title: Behavioral effects of static high magnetic fields on unrestrained and restrained mice.
abstract: High-strength static magnetic fields are common tools in clinical imaging, but the behavioral effects are not well characterized. Previous studies on rats showed that fields of 7 T or above produced locomotor circling, conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and c-Fos in vestibular nuclei. To determine the generality of the behavioral effects on a smaller species, we subjected restrained or unrestrained mice to 30-min exposures in a 14.1-T field. Mice were given saccharin immediately prior to magnet or sham exposure on 3 consecutive days. All mice exposed to the magnet developed a CTA, and a significant number displayed tight circling and suppression of rearing. Unrestrained mice exhibited larger effects than restrained mice. These effects, similar to the effects in rats, may be the result of a vestibular disturbance caused by the magnetic field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, BRF 209 MC 4340, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4340, USA.
authors.forename: Denesa R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: Bumsup
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Houpt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects