@article{ref1,
title="Slope climbing challenges, fear of heights, anxiety and time of the day",
journal="Behavioural brain research",
year="2016",
author="Ennaceur, A. and Hussain, M. D. and Abuhamdah, R. M. and Mostafa, R. M. and Chazot, P. L.",
volume="316",
number="",
pages="169-182",
abstract="When exposed to an unfamiliar open space, animals experience fear and attempt to find an escape route. Anxiety emerges when animals are confronted with a challenging obstacle to this fear motivated escape. High anxiety animals do not take risks; they avoid the challenge. The present experiments investigated this risk avoidant behavior in mice. In experiment 1, BALB/c, C57BL/6J and CD-1 mice were exposed to a large platform with downward inclined steep slopes attached on two opposite sides. The platform was elevated 75 and 100cm from the ground, in a standard (SPDS) and in a raised (RPDS) configuration, respectively. In experiment 2, the platform was elevated 75cm from the ground. Mice had to climb onto a stand at the top of upward inclined slopes (SPUS). In experiment 3, BALB/c mice were exposed to SPDS with steep or shallow slopes either in early morning or in late afternoon. In all 3 test configurations, mice spent more time in the areas adjacent to the slopes than in the areas adjacent to void, however only C57BL/6J and CD-1 crossed onto the slopes in SPDS, and crossed onto the stands in SPUS whereas BALB/c remained on the platform in SPDS and explored the slopes in SPUS. Elevation of the platform from the ground reduced the crossings onto the slopes in C57BL/6J and CD-1, and no differences were observed between BALB/c and C57BL/6J. BALB/c mice demonstrated no difference in anxiety when tested early morning or late afternoon; they crossed onto shallow slopes and avoided the steep one.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0166-4328",
doi="10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.010",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.010"
}