title: Sex differences in interval timing and attention to time in C57Bl/6J mice.
abstract: Interval timing is crucial for decision-making and motor control and is impaired in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies examined timing in various strains or genetically-altered mice, but not in parallel in male and female mice in the same experimental setting. We investigated timing and attention to time in male and female C57Bl/6J mice, when presented with gaps in the timed stimulus, novel auditory distracters presented during the un-interrupted timed stimulus, and gap+distracter combinations. No sex differences were found in regard to timing accuracy and precision. However, presentation of the gap+distracter combination over-reset timing in males but had a much smaller effect in females. The over-reset strategy was reported previously with emotional distracters (e.g., previously paired with footshock) but not with neutral distracters. These results reveal sex differences in attentional gating/switching or working memory for time.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, USTAR BioInnovations Center, Dept. Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States. Electronic address: Mona.Buhusi@usu.edu.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buhusi
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, USTAR BioInnovations Center, Dept. Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States.
authors.forename: Mitchell J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, USTAR BioInnovations Center, Dept. Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States.
authors.forename: Catalin V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Buhusi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013998:Time Perception
keywords: Attention; C57Bl/6; Interval timing; Mouse; Sex differences