A re-examination of the effects of age on novelty reactions and exploration in rats

Abstract

Male and female rats of 2 ages (approximately 47 and 189 days) were observed in an exploration box consisting of novel and familiar halves. The younger rats travelled shorter distances and spent less time exploring than older animals. Females engaged in more locomotion than males. However, there were no age or sex effects on preferences for being in the novel half of the apparatus. There tended to be less exploration and locomotion and more grooming towards the end of a testing session than there was at the beginning. By confirming some of the author's past findings this experiment more conclusively demonstrated the effects of age on the incidence of exploratory and locomotor activities in rats.