Isolation-induced locomotor hyperactivity and hypoalgesia in rats are prevented by handling and reversed by resocialization.
Differences in locomotor activity in the open field were found between individually and group-housed rats (isol greater than soc). Daily handling, initiated at postnatal day 1, was without effect in group-housed rats but prevented the isolation-induced hyperactivity. For tail-flick latency, strikingly similar differences (isol greater than soc; prevention by handling) have been observed. The isolation-induced aberrations in both locomotor reactivity in a novel environment and in pain sensitivity could be reversed by subsequent resocialization. This indicates that the altered sensitivities to external stimuli are caused by the environmental manipulation.
Gentsch
C
C
Psychiatric University Clinic Basle, Switzerland.
Lichtsteiner
M
M
Frischknecht
H R
HR
Feer
H
H
Siegfried
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal; D005260:Female; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010147:Pain Measurement; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012934:Social Isolation