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Posthatching locomotor experience alters locomotor development in chicks.
1Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada. gillian.muir@usack.ca
Journal of Neurophysiology
|July 2, 2002
Summary
Locomotor experience is crucial for chicks to develop a mature walk, influencing stride length and head bobbing. Reduced activity and NMDA receptor blockade impair walking development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Chicks, despite being precocial, require time to develop a stable walk.
- Young chicks exhibit shorter stride lengths compared to older ones.
- Head bobbing, an optokinetic behavior during walking, also matures over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if locomotor experience is essential for the maturation of walking in chicks.
- To determine the role of locomotor experience in developing mature stride length.
- To examine the experience-dependence of head bobbing behavior.
Main Methods:
- Chicks were divided into groups with increased (treadmill), decreased (restricted space), or normal locomotor experience.
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (MK-801) or saline control was administered.
- Locomotor characteristics were quantified from video recordings over 10 days post-hatching.
Main Results:
- Exercise restriction led to significantly shortened stride lengths, persisting throughout the study.
- NMDA receptor antagonism also resulted in reduced stride lengths.
- Exercise restriction slowed the maturation rate of head bobbing behavior.
Conclusions:
- Locomotor experience is necessary for the normal development of walking in precocial animals.
- Activity-dependent mechanisms, potentially involving NMDA receptors, underlie motor development.
- These findings shed light on neuroanatomical and neurophysiological processes in motor learning.