Motor activity in group-housed and isolated mice with short and long attack latencies: Effects of scopolamine

• Published in: Aggressive behavior Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 328 - 336
• Main Authors: Moragrega, I., Carrasco, M.C., Vicens, P., Redolat, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2002; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: attack latency; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; isolation; mice; motor activity; Neurotransmission and behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; scopolamine; Hyoscine; Social group; Rodentia; Locomotion; Vertebrata; Alkaloid; Mammalia; Mouse; Social isolation; Animal; Motricity; Parasympatholytic; Agonistic behavior
• ISSN: 0096-140X; 1098-2337
• DOI: 10.1002/ab.90029

Isolation‐induced behavioral changes are well described in mice, although few studies have investigated the involvement of the cholinergic system in these effects. It has also been suggested that mice that display short or long attack latencies show differences in their reactions to a novel environment. The purpose of the present study was, first, to investigate locomotor activity in grouped and isolated mice that displayed short or long attack latencies and, second, to evaluate locomotor activity to determine whether it was affected interactively by differential housing and scopolamine treatment. Two experiments were performed in which NMRI mice, either isolated or group housed, were used as subjects. In the first experiment, results showed that there were no significant differences in locomotor activity between isolated mice with short and long attack latencies, although both groups were more active than grouped mice. These results indicate that motor activity in NMRI mice is influenced by housing conditions but not by levels of aggressiveness. In the second experiment it was observed that scopolamine (1 mg/kg) increased total activity counts both in isolated and group‐housed mice (both groups selected with long attack latencies), suggesting that differential housing in this strain does not substantially modify the motor effects of this dose of scopolamine. Aggr. Behav. 28:328–336, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.