Ossenkopp K P, Eckel L A, Hargreaves E L, Kavaliers M
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Behav Brain Res. 1992 Mar 15;47(1):13-22. doi: 10.1016/s0166-4328(05)80248-7.
Vestibular dysfunction was chemically induced in male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) by intratympanic injections (30 mg per side) of sodium arsanilate (atoxyl). The control group received intratympanic injections of isotonic saline. After a one-week recovery period the voles were behaviorally assayed for integrity of their labyrinthine systems. All subjects were tested for the presence of the air-righting reflex and body rotation-induced nystagmus. Three weeks later a multivariate assessment of spontaneous motor activity of the voles was carried out in the automated Digiscan Activity Monitor. In addition, the swimming behavior of the voles was examined. Voles with vestibular dysfunction exhibited pronounced postural abnormalities (head dorsiflexion), were not able to swim with their nose above the water for a 1 min test period, and displayed disorientation and thrashing movements. In the Digiscan activity test the atoxyl-treated voles displayed significantly more activity in the horizontal measures (Ps less than 0.01), including greater distance travelled per movement and greater speed of movements, relative to the control animals. The labyrinthectomized group also spent significantly (P less than 0.05) less time in vertical movements and exhibited significantly more time in stereotypic behavior (P less than 0.01), relative to controls. Atoxyl-treated voles also showed significantly less thigmotaxis (wall-hugging) than the control animals (P less than 0.01). In general, changes in spontaneous behavior observed in the sodium arsanilate-treated voles were consistent with the presence of postural and balance abnormalities and a redirecting of exploratory vertical movements toward horizontal locomotion to the extent that these animals were clearly hyperactive in this dimension. The multivariate behavioral assessment available in the Digiscan Activity Monitoring system, thus seems to be especially useful in the examination of behavioral components affected by vestibular dysfunction.
通过鼓室内注射（每侧30毫克）对氨基苯胂酸钠（阿托克西尔），化学诱导雄性草原田鼠（宾夕法尼亚田鼠）出现前庭功能障碍。对照组接受鼓室内注射等渗盐水。经过一周的恢复期后，对田鼠的迷路系统完整性进行行为学检测。对所有受试动物测试其是否存在空气翻正反射和身体旋转诱发的眼球震颤。三周后，在自动Digiscan活动监测仪中对田鼠的自发运动活动进行多变量评估。此外，还检查了田鼠的游泳行为。患有前庭功能障碍的田鼠表现出明显的姿势异常（头部背屈），在1分钟的测试期内无法将鼻子露出水面游泳，并表现出定向障碍和扑腾动作。在Digiscan活动测试中，与对照动物相比，经阿托克西尔处理的田鼠在水平测量方面表现出明显更多的活动（P值小于0.01），包括每次移动的行进距离更长和移动速度更快。与对照组相比，迷路切除组在垂直运动中花费的时间也明显更少（P值小于0.05），并且在刻板行为中花费的时间明显更多（P值小于0.01）。经阿托克西尔处理的田鼠也比对照动物表现出明显更少的趋触性（靠墙）（P值小于0.01）。总体而言，在对氨基苯胂酸钠处理的田鼠中观察到的自发行为变化与姿势和平衡异常的存在以及探索性垂直运动向水平运动的重新定向一致，以至于这些动物在这个维度上明显多动。因此，Digiscan活动监测系统中可用的多变量行为评估似乎在检查受前庭功能障碍影响的行为成分方面特别有用。
