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Altérations du comportement consécutives à des lésions de la région septale du Mulot sylvestre (Apodemus Sylvaticus L.)

Septal lesions in Apodemus Sylvaticus L.

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Summary

Lesions placed in the septum of wild mice (Apodemus Sylvaticus L.) result in a loss of the earth digging behaviour though the overall activity is increased during 15–20 days after the operation. Food intake and motricity are not impaired.

If the animal is provided with an artificial nest including a door allowing to record the number of entries and exits one may observe that some of the animals are going in and out of that nest up to 100 times in 24 hours after they have been submitted to a septal lesion. Before having been operated the same animals were only coming in and out of the nest about ten times in 24 hours. This observation points to the fact that the rhythms of spontaneous activity are deeply altered after a septal lesion, due to inadequate inhibition.

In most of the observed animals the impairement of the earth digging behaviour was proportional to the volume of tissue destroyed in the septum but on the other hand no correlations seems to exist between the size of the destroyed area and the increase of the overall activity after a septal lesion.

The continuous and quantitative record of the overall activity of the free animal and the use of Nauta's technique for the histological control — already undertaken — are going to bring a better understanding of the neuroanatomical and physiological basis of the studied behaviours.

Résumé

Dans ce travail d'approche, qui ne saurait être exhaustif, si l'on tient compte du nombre et de la complexité des questions abordées, nous constatons que des lésions d'électrocoagulation de l'aire septale entraînent chez le Mulot sylvestre une altération plus ou moins durable du comportement de construction du terrier, et une hyperréactivité temporaire qui disparaît dans la plupart des cas en 15 à 20 jours.

La prise journalière de nourriture, la motilité et la motricité des animaux opérés n'ont pas subi de modification. En revanche, en enregistrant les entrées et sorties d'une boîte mise à la disposition de quelques animaux gravement perturbés dans leur comportement de construction, on constate qu'ils entrent dans ce nid artificiel et en sortent quelque cent fois en 24 heures, alors qu'avant l'opération, on n'avait enregistré qu'une dizaine d'entrées et sorties. Cette altération du comportement suggère une désorganisation de l'activité de l'animal liée aux phénomènes connus d'inhibition déficiente, de persévération inadéquate, d'hyperréactivité.

Si l'importance et la durée de l'altération du comportement de construction peuvent être mises en relation dans la plupart des cas avec le volume de la destruction de l'aire septale et des structures voisines, il n'en va pas de même pour l'hyperréactivité. Il n'y a pas de corrélation non plus entre l'importance de cette dernière et celle de l'altération du comportement de construction.

L'enregistrement et la quantification de l'activité spontanée de l'animal sur une longue durée, l'application au Mulot sylvestre de la technique de Nauta permettront de préciser cette désorganisation de l'activité et de déterminer les structures cérébrales impliquées dans le maintien d'un comportement ≪ normal ≫.

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  1. Université de Lausanne, Faculté de Médecine, Institut de Physiologie, Lausanne, Switzerland

    J. -J. Amacker

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Amacker, J.J. Altérations du comportement consécutives à des lésions de la région septale du Mulot sylvestre (Apodemus Sylvaticus L.). Exp Brain Res 11, 296–308 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01474388

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