title: Isolation-induced locomotor hyperactivity and hypoalgesia in rats are prevented by handling and reversed by resocialization.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric University Clinic Basle, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gentsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtsteiner
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Frischknecht
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Siegfried
mesh_terms: 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