Rodent

Effects of environment on morphology of rat cerebral cortex andhippocampus

Cortical depth differences were found between male rats exposed to enriched or impoverished environmental conditions for successively shorter times.

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Diamond, M. C., Ingham, C. A., Johnson, R. E. et al. 1976. Effects of environment on morphology of rat cerebral cortex andhippocampus. Journal of Neurobiology 7, 75-85.

Impoverished rats weigh more than enriched rats because they eat more

Rats housed in barren environments consume more food due to boredom and are heavier than enriched rats.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Fiala, B., Snow, F. M., Greenough, W. T. 1977. Impoverished rats weigh more than enriched rats because they eat more. Developmental Psychobiology 10, 537-541.

Activation of anterior pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands in rats after disturbance stress

Cortisol levels increased within 5 minutes after the entry of an investigator - who moved the cages - and reached peak levels after 15 minutes.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Dohler, K. D., Gartner, K., Muhlen, A. V. et al. 1977. Activation of anterior pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands in rats after disturbance stress. Acta Endocrinologica 86, 489-497.

Burrows of wild and albino rats: Effects of domestication, outdoor raising, age, experience, and maternal state

Rats spend most of their time in burrows if given the choice.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Boice, R. 1977. Burrows of wild and albino rats: Effects of domestication, outdoor raising, age, experience, and maternal state. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 91, 649-661.

Influence of gonadal hormones and social housing conditions on agonistic, copulatory, and related sociosexual behaviour in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The Mongolian gerbil is colonial, but its social organization within its colonies is not known. Pair formation has been suggested by breeders and has been observed under semi-natural conditions. Family units remain stable under such conditions. In the solitary-living hamster...

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Argen G, Meyerson BJ. 1977. Influence of gonadal hormones and social housing conditions on agonistic, copulatory, and related sociosexual behaviour in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Behav Processes. 2;265-82.

Effects of various habituation procedures on pituitary-adrenal responsiveness in the mouse

Novelty of the environment is a powerful stimuli to activate the pituitary-adrenal axis.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hennesy, M. B., Levine, S. 1977. Effects of various habituation procedures on pituitary-adrenal responsiveness in the mouse. Physiology and Behavior 18, 799-802.

The effects of short-term isolation on systolic blood pressure and heart rate in rats

Rats in metabolic cages develop hypertension within five days.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gardiner, S. M., Bennett, T. 1977. The effects of short-term isolation on systolic blood pressure and heart rate in rats. Medical Biology 55, 325-329.

Effects of the duration of individual or group housing on behavioral and adrenocortical reactivity in male mice

Basal corticosterone levels did not show a significant difference between single-housed and group-housed animals. When the mice were subjected to stress (e.g., open field exposure) corticosterone levels in single-housed subjects were consistently higher than in group-housed subjects, indicating an increased...

Year Published: 1978Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Goldsmith, J. F., Brain, P. F., Benton, D. 1978. Effects of the duration of individual or group housing on behavioral and adrenocortical reactivity in male mice. Physiological Psychology 21, 757-760.

Factors affecting the development of isolation-induced hypertension in rats

Housing rats in groups seems to be less stressful for the animals than housing them alone.

Year Published: 1978Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gardiner, S. M., Bennet, T. 1978. Factors affecting the development of isolation-induced hypertension in rats. Medical Biology 56, 277-281.

Drug-modulated behavioural responses to environmental enrichment

The home-cage activity of mice housed in either social or enriched sensory environments was continuously recorded for 23 days. During this period the mice were given daily injections of either strychnine, chlorpromazine, or saline. Both chlorpromazine and social rearing depressed...

Year Published: 1978Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cummins, R. A., Carlyon, T. N., Walsh, R. N. 1978. Drug-modulated behavioural responses to environmental enrichment. Psychopharmacology 58(2), 197-199.