Dados do Trabalho

Título

Audiovisual overstimulation promotes anxiogenic-like behavior in a sex-dependent manner in mice

Resumo

INTRODUCTION: Excessive use of screens is known to be related to increased incidence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. It has been demonstrated that mice subjected to audiovisual overstimulation show behaviors compatible with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to analyze whether there is a relationship between the sex of the animal and the anxious behavior of animals subjected to audiovisual overstimulation. METHODS: Swiss mice (20 - 30 g), male and female, 21 days old, were used. For 42 days, the animals were placed in a room containing sound from children's television programs at a volume maintained below 70 dB, the level used in acoustic stress models. The animals were divided into groups (n = 6 each) as follows: control males and control females - animals without stimulation, but taken daily from the maintenance vivarium and kept in a separate room for 2 or 6 h daily. Stimulated males and stimulated females - animals with daily stimulation for 2 or 6 h. After 10 days of rest, the animals were subjected to the elevated cross maze test. RESULTS: There was no difference in the behavior of male and female animals stimulated for 2 h daily. However, females overstimulated for 6 h daily, stayed longer in the open arm (*p<0.05) and produced more feces pellets (**p<0.01) when compared to the non-stimulated group (naive). The overstimulated male animals showed increased locomotor activity characterized by more entries into the open arm (*p<0.05) compared to the non-stimulated group. CONCLUSIONS: The higher preference for the open arm suggests anxious behavior, inferring impulsivity content. The results obtained point out that overstimulated females seem to show a higher propensity to take risks.

Palavras Chave

Anxiety; Mice; Sensory overstimulation; Sex