Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice

Abstract Laboratory mice are typically housed in “shoebox" cages that limit the expression of natural behaviours. Temporary access to more complex environments (playpens) may improve their welfare. We aimed to assess if access to playpens is rewarding for conventionally-housed mice and to docum...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Anna S. Ratuski, I. Joanna Makowska, Kaitlyn R. Dvorack, Daniel M. Weary
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/f7fe31f166544566a76d29431b698a0c
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:f7fe31f166544566a76d29431b698a0c
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:f7fe31f166544566a76d29431b698a0c2021-12-02T18:48:09ZUsing approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice10.1038/s41598-021-98356-32045-2322https://doaj.org/article/f7fe31f166544566a76d29431b698a0c2021-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98356-3https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Laboratory mice are typically housed in “shoebox" cages that limit the expression of natural behaviours. Temporary access to more complex environments (playpens) may improve their welfare. We aimed to assess if access to playpens is rewarding for conventionally-housed mice and to document mouse behaviour during playpen access. Female C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and DBA/2J mice were provided temporary access to a large enriched playpen three times per week; control mice remained in their home cages. We measured latency to enter playpens and anticipatory behaviour to determine if access was rewarding, and recorded mouse behaviour during playpen sessions. Over time, playpen mice entered the playpen more quickly; latency declined from 168 ± 22 to 13 ± 2 s over the 14-d trial. As expected, playpen mice showed an increase in anticipatory behaviour before playpen access (mean ± SE = 19.7 ± 2.6 behavioural transitions), while control mice showed no change in anticipatory behaviour relative to baseline values (2.4 ± 1.6 transitions). Mice in the playpen performed more ambulatory behaviours than control mice who remained in home cages (21.5 ± 0.7 vs 6.9 ± 1.1 observations of 25 total observations). We conclude that conventionally-housed mice find voluntary playpen access rewarding, and suggest this as a useful option for providing laboratory mice with access to more complex environments.Anna S. RatuskiI. Joanna MakowskaKaitlyn R. DvorackDaniel M. WearyNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Anna S. Ratuski
I. Joanna Makowska
Kaitlyn R. Dvorack
Daniel M. Weary
Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
description Abstract Laboratory mice are typically housed in “shoebox" cages that limit the expression of natural behaviours. Temporary access to more complex environments (playpens) may improve their welfare. We aimed to assess if access to playpens is rewarding for conventionally-housed mice and to document mouse behaviour during playpen access. Female C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and DBA/2J mice were provided temporary access to a large enriched playpen three times per week; control mice remained in their home cages. We measured latency to enter playpens and anticipatory behaviour to determine if access was rewarding, and recorded mouse behaviour during playpen sessions. Over time, playpen mice entered the playpen more quickly; latency declined from 168 ± 22 to 13 ± 2 s over the 14-d trial. As expected, playpen mice showed an increase in anticipatory behaviour before playpen access (mean ± SE = 19.7 ± 2.6 behavioural transitions), while control mice showed no change in anticipatory behaviour relative to baseline values (2.4 ± 1.6 transitions). Mice in the playpen performed more ambulatory behaviours than control mice who remained in home cages (21.5 ± 0.7 vs 6.9 ± 1.1 observations of 25 total observations). We conclude that conventionally-housed mice find voluntary playpen access rewarding, and suggest this as a useful option for providing laboratory mice with access to more complex environments.
format article
author Anna S. Ratuski
I. Joanna Makowska
Kaitlyn R. Dvorack
Daniel M. Weary
author_facet Anna S. Ratuski
I. Joanna Makowska
Kaitlyn R. Dvorack
Daniel M. Weary
author_sort Anna S. Ratuski
title Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
title_short Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
title_full Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
title_fullStr Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
title_full_unstemmed Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
title_sort using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/f7fe31f166544566a76d29431b698a0c
work_keys_str_mv AT annasratuski usingapproachlatencyandanticipatorybehaviourtoassesswhethervoluntaryplaypenaccessisrewardingtolaboratorymice
AT ijoannamakowska usingapproachlatencyandanticipatorybehaviourtoassesswhethervoluntaryplaypenaccessisrewardingtolaboratorymice
AT kaitlynrdvorack usingapproachlatencyandanticipatorybehaviourtoassesswhethervoluntaryplaypenaccessisrewardingtolaboratorymice
AT danielmweary usingapproachlatencyandanticipatorybehaviourtoassesswhethervoluntaryplaypenaccessisrewardingtolaboratorymice
_version_ 1718377658941702144