Object exploration in the developing rat: Methodological considerations

The current study was conducted to characterize the ontogeny of novel object recognition in rats. Initial testing (Experiment 1) was conducted in a square arena and it was observed that 21‐day‐old animals would often pause in the corners, greatly increasing between‐subject variability and performanc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental psychobiology 2013-05, Vol.55 (4), p.373-381
Main Authors: Heyser, Charles J., Ferris, Jennifer S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animals
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Exploratory Behavior - physiology
Female
habituation
Habituation, Psychophysiologic - physiology
Male
memory
Neuropsychological Tests - standards
object recognition
ontogeny
rat
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Recognition (Psychology) - physiology
Sex Factors
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Summary:The current study was conducted to characterize the ontogeny of novel object recognition in rats. Initial testing (Experiment 1) was conducted in a square arena and it was observed that 21‐day‐old animals would often pause in the corners, greatly increasing between‐subject variability and performance in this test. Significantly greater object exploration and less variability were obtained using a circular arena. In Experiment 2, we report object exploration in 21, 35, 42, and 90‐day‐old male and female Sprague‐Dawley rats using a circular arena. The results show that measures of locomotor activity, object exploration, and within session habituation of these behaviors were surprisingly similar across all ages. Gender differences in locomotor activity were not observed until 42 days of age. Reliable recognition memory was observed at all ages. It is concluded that the novel object recognition test appears well suited for use in young rats. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 55: 373–381, 2013
ISSN:0012-1630
1098-2302
DOI:10.1002/dev.21041