Effects of neonatal thyroid hormone stimulation and differential preweaning rearing on open-field behavior in adult rats. 1976

P O Sjödén, and U Söderberg

In 2 experiments, rats were given a mixture containing high doses of 1-tri-iodothyronine and 1-thyroxine-sodium on Day 4 after birth (Group T). Controls (C) received equivalent amounts of saline. During the preweaning period, half of the litters in the T and C groups were raised in an impoverished (I) condition, and half in an enriched (E) condition. Open-field ambulation, rearing, defecation, and, in Experiment 2, grooming behavior was recorded during a 4-day period at 210 days (Experiment 1) and at 90 days of age (Experiment 2). A consistent augmenting action of neonatal hormone stimulation on ambulation and rearing was found for both males and females. Hormone-treated animals did not habituate their rate of general motor activity with repeated testings in the open-field. An over-all pattern of a larger effect of hormone-treatment in the I condition than in the E condition was noted, particularly among the females. Thus, the experience of preweaning enrichment partly "normalized" the open-field behavior of the T groups. The results are discussed in relation to an hypothesis concerning the interaction of rate of development of the central nervous system and environmental stimulation in determining later behavior.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D001835 Body Weight The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms. Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D005106 Exploratory Behavior The tendency to explore or investigate a novel environment. It is considered a motivation not clearly distinguishable from curiosity. Curiosity,Novelty-Seeking Behavior,Behavior, Exploratory,Behavior, Novelty-Seeking,Behaviors, Exploratory,Behaviors, Novelty-Seeking,Curiosities,Exploratory Behaviors,Novelty Seeking Behavior,Novelty-Seeking Behaviors
D005260 Female Females
D006120 Grooming An animal's cleaning and caring for the body surface. This includes preening, the cleaning and oiling of feathers with the bill or of hair with the tongue. Preening,Groomings,Preenings
D006185 Habituation, Psychophysiologic The disappearance of responsiveness to a repeated stimulation. It does not include drug habituation. Habituation (Psychophysiology),Habituation, Psychophysiological,Psychophysiologic Habituation,Psychophysiological Habituation,Habituations (Psychophysiology)
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000831 Animals, Newborn Refers to animals in the period of time just after birth. Animals, Neonatal,Animal, Neonatal,Animal, Newborn,Neonatal Animal,Neonatal Animals,Newborn Animal,Newborn Animals
D001522 Behavior, Animal The observable response an animal makes to any situation. Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors

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