TITLE:
Selection of Laboratory Mice for the High Scores of Logic Task Solutions: The Correlated Changes in Behavior
AUTHORS:
Olga V. Perepelkina, Vassilissa A. Golibrodo, Irina G. Lilp, Inga I. Poletaeva
KEYWORDS:
Animal Cognition; Genetic Selection; Extrapolation Capacity; Puzzle Box; Anxiety; Laboratory Mice
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.5 No.4,
February
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Genetically heterogenous mouse population
served as the basis for experiment designed to select mice for the high levels
of extrapolation ability. Extrapolation task (which belongs to the category of
cognitive tasks) was the following: hungry and thirsty mouse was placed in the
experimental box facing the cup with milk which could be reached via the small
opening in the frontal wall. After several seconds of drinking the food moved
behind this wall to the right or to the left and disappeared from animal view.
Mouse can find the food only if it moves in the direction of food movement. The
direction could be chosen at random or based on animal apprehension of
elementary logic of this task. Mice were selected not only for high scores of
this task solution but also for lack of anxiety signs during test performance.
Extrapolation task scores in selected strain mice were above the chance levels
in F9 but non-significantly different from those of control unselected mouse population.
The performance of F9 mice in the “puzzle box” cognitive test, based on animal
tendency to avoid the brightly lit area in the dark compartment with increasing
“difficulty” of reaching this compartment, was measured as mean escape
latencies of the respective group. The latencies of mice from selected strain
were significantly shorter than those of control animals. This fact is
interpreted as the sign that the selection for one cognitive trait (yet still
not efficient) resulted in positive changes in the ability to solve another
cognitive task. The relationship of cognitive task solutions success and
anxiety behavior scores in F9 is discussed.