Habituation Training Improves Locomotor Performance in a Forced Running Wheel System in Rats

Abstract

Increasing evidence supports that physical activity promotes mental health; and regular exercise may confer positive effects in neurological disorders. There is growing number of reports that requires the analysis of the impact of physical activity in animal models. Exercise in rodents can be performed under voluntary or forced conditions. The former presents the disadvantage that the volume and intensity of exercise varies from subject to subject. On the other hand, a major challenge of the forced training protocol is the low level of performance typically achieved within a given session. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of gradual increasing of the volume and intensity (training habituation protocol) to improve the locomotor performance in a forced running-wheel system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either a group that received an exercise training habituation protocol, or a control group. The locomotor performance during forced running was assessed by an incremental exercise test. The experimental results reveal that the total running time and the distance covered by habituated rats was significantly higher than in control ones. We conclude that the exercise habituation protocol improves the locomotor performance in forced running wheels.

Repeatability analysis improves the reliability of behavioral data

“…Fortunately, these two goals are often working perfectly together because it is well known that data derived from nonstressed animals is of higher quality expressed, for example, in more robust and/ or more consistent scientific data [1,2]. One well known possibility to minimize stress for the laboratory animal is the prior habituation to unknown experimental equipment and/or handling procedures [1,3]. The term habituation originates from behavioral biology and describes the diminution of a response induced by constant or repeated exposure to a novel stimulus and displays a simple form of non-associative learning [4].…”

“…Knowledge about habituation can be used to introduce a wide variety of unknown behavioral tests to the animal and to increase the intended performance in the actual test situation which then is familiar to the animal [1,3,7,8]. For example, in rodents, physical activity can be measured under voluntary or under forced condition.…”

Repeatability analysis improves the reliability of behavioral data

“…One well known possibility to minimize stress and distress for the laboratory animal is the prior habituation to unknown experimental equipment or handling procedures (Gouveia and Hurst, 2017;Toval et al, 2017). The term habituation originates from behavioral biology and describes the diminution of a response induced by constant or repeated exposure to a novel stimulus and displays a simple form of non-associative learning (Leussis and Bolivar, 2006).…”

“…Knowledge about habituation can be used to introduce a wide variety of behavioral tests and to increase the intended performance in the actual test situation (Bowen et al, 2016;Gouveia and Hurst, 2017;Toval et al, 2017;Moreton et al, 2019). For example, in rodents, physical activity can be measured under voluntary or forced condition.…”

“…On the other hand, rodents in forced running wheel tests show low level of performance. Habituation and training with the running wheel have been shown to improve locomotor performance in the forced running wheel system in rats and consequently increased the validity of the scientific data (Toval et al, 2017). Although, such effects of habituation are frequently applied, the documentation in the literature is heterogeneous.…”