Sex differences in the behavioral response to spatial and object novelty in adult C57BL/6 mice.
The present studies examined sex differences in object localization and recognition in C57BL/6 mice. Experiment 1 measured responses to spatial novelty (object displacement) and object novelty (object substitution). Males strongly preferred displaced and substituted objects over unchanged objects, whereas females showed a preference in only 1 measure of object novelty. Experiment 2 further examined object recognition by presenting mice with 2 identical objects, followed 24 hr or 7 days later by testing with a familiar and a novel object. After 24 hr, males preferentially explored the novel object, whereas females exhibited no such preference. Neither sex displayed a preference for the novel object after 7 days. The data suggest that male mice are superior to females at localizing and recognizing objects.
Frick
Karyn M
KM
Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. karyn.frick @ yale.edu
Gresack
Jodi E
JE
D000818:Animals; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*