Abstract
Whisker deprivation at different stages of early development results in varied behavioral outcomes. However, there is a notable lack of systematic studies evaluating the specific effects of whisker deprivation from postnatal day 0 (P0) to P14 on adolescent behavioral performance in mice. To investigate these effects, C57BL/6J mice underwent whisker deprivation from P0 to P14 and were subsequently assessed at 5 weeks of age using a battery of tests: motor skills were evaluated using open field test; emotional behavior was evaluated using a series of anxiety- and depression-related behavioral tests; cognitive function was examined via novel location and object recognition tests; and social interactions were analyzed using three-chamber social interaction test. Results show that early-life whisker deprivation impairs social discrimination, as evidenced by reduced interaction preference for novel mice, while not impacting general motor abilities, cognitive performance in novel object and location recognition, or anxiety- and depression-related behaviors during adolescence. The treatment effects were consistent across sexes, with no significant differences observed between control and experimental groups within each sex. These findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the behavioral impacts during adolescence resulting from early-life whisker deprivation and provide valuable criteria for selecting appropriate whisker deprivation models in future research.
Published Version
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