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Vision influences paw-preference in mice
P Barnéoud1, G Bronchti, H Van der Loos
1Institute of Anatomy, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Behavioural Brain Research
|June 30, 1994
Summary
Vision influences paw preference in mice during learning. Neonatal eye removal, however, does not affect established handedness, suggesting visual system reorganization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Handedness, or paw preference, is a well-documented phenomenon in many animal species.
- The role of sensory input, particularly vision, in the development and expression of motor asymmetries like handedness is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of vision on the development and expression of handedness in mice.
- To determine if early-life visual deprivation affects established paw preference.
Main Methods:
- Adult mice were subjected to a paw-preference test with one eye occluded by a contact lens.
- A separate group of mice underwent unilateral eye removal at birth and were later tested for paw preference.
Main Results:
- Mice with one eye occluded before training showed a preference for the paw ipsilateral to the open eye.
- Occluding the eye contralateral to the naturally preferred paw did not alter existing paw preference.
- Neonatal enucleation did not significantly influence the direction or strength of handedness.
Conclusions:
- Vision plays a role in the learning phase of paw-preference determination.
- The visual system may reorganize in response to early-life visual deprivation, compensating for the lack of input and preserving established handedness.