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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Basal Ganglia Involvement In The Playfulness Of Juvenile Rats, Stephen M. Siviy
Basal Ganglia Involvement In The Playfulness Of Juvenile Rats, Stephen M. Siviy
Psychology Faculty Publications
Play is an important part of normal childhood development and can be readily studied in the laboratory rat in the form of rough‐and‐tumble play. Given the robust nature of rough‐and‐tumble play, it has often been assumed that the basal ganglia would have a prominent role in modulating this behavior. Recent work using c‐fos expression as a metabolic marker for neural activity combined with temporary inactivation of relevant corticostriatal regions and pharmacological manipulations of opioid, cannabinoid, and dopamine systems has led to a better understanding of how basal ganglia circuitry may be involved in modulating social play in the juvenile rat. …
Dysfunctional Play And Dopamine Physiology In The Fischer 344 Rat, Stephen M. Siviy, Cynthia A. Crawford, Garnik Akopian, John P. Walsh
Dysfunctional Play And Dopamine Physiology In The Fischer 344 Rat, Stephen M. Siviy, Cynthia A. Crawford, Garnik Akopian, John P. Walsh
Psychology Faculty Publications
Juvenile Fischer 344 rats are known to be less playful than other inbred strains, although the neurobiological substrate(s) responsible for this phenotype is uncertain. In the present study, Fischer 344 rats were compared to the commonly used outbred Sprague-Dawley strain on several behavioral and physiological parameters in order to ascertain whether the lack of play may be related to compromised activity of brain dopamine (DA) systems. As expected, Fischer 344 rats were far less playful than Sprague-Dawley rats, with Fischer 344 rats less likely to initiate playful contacts with a playful partner and less likely to respond playfully to these …