Effects of septal lesions on factors of mouse emotionality

Sixty mice from two emotionally divergent inbred strains, BALB/Alb and C57BL/10Alb, were assigned to one of three experimental groups: septal surgery, control surgery, and intact. Subsequently, all animals were administered a battery of five tasks that yielded 19 measures of emotionality. Factor scores were computed on six invariant factors obtained previously from these measures. Each factor was analyzed by an analysis of variance design with main effects for strain, sex, lesion, and days of testing. Strain and lesion main effects were found on Motor Discharge and Autonomic Balance, Strain X Lesion interaction effects on Motor Discharge and Tunneling 1, and a Lesion X Sex interaction effect on Territorial Marking. The results support the interpretation that the septum affects distinct processes modulating Autonomic Balance and Motor Discharge factors.