Roberto Megan E, Brumley Michele R
Idaho State University, Department of Psychology, Pocatello, ID, United States.
Idaho State University, Department of Psychology, Pocatello, ID, United States.
Physiol Behav. 2014 May 10;130:75-84. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.03.024. Epub 2014 Mar 28.
The amount of postnatal experience for perinatal rats was manipulated by delivering pups one day early (postconception day 21; PC21) by cesarean delivery and comparing their motor behavior to age-matched controls on PC22 (the typical day of birth). On PC22, pups were tested on multiple measures of motor coordination: leg extension response (LER), facial wiping, contact righting, and fore- and hindlimb stepping. The LER and facial wiping provided measures of synchronous hind- and forelimb coordination, respectively, and were sensory-evoked. Contact righting also was sensory-evoked and provided a measure of axial coordination. Stepping provided a measure of alternated forelimb and hindlimb coordination and was induced with the serotonin receptor agonist quipazine. Pups that were delivered prematurely and spent an additional day in the postnatal environment showed more bilateral limb coordination during expression of the LER and facial wiping, as well as a more mature righting strategy, compared to controls. These findings suggest that experience around the time of birth shapes motor coordination and the expression of species-typical behavior in the developing rat.
通过剖宫产提前一天（受孕后第21天；PC21）娩出幼鼠，并将其运动行为与PC22（正常出生日）时年龄匹配的对照组进行比较，以此来操控围产期大鼠的产后经历量。在PC22时，对幼鼠进行多项运动协调性测试：腿部伸展反应（LER）、面部擦拭、接触性翻正以及前肢和后肢踏步。LER和面部擦拭分别提供了同步后肢和前肢协调性的指标，且是由感觉诱发的。接触性翻正也是由感觉诱发的，并提供了轴向协调性的指标。踏步提供了前肢和后肢交替协调性的指标，是用血清素受体激动剂喹哌嗪诱发的。与对照组相比，早产并在产后环境中多待一天的幼鼠在LER和面部擦拭表现期间显示出更多双侧肢体协调性，以及更成熟的翻正策略。这些发现表明，出生前后经历塑造了发育中大鼠的运动协调性和物种典型行为的表现。
