Effects of Early Handling and Individual Housing on Mouse Anxiety
Author Information
Author(s): Timothy J. Flanigan, Melloni N. Cook
Primary Institution: Department of Psychology, University of Memphis
Hypothesis
Does an early handling-like procedure and individual housing affect anxiety-like behavior in adult mice?
Conclusion
Individually housed mice took longer to enter an open area but spent more time in the open than group-housed mice, indicating a complex relationship between housing conditions and anxiety-like behavior.
Supporting Evidence
- Individually housed mice took longer to enter an open quadrant of the maze.
- C57BL/6J mice spent more time in the open quadrants than DBA/2J mice.
- Group-housed animals spent less time in the open quadrants than individually-housed animals.
Takeaway
Mice that were handled as babies and then kept alone showed different anxiety behaviors compared to those kept in groups, showing that how you raise a mouse can change how it feels later.
Methodology
Mice were subjected to an early handling-like procedure and then either individually or group housed, with anxiety-like behavior assessed using an elevated zero-maze.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the limited number of strains tested and the specific conditions of the study.
Limitations
The study did not include physiological measures to complement behavioral findings.
Participant Demographics
Male and female C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice were used.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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