Balance control and posture differences in the anxious BALB/cByJ mice compared to the non anxious C57BL/6J mice

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2000-12, Vol.117 (1), p.185-195
• Main Authors: Lepicard, Eve M, Venault, Patrice, Perez-Diaz, Fernando, Joubert, Chantal, Berthoz, Alain, Chapouthier, Georges
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Anxiety - genetics; Balance; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Carbolines - pharmacology; Diazepam - pharmacology; Disease Models, Animal; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GABA A receptors; Inbred strains of mice; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred DBA; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Postural Balance - drug effects; Posture; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Receptors, GABA-A - drug effects; Receptors, GABA-A - metabolism; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/S0166-4328(00)00304-1

A relation between anxiety disorders and balance control dysfunctions has been observed in many studies in humans. A mismatch in the integration of sensory inputs could trigger these disturbances. Very few experimental animal procedures have been designed to study the functional link between anxiety and balance control. A task was therefore developed, challenging the visual, vestibular and somesthesic sensory systems in mice. The test, called the ‘rotating beam’, gave an accurate assessment of balance control and the posture, using sensitive measures (number of falls and imbalances, position of tail and trunk). Striking differences were observed between the two inbred strains of mice known to have radically different anxiety-related behaviour. The highly anxious strain, BALB/cByJ, performed poorly compared to the non anxious strain, C57BL/6J. Balance control and postural abilities of anxious mice were improved by acute anxiolytic diazepam treatment. Lower behavioural performance level was registered in non anxious mice given anxiogenic β-CCM treatment. The findings account for a strong relationship between anxiety and balance control in mice. Finally, the highly sensitive procedure proved to be well suited to the study of functional links between anxiety and sensorimotor processes.