title: Behavioral differentiation of mice exposed to a water tank social interaction test.
abstract: Male or female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to a water tank in which food could be obtained only by wading in the water towards a feeder. Behavioral differentiation occurred in that three distinct categories could be distinguished: major carriers (transporting over 80% of the food pellets), sporadic carriers (transporting less than 20% of the food pellets) and non-carriers. In the elevated + -maze, major carriers were more willing to explore open spaces than non-carriers. Sporadic carriers showed some evidence of the same tendency of decreased anxiety, but in a minor way. The willingness of mice to become carriers is associated with their willingness to explore novel areas. This test may be useful for the assessment of anxiolytic compounds in a social situation.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nejdi
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guastavino
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France; Université de Montréal, Départements de Médecine et de Psychologie, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Service de Neurologie, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalonde
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Desor
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krafft