PhD‐theses - Ethologische Gesellschaft

Research Update
‘floating’ in HR and LR animals), but without abolishing the significant differences between
the three mouse lines. No effects were observed on locomotor activity and anxiety‐related
behaviours in the OF and EPM test. Regarding spatial memory, IR and LR mice housed under
ST or EN conditions showed a significantly higher time spent in the novel arm compared to
the familiar arms during the retrieval phase of the Y‐maze test. HR mice, however, only
discriminated between the two types of arms when they have been housed in EN cages.
Thus, our study shed light on the complex interaction between environmental factors
and genetic predispositions to develop endophenotypes relevant for the aetiology of
affective disorders such as major depression.
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