PMID- 15661307
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050418
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 0165-0270 (Print)
IS  - 0165-0270 (Linking)
VI  - 141
IP  - 2
DP  - 2005 Feb 15
TI  - Analysis of behavioral asymmetries in the elevated plus-maze and in the T-maze.
PG  - 251-60
AB  - When studying functional asymmetries in normal laboratory rats, several 
      behavioral tests have been applied and proven their utility, including turning in 
      rotometers or open-fields, handedness in paw usage, T-maze alternation, and 
      others. Here, we analyzed male Wistar rats in two tests, namely the elevated 
      plus-maze and the T-maze. In these tests, behavioral asymmetries are rather 
      likely to occur, since the animals have to show several types of turns towards 
      the left or right when ambulating through these environments. In a first study 
      using the plus-maze, we provide detailed data on (A) the types of turns which the 
      animals showed when changing their direction within arms (i.e., 180 degrees 
      turns), and (B) the types of turns when proceeding from one arm to an adjacent 
      one (i.e., 90 degrees turns). With respect to asymmetry, we found moderate biases 
      in favor of the right. On the 1st day of plus-maze testing, there was a trend for 
      more rightward turns within arms. On the 2nd day of testing, there was a trend 
      for turns towards the right when alternating between arms of the plus-maze. In a 
      2nd study, we asked for asymmetries in the plus-maze in animals, which had been 
      treated acutely with the psychostimulatory amphetamine analogue 
      3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Psychostimulants drugs, especially 
      amphetamine, have repeatedly been used before in work on functional asymmetry, 
      since they can enhance or reveal asymmetries in normal rats. MDMA had 
      dose-dependent effects on activity, which affected turns within arms, and turns 
      between arms; however, there was only sparse evidence with respect to asymmetry. 
      Interestingly, and if at all, asymmetry was in favor of the right. Finally, we 
      present data for behavior in the T-maze, where we used a spontaneous test 
      version, that is, the animals could explore the maze but had no task to solve. 
      Asymmetries were measured as turns within the start arm (180 degrees), and as 
      left- or rightward turns between arms (90 degrees ) at the T-point of the maze. 
      In both measures, we again obtained evidence for asymmetries in favor of the 
      right. This work supports previous studies showing that the T-maze is suitable to 
      analyze behavioral asymmetries in rats. In addition, it provides new evidence 
      with respect to the elevated plus-maze, indicating that this standard tool of 
      anxiety research may also be useful in research on behavioral asymmetries and 
      their underlying brain mechanisms. Behavioral biases in favor of the right, as 
      shown here, have often been reported before, especially with Wistar rats. Such 
      biases should be taken into account, since they can serve as an approach to study 
      brain/behavior relationships, and since they may affect the outcome of 
      physiological manipulations or behavioral trainings.
FAU - Schwarting, Rainer K W
AU  - Schwarting RK
AD  - Experimental and Physiological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, 
      Gutenbergstr. 18, 35037 Marburg, Germany. schwarti@staff.uni-marburg.de
FAU - Borta, Andreas
AU  - Borta A
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - J Neurosci Methods
JT  - Journal of neuroscience methods
JID - 7905558
RN  - 0 (Serotonin Agents)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Analysis of Variance
MH  - Animals
MH  - Behavior, Animal/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
MH  - Exploratory Behavior/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - Functional Laterality/physiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Maze Learning/classification/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/pharmacology
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Wistar
MH  - Reaction Time/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Serotonin Agents/pharmacology
MH  - Space Perception/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - Time Factors
EDAT- 2005/01/22 09:00
MHDA- 2005/04/19 09:00
CRDT- 2005/01/22 09:00
PHST- 2004/04/21 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2004/06/29 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2004/06/30 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2005/01/22 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/04/19 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/01/22 09:00 [entrez]
AID - S0165-0270(04)00240-7 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2004.06.013 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Neurosci Methods. 2005 Feb 15;141(2):251-60. doi: 
      10.1016/j.jneumeth.2004.06.013.