Behavioral development of the Norway rat is analyzed on several levels of psychobiological organization. Relations between growth, body temperature regulation, and behavior will be studied with allometric analyses of individual pups and huddles. Regulatory behaviors should emerge differentially under different environmental conditions. Similarly, other developmental landmarks, such as onsets of filial attraction and nest egression can be related to parameters of growth and behavioral expression. Ontogenetic studies of behavioral thermoregulation and oxygen consumption will be conducted. The infants' high frequency vocalizations will also be considered as a form of behavioral thermoregulation, including an oxygenation hypothesis which models the pups' cries to mechanisms common to Respiratory Distress Syndrome in human infants. Behavioral preferences for metabolically-equivalent situations will tested, providing an empirical foundation for relating and discriminating hedonics and homeostasis. Early learning will be studied with a recentlydiscovered operant conditioning method with thermal reward for infants. Developmental differences in hedonic constraints appear to affect learning. We will extend our analyses of parent-offspring relations through studies of weaning in rats, which we view as an empirical testbed for studying the achievement of independence. We will expand our understanding of offspring regulation of maternal responsiveness by studying the diminution of maternal salt appetite in relation to lactation, maternal licking, and other aspects of caregiveing. New studies of weaning of the parent are proposed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37MH028355-15
Application #
3486419
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCM (02))
Project Start
1976-06-01
Project End
1993-08-31
Budget Start
1990-09-01
Budget End
1991-08-31
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
1990
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University Bloomington
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
006046700
City
Bloomington
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
47401
Kojima, S; Stewart, R A; Demas, G E et al. (2012) Maternal contact differentially modulates central and peripheral oxytocin in rat pups during a brief regime of mother-pup interaction that induces a filial huddling preference. J Neuroendocrinol 24:831-40
Kojima, Sayuri; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2011) Oxytocin mediates the acquisition of filial, odor-guided huddling for maternally-associated odor in preweanling rats. Horm Behav 60:549-58
Kojima, Sayuri; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2011) Warmth from skin-to-skin contact with mother is essential for the acquisition of filial huddling preference in preweanling rats. Dev Psychobiol 53:813-27
Kojima, Sayuri; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2009) Maternal care can rapidly induce an odor-guided huddling preference in rat pups. Dev Psychobiol 51:95-105
Farrell, William J; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2007) Rat behavioral thermoregulation integrates with nonshivering thermogenesis during postnatal development. Behav Neurosci 121:1333-41
Alberts, Jeffrey R (2007) Huddling by rat pups: ontogeny of individual and group behavior. Dev Psychobiol 49:22-32
Ronca, April E; Abel, Regina A; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2007) Maternal anesthesia via isoflurane or ether differentially affects pre-and postnatal behavior in rat offspring. Dev Psychobiol 49:675-84
Ronca, April E; Abel, Regina A; Ronan, Patrick J et al. (2006) Effects of labor contractions on catecholamine release and breathing frequency in newborn rats. Behav Neurosci 120:1308-14
Motz, Benjamin A; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2005) The validity and utility of geotaxis in young rodents. Neurotoxicol Teratol 27:529-33
Alberts, Jeffrey R; Ronca, April E (2005) Development as adaptation: a paradigm for gravitational and space biology. Adv Space Biol Med 10:175-207

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