EVIDENCE FOR MOTOR LEARNING IN CIRCADIAN WHEEL RUNNING

BEHAVIOR IN THE INDIAN PYGMY FIELD MOUSE, Mus terricolor,

P. Basu and M. Singaravel

Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi -221005, India

ABSTRACT:

Circadian wheel running is a widely established phenomenon in many mammalian

species. Our study of the Indian Pygmy field mouse, Mus terricolor, a common field pest
in certain regions of India, reveals a robust circadian rhythm in its wheel running
behavior, with an τ of 23.80± 0.08 S.E.M by Lomb-Scargle Peridogram and
23.80± 0.05 S.E.M by Chi-square periodogram analyses (Clocklab Analysis Program,
Actimetics, Inc., USA) amplitude of 24.48± 3.36 S.E.M., with acrophase at
23.88h± 0.22h S.E.M., in a natural daylight regime, when averaged over the 15-day
period of study. The daily onset of activity roughly corresponded to the sunset times.
Behavioral test-naïve animals exhibited an increase in wheel running proficiency (motor
learning), with the daily counts/minute maxima on the initial day being 26.39± 6.05
S.E.M. and steadily increasing to 68.86± 5.49 S.E.M. counts/min at the culmination of
the experiment (p<0.001). This increase was plotted as a learning curve. An animal that
had already been running in the activity wheel for 14 days prior to the start was taken as
the control and exhibited 66.11± 1.01 S.E.M. counts/min throughout the duration of the
experiment.

The acrophases as averaged over the initial (“naïve”) five days of the experiment (1.04
hr.± 0.22 S.E.M.) differed (p<0.01) from the average acrophase during the latter
(“learned”) part of the study (23.47 hr.± 0.33 S.E.M). The actograms of the animals
exhibited no noticeable difference in onset during the entire duration of the experiment.

Incorporation of such motor learning in studies in animal behavior and Chronobiology

would add a parameter in the investigation of the effects of chronotherapeutics and
chronobiotics, and would be useful in the investigation of Circadian Rhythm Disorders or
diseases with known circadian correlates and for elucidating the circadian biology of
learning and learning-related disorders.

Keywords: Mammalian locomotor activity rhythm, motor learning.