of new synapses as the individual animal is exposed to new environmental stimuli. Many laboratory species reared in complex environments or trained to perform complex tasks, regardless of the age when the altered experience is introduced, will exhibit an increase in the number of synapses per neuron as well as other anatomical differences from those reared in standard laboratory housing. Nevertheless, even though increased environmental stimulation may result in more "normal" anatomical and physiological development for that species, there is no conclusive evidence that enriched caging is essential or even that it increases well-being in laboratory rodents.

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Section: Experience-dependent Brain Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of Experience and Environment on the Developing and Mature Brain: Implications for Laboratory Animal Housing

Benefiel¹,

Greenough²

1998

ILAR Journal

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“…These results suggest that habituation processes occur more rapidly in heifers repeatedly regrouped than in heifers kept in stable pairs. Studies on rats and hamsters showed that animals reared in a restricted and small environment are less able to use environmental cues than animals reared in larger or more complex environments (Brown [10]; Thinus-Blanc [36,37]). These findings were confirmed by the results of Varty et al [39], who found that rats reared in an enriched environment acquire information from their environment more easily than rats reared in isolation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repeated regrouping of pair-housed heifers around puberty affects their behavioural and HPA axis reactivities

et al. 2006

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-This paper analyses the consequences of repeated regrouping of dairy heifers according to their behaviour, stress physiology and production. Thirty-two Holstein heifers were housed in pairs. Between 11 and 13 months of age, half were subjected to 16 pen relocations each time with a new peer (regrouped heifers), while the other half remained in the same pen with the same peer (controls). The heifers were observed in standardised behavioural tests comprising sudden (opening of an umbrella), novel (an unfamiliar arena) or predator-related (dog) stimuli. All behavioural tests were conducted on three sessions between the 13th and the 16th regroupings. The functioning of the HPA axis was assessed through blockade by dexamethasone and stimulation by ACTH after the 14th regrouping and stimulation by CRF after the 15th regrouping. Weight gain was assessed during the regrouping period and reproduction (No. of inseminations before successful insemination) thereafter. Regrouped heifers reacted less than the controls to the umbrella (χ 2 = 8.23, P < 0.05). They started eating more quickly in the arena (F = 10.8, P < 0.01). In the presence of the dog, they were less active (F = 6.26, P < 0.05) and tended to look at the dog less often (F = 3.63, P < 0.10). The reduction in behavioural responses from one session to the next one was more pronounced in regrouped heifers (e.g. number of eating bouts: F (session × treatment) = 4.23, P < 0.05). Regrouped heifers had lower cortisol responses to CRF. In conclusion, repeatedly regrouped heifers appear less disturbed by unusual situations and habituate to those more quickly. According to the behaviour of heifers and as suggested by their lower cortisol responses, diversity rather than stability of the social environment appears more beneficial to them. été élevées par paires. Au sein de huit paires, les animaux ont changé de partenaires une à deux fois par semaine entre 11 et 13 mois d'âge, pour un total de 16 mélanges (génisses " mélangées "). Ces mélanges s'accompagnaient également de changements de parc. Les huit autres paires sont restées inchangées (génisses " témoins "). La réactivité comportementale a été mesurée en exposant les génisses à un événement soudain (ouverture d'un parapluie), à un environnement nouveau (alimentation dans un nouvel enclos) et à un prédateur (chien). Chaque test était répété trois fois, entre le 13 e et le 16 e mélange. Le fonctionnement de l'axe corticotrope a été évalué à l'aide d'un test de freination par la dexamethasone puis stimulation par l'ACTH après le 14 e mélange et par un test de stimulation au CRF après le 15 e mélange. Le gain de poids a été évalué par pesée hebdomadaire au cours des 16 mélanges. Par la suite, le nombre d'inséminations avant insémination fécondante a été relevé. Les génisses mélangées ont réagi à l'ouverture du parapluie moins fortement que les témoins (χ 2 = 8,23, P < 0,05). Elles ont commencé à manger plus rapidement dans l'enclos nouveau (F = 10,8, P < 0,01). En présence du chien, elles ont été moins actives (...

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“…Thinus-Blanc (1978) showed that such small mammals as the golden hamster were able to discriminate between two cubic volumes of different sizes and that in test situations they attended mainly to width, one of the three dimensions that defined the volume. Furthermore, Thinus-Blanc (1981) showed that this ability depended on rearing conditions, since subjects reared in spatially diversified cages were influenced by depth as well as width. In other words, the "enriched" animals were able to take into account the surfaces of volumes, whereas standard subjects used only one dimension-width.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mouse exploration and choice of nestboxes differing in size

Buhot

1987

Animal Learning & Behavior

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In this study, mice's preferences for nestboxes of various sizes were investigated by using, in social conditions, a progressive elimination procedure. Male and female groups (Experiment 1) preferred the medium-small nestbox (15 em in diameter) as a nest site, followed by the next smaller or next larger one; the largest boxes were chosen last. The order of initial exploration gave different results, with the mice ranking the nestboxes in this case by decreasing order of size. No systematic gender-or group-size-related effects were observed. Six groups of 2 male mice and four groups of 3 male mice (Experiment 2) were subjected to two elimination tests among nestboxes that differed in either both their inner and outer dimensions (matched condition) or their inner dimensions alone (mismatched condition). Except for the smallest nestbox, which was rejected by the mice, the order of preference for nestboxes was linear, in the direction of increasing size. No difference was observed between matched versus mismatched conditions. By contrast, the initial visits (and the number of visits) took the order of decreasing nestbox size, but only in the matched condition, in which the outer dimensions varied; in the mismatched condition, in which the nestboxes were identical on the outside, the various inner dimensions were not found to have any systematic effect on exploratory activity. These results are discussed in terms ofthe relevance of the spatial features, depending on the motivation (exploration or nest establishment) underlying behavior at a particular time.Two basic biological functions underlie nest building and nest-site choice in mammals: (1) "to protect the animal from the extremes of heat and cold of the environment," and (2) "to provide a place in which to bear and raise its young" (Lisk, Pretlow, & Friedman, 1969). Nest building is thus assumed to be a physiological behavioral complex (Lynch, 1973) that promotes the survival of an individual and the species it belongs to. The present study was not devoted to the study of nest building in itself but rather to the short-term aspect of nest-site choice and the circumstances that surround choice making. It focused especially on investigating which spatial properties of possible nest sites satisfy the animals' search for physical comfort, which is the most conspicuous motivation underlying nest establishment (Mulder, 1975). Buhot-Averseng (1981) observed that mice, as individuals, first chose as their nest sites the smaller, rectangular ones among a set of nestboxes that differed in shape (rectangular, square, circular) and size (two modalities). When not seeking nest sites, the same subjects displayed the reverse tendency by exploring the larger nestboxes

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Volume discrimination learning in golden hamsters: Effects of the structure of complex rearing cages

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

Effects of Experience and Environment on the Developing and Mature Brain: Implications for Laboratory Animal Housing

Effects of Experience and Environment on the Developing and Mature Brain: Implications for Laboratory Animal Housing

Repeated regrouping of pair-housed heifers around puberty affects their behavioural and HPA axis reactivities

Mouse exploration and choice of nestboxes differing in size

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