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Paw preference and brain dopamine asymmetries

S Cabib1, F R D'Amato, P J Neveu

  • 1Istituto di Psicobiologia e Psicofarmacologia (CNR), Rome, Italy.

Neuroscience
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Mice paw preference is linked to dopamine levels in the brain's nucleus accumbens. This study reveals dopamine asymmetries in the brain correlate with the direction and strength of paw preference in mice.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Behavioral lateralization, such as paw preference, is a common trait in many species.
  • Dopamine plays a crucial role in motor control and reward pathways.
  • Asymmetries in brain dopamine systems have been implicated in various behavioral phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between hemispheric dopamine content and behavioral lateralization in mice.
  • To determine if dopamine and its metabolites in specific brain regions correlate with paw preference.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed paw preference in C3H/He mice to categorize them into left-handed, ambidextrous, and right-handed groups.
  • Measured dopamine and its metabolites (3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-methoxytyramine) in both hemispheres of the frontal cortex, caudatus putamen, and nucleus accumbens septi.

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  • Calculated hemispheric dominance for dopamine and its metabolites.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant differences in dopamine and 3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid hemispheric content were observed in the nucleus accumbens septi based on paw preference.
    • Hemispheric dominance for dopamine, 3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-methoxytyramine in the nucleus accumbens differed significantly between right-handed and left-handed mice.
    • This dominance was ipsilateral to the preferred paw and positively correlated with individual paw preference scores.

    Conclusions:

    • Mesoaccumbens dopamine asymmetries are strongly associated with both the direction and intensity of paw preference in mice.
    • The findings suggest a neurochemical basis for behavioral lateralization, specifically involving dopamine pathways in the nucleus accumbens.