Septal lesions and avoidance behavior: Genetic, neurochemical and behavioral considerations

A multivariate approach to the analysis of genetic and septal lesion effects on maze performance in mice.

“…As described above, the T-maze experiment was conducted in two replications. Following behavioral training on this task, animals from the first replication were examined for shock threshold (data and procedure reported in detail in Donovick et al, 1981). were taken.…”

“…For both the T-maze and water-maze studies, male mice of the C57BL/6J and RF/J strains obtained from the Jackson Laboratorv (Bar Harbor, Maine) and male mice of the Binghamton heterogeneous (HET) stock from our own colony were used (see Donovick et al, 1981;McDaniel et al, 1980) Mice were housed originally in group cages upon receipt from the supplier or following weaning in our laboratory. Eight to ten days prior to surgery, mice were housed individually in transparent plastic cages with ad lib access to Charles River mouse chow and water in our large mouse vivarium Overhead lights were on a timed cycle, with white light between 8:00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. and red light between 8:00 p.m and 8 00 a.m Vivarium temperatures were maintained at 22 °C ± 1 °C.…”

“…To minimize the differential reactivity to handling associated with training in the various experimental groups, we employed a gentling procedure following surgery before beginning the behavioral testing in both experiments. During the first of two replications comprising each experiment (T-maze and water maze), it was noted that there was an apparent interaction between genotype and surgical condition in the animal's response to handling (see also Donovick et al, 1981). Therefore, during the second replication of each study, we systematically observed reactivity to handling in the mice.…”

“…The present experiments examined the effects of septal lesions on the strains of mice previously used (Donovick et al, 1981;McDaniel et al, 1980). We examined discrimination performance in a simple T-maze with animals motivated by thirst (Experiment 1) and in a water maze (Waller, Waller, & Brewster, 1960) where they were motivated by immersion in cold (17 °C) water (Experiment 2).…”

The fragility of the locality assumption: Comparative evidence

“…This heritable variation of the brain is another aspect that neuropsychologists (and many neuroscientists as well) tend to ignore, most likely to their own peril. For example, Donovick et al (1981) and Fanelli et al (1983) reported widely divergent behavioral effects of septal lesions in mice, depending on which particular inbred strain was being used.…”