The effects of swim stress on spatial learning in mice selectively bred for high and low stress-induced analgesia
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1996
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
Two experiments were done to determine the effects of the endogenous analgesic systems activated by swim stress on spatial learning in mice selectively bred for high and low analgesia. In Experiment 1, the mice were trained to locate a submerged platform in the Morris water maze. The effects of swim stress and of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (10 mg/kg) on spatial learning were assessed. Although no evidence of learning across trials was found, HA mice found the platform faster than LA mice. Across both strains, naloxone shortened both the latency and the paths taken to find the platform. In Experiment 2, these mice were food deprived and trained to locate a dish of food at the end of a simple dry maze, and the effects of swim stress and naloxone were assessed. In contrast to Experiment 1, LA mice were faster to locate the food than HA mice. For both strains, swimming increased the time taken to locate the food. The effects of naloxone were inconclusive. These results, although equivocal, suggest a role for endogenous opioid systems, but more strenuously suggest an effect of stress on spatial learning. Further research with tasks for which learning is more assessable is clearly necessary.