Influences of physical activity on the behavior of mice exposed to social isolation

• Grant number: 15/02748-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2016
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Michele Schultz Ramos
• Grantee: Rafael Ming Chi Santos Hsu
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The social isolation has been described as a stressor, at physiological level as soon as behavioral level, with association with many psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and loss in memory. It is necessary to study ways for intervention in order to prevent such a situation, which is difficult because of the way in which the modern society is structured. Also, the mistake of considering this condition less harmful than the one strictly physical need to be avoid, according with the literature about the theme. On the other hand, physical activity has been described as promoter gains to mental health. Thus, considering the low number of studies, this project aims to investigate the relation between social isolation and physical activity and its influence on behavior related to anxiety, depression and loss in memory of young mice. The groups will be housed in groups of 3 or individually (isolated group), and some of them will have access to a running wheel for 4 weeks. After this period, the animals will be submitted to behavioral tests - Morris water maze test, elevated plus maze test and tail suspension test - in order to compare the performance of the different groups at the same tasks, thus enabling us to verify, through statistical analysis, the possible harmful effects of isolation, the benefits of physical activity, and the interaction of both, hypothesizing that physical activity will attenuate the expected losses due to social isolation. (AU)