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Learning performance varies with brain weight in heterogeneous mouse lines

C Jensen, J L Fuller

Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology

|October 1, 1978

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Brain weight correlates with learning and activity in mice, but this relationship weakens when controlling for general activity. This study explores brain size variation within species.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative Psychology
Behavioral Genetics

Background:

Previous research indicates a positive correlation between brain weight and learning across mammalian species.
Understanding the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities within a species is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the correlation between brain weight and various learning and activity measures within heterogeneous mouse stocks.
To determine if the brain weight-learning relationship holds for within-species variation.

Main Methods:

Tested three unselected mouse lines on active avoidance, water-maze, operant discrimination, and passive avoidance tasks.
Measured ambulation in the open field to assess general activity.
Utilized partial correlation analyses to control for body weight, operant level, and activity.

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Main Results:

Small to moderate positive correlations were found between brain weight and learning across most tasks, excluding passive avoidance.
A moderate correlation between brain weight and open-field activity was observed.
Controlling for open-field activity significantly reduced the correlations between brain weight and learning performance.

Conclusions:

The positive relationship between brain weight and learning extends to within-species variation.
General activity levels significantly influence the observed brain weight-learning correlations.
Comparisons between limited inbred strains may not accurately reflect genetic associations between brain size and behavior.