title: Development of sensory motor reflexes in 2 G exposed rats.
abstract: During gestation and early postnatal development, the animal's size and weight rapidly increase. Within that period, gravity affects sensory and motor development. We studied age-dependent modifications of several types of motor reflexes in 5 groups of rats conceived, born and reared in hypergravity (HG; 2 g). These rats were transferred to normal gravity (NG; 1 g) at various postnatal days, and their behavioral reflexes were compared with a control group which was constantly kept under NG. HG induced a retarded development of vestibular dependent reflexes. Other types of motor behavior were not delayed.
authors.affiliation: Vestibular Department ENT, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NL.
authors.forename: Réne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wubbels
authors.forename: Valentine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouët
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gramsbergen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002498:Centrifugation; D005260:Female; D018471:Hypergravity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000254:growth & development*