title: Cognitive and emotional alterations in periadolescent mice exposed to 2 g hypergravity field.
abstract: The development of the nervous system is a dynamic process where epigenetic factors play a fundamental role. Both ground-based and space research indicate that exposure to an altered gravitational environment affects rodent neurobehavioral profile and stage of development as well as duration of exposure appear to be critical for the observed effects. The behavioral profile of adolescent (28-day-old) male and female CD-1 mice upon acute 2 g exposure was characterized and emotional/anxiety responses (plus-maze), as well as spatial learning performance (Morris water-maze), were assessed respectively 24 and 48 h after hypergravity exposure. Behavioral observation indicated a transient mild sickness associated with hypergravity, with a decrease in spontaneous activity. Rotation per se induced an increase in emotional/anxious responses and a deterioration of spatial learning acquisition, while hypergravity specifically improved flexibility of spatial orientation.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neurosciences Section, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Francia
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alleva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002498:Centrifugation / Q000379:methods; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018471:Hypergravity; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors