Similar attention and performance in female and male CD1 mice in the peak procedure

• Published in: Behavioural processes Vol. 189; p. 104443
• Main Authors: Eudave-Patiño, Marielena, Alcalá, Emmanuel, dos Santos, Cristiano Valerio, Buriticá, Jonathan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Attention; CD1; Interval timing; Memory; Mouse; Peak procedure; CD1; Interval timing; Mouse; Memory; Attention; Peak procedure
• ISSN: 0376-6357; 1872-8308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104443

•Timing was evaluated in males and females CD1 mice in the peak-interval procedure.•Timing accuracy and precision are similar in males and females CD1 mice.•Mice CD1 follow a stop-clock strategy after distractor and gap + distractor trials.•This is the first report that compared female and male CD1 mice in the peak procedure. Inaccurate and distorted timing are associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia in humans, which generates interest in the discovery and understanding of the factors behind such timing difficulties. Timing research in mice has taken an important role, because the availability of genetically-altered strains allows establishing the causal role of specific genes on such neurodegenerative disorders. Nevertheless, few studies have considered mice’s sex and some have found sex differences in timing, although results are not yet conclusive. We tested female and male CD1 mice, an outbred strain not yet studied in a peak procedure. By varying the percentage of peak trials and the presence of a gap and/or a distractor in the tests, we found no sex differences in accuracy, precision, or attention. Both females and males followed a stop-clock strategy after distractor and gap + distractor trials. This suggests that both male and female CD1 mice may be exposed to a peak procedure to study factors associated to neurotoxicology or neurogenesis.