Development of vacuous chewing movements in rats: role of housing environment.
The influence of stressful experiences on the development of vacuous chewing movements (VCM) was investigated in non-medicated rats. After an initial baseline period one group of rats was housed in a noisy environment while another group was housed in quiet surroundings. The development of VCM was recorded during a 16 week period. The animals subjected to uncontrollable noise developed significantly more VCM compared with the control animals. The results are consistent with the idea that stress can sentize a behaviour which is usually connected with the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. This underscores the essential role of the housing environment as a parameter during behavioural studies of the dopaminergic system, as for example studies of VCM in neuroleptic treated rats.
Glenthøj
B
B
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hemmingsen
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains