Related Experiment Videos
Paw preference in mice: a reappraisal
1Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Physiology & Behavior
|April 1, 1993
Summary
This study measured paw preference in mice, finding subtle differences between strains. A simplified paw preference measurement method is also proposed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Paw preference, a measure of lateralization, is studied in various mouse strains.
- Previous research has established distinct paw preference patterns in different mouse strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and compare paw preference across three distinct mouse strains: BALB/cA, C57BL/6J, and Jcl:ICR.
- To introduce a simplified method for assessing paw preference in mice.
- To investigate potential differences in laterality patterns among the studied strains.
Main Methods:
- Paw preference was assessed using the R. L. Collins (RPE) scoring method.
- Data analysis focused on the distribution of RPE scores to identify laterality patterns.
Main Results:
- Paw preference patterns were less distinct than reported in prior studies.
- The C57BL/6J strain exhibited slight laterality, indicated by a flattened RPE score distribution.
- BALB/cA and Jcl:ICR strains showed no significant laterality, with bell-shaped RPE score distributions.
Conclusions:
- Observed paw preference patterns differ from previous findings, suggesting strain-specific variations in laterality.
- The proposed simplified method offers a potentially more accessible approach to determining paw preference in mice.