TY - JOUR

T1 - The influence of prenatal stress on rat learning

AU - Vinogradova, E. P.

AU - Polyakova, O. N.

AU - Batuev, A. S.

PY - 1996/1/1

Y1 - 1996/1/1

N2 - Behaviour was studied of the offsprings of female rats which were exposed to pain (P) and emotional (PSY) stress during the last 9 days of pregnancy. The P group received 5 electrical footshocks (shuffle threshold, 50 Hz, 3 sec). PSY rats were placed in the compartment adjacent with the grid-floor box, thus they could watch, hear and smell the mate exposed to P. Pups of the intact rats served as a control (C). At 7-8 weeks of age the offsprings were tested in a modified Morris maze. Performance was significantly better in the P group than in the PSY and C groups. Acquisition of avoidance in a one-way shuttle-box at 10-12 weeks was higher in the P group than in the PSY and C animals. Two weeks later, the C rats were more successful in acquisition in a two-way shuttle-box than the PSY and P rats. At the age of 4-5 months a trend was revealed to higher capacity for learning in female P and C offsprings than in males while in the PSY group capacity for learning was sex-independent. The findings suggest that the pain and emotional stress during pregnancy exert different effects on behaviour of the offsprings.

AB - Behaviour was studied of the offsprings of female rats which were exposed to pain (P) and emotional (PSY) stress during the last 9 days of pregnancy. The P group received 5 electrical footshocks (shuffle threshold, 50 Hz, 3 sec). PSY rats were placed in the compartment adjacent with the grid-floor box, thus they could watch, hear and smell the mate exposed to P. Pups of the intact rats served as a control (C). At 7-8 weeks of age the offsprings were tested in a modified Morris maze. Performance was significantly better in the P group than in the PSY and C groups. Acquisition of avoidance in a one-way shuttle-box at 10-12 weeks was higher in the P group than in the PSY and C animals. Two weeks later, the C rats were more successful in acquisition in a two-way shuttle-box than the PSY and P rats. At the age of 4-5 months a trend was revealed to higher capacity for learning in female P and C offsprings than in males while in the PSY group capacity for learning was sex-independent. The findings suggest that the pain and emotional stress during pregnancy exert different effects on behaviour of the offsprings.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1542740685&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - статья

C2 - 9054162

AN - SCOPUS:1542740685

VL - 46

SP - 1102

EP - 1103

JO - ЖУРНАЛ ВЫСШЕЙ НЕРВНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИМ. И.П. ПАВЛОВА

JF - ЖУРНАЛ ВЫСШЕЙ НЕРВНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИМ. И.П. ПАВЛОВА

SN - 0044-4677

IS - 6

ER -