Özet:

Despite extensive research on the relationship between acute stress and cognitive functions in adults little is known about the postweaning social isolation stress on spatial learning. This research investigated whether spatial learning would be altered in female juvenile Wistar albino rats exposed to a stressor: 4h social isolation daily at 28-49 days of age (after weaning). Three groups of animals were investigated. 1. preexperiment group (n=5), (2) normal controls (n=11), (3) social isolation group (n=11): rats which from postnatal 28 until postnatal 49, were seperated from the family one time per day for 4h. After weaning 49 day old female juvenile Wistar albino rats (control and social isolation groups) were tested in the Morris Water Maze for spatial learning. For the rats in the control and social isolation group, the total duration of time spent to find the platform and the duration of time spent in half area of the maze including the platform in a value representing the percentage in the total time were compared statistically. For statistical analysis, ANOVA for repeated measures (with criteria of p<0,05) and unpaired t-test (with criteria of p<0,05) were used. At the end of the study, it was found that spatial learning in the Morris Water Maze had not altered in female juvenile rats exposed to social isolation stress and it was concluded that the effect of social isolation stress on spatial learning was related to period and degree of stress

Anahtar Kelimeler: