Maze-running and thigmotaxis in mice: applicability of models across the sexes

Both male (n = 244) and female (n = 223) Swiss albino mice displayed a U-shaped pattern of thigmotaxis (wall-seeking) in a circular open-field (OF) before and after a daily maze-running. A significant increase of mice's tendency to occupy the inner partitions of the OF after the maze trial on the last three out of five days of training was observed. When factor analyzed, the variables indicating the wall-seeking behaviour of both sexes were divided into two factors interpreted as "spontaneous" in conjunction with the first three to four maze trials and as "learning-related thigmotactic behaviour" during the subsequent trials in the course of the learning process.