Temporal course of exploratory activity in three inbred strains of mice.

Abstract

INBRED STRAINS OF BALB, C57BR, AND LP MICE WERE TESTED FOR EXPLORATORY ACTIVITY UNDER 3 LEVELS OF ILLUMINATION IN A Y MAZE. THERE WERE STRAIN DIFFERENCES IN TEMPORAL SATIATION EFFECTS, AND WITHIN-DAYS AND BETWEEN-DAYS SATIATION WAS NOT PARALLEL ACROSS STRAINS. ILLUMINATION WAS A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE FOR WITHIN-DAYS, BUT NOT BETWEE-DAYS, SATIATION; SEX OF SS WAS SIGNIFICANT, BUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, FOR 2 TEMPORAL MEASURES OF ACTIVITY. RESULTS SUGGEST STRAIN-RELATED (ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY GENETIC) DIFFERENCES IN THE PATTERN OF EXPLORATION, AS WELL AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED GROSS QUANTITATIVE DIFFERENCES; AND THE ASYMMETRICAL EFFECTS OF 3 VARIABLES ON 2 MEASURES OF SATIATION SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT THE MEASURES REFLECT INDEPENDENT PROCESSES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)