Abstract
BackgroundThe role played by adult neurogenesis in anxiety is not clear. A recent study revealed a surprising positive correlation between increased anxiety and elevated neurogenesis following chronic voluntary wheel running and multiple behavioural testing in mice, suggesting that adult hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in the genesis of anxiety. To exclude the possible confounding effect of multiple testing that may have occurred in the aforementioned study, we assessed (1) the effects of mouse voluntary wheel running (14 vs. 28 days) on anxiety in just one behavioural test; the open field, and (2), using different markers, proliferation, differentiation, survival and maturation of newly born neurons in the dentate gyrus immediately afterwards. Effects of wheel running on anxiety-related behaviour were confirmed in a separate batch of animals tested in another test of anxiety, the light/dark box test.ResultsRunning altered measures of locomotion and exploration, but not anxiety-related behaviour in either test. 14 days running significantly increased proliferation, and differentiation and survival were increased after both running durations. 28 day running mice also exhibited an increased rate of maturation. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between the amount of proliferation, but not maturation, and anxiety measures in the open field of the 28 day running mice.ConclusionsOverall, this evidence suggests that without repeated testing, newly born mature neurons may not be involved in the genesis of anxiety per se.
Highlights
IntroductionA recent study revealed a surprising positive correlation between increased anxiety and elevated neurogenesis following chronic voluntary wheel running and multiple behavioural testing in mice, suggesting that adult hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in the genesis of anxiety
The role played by adult neurogenesis in anxiety is not clear
The experience of multiple test exposures and handling involves learning and might have affected behavioural measures [18]. We addressed these confounding issues and directly asked the question whether exercise-induced neurogenesis increases anxiety responding without any prior experience. To this end we looked at the effects of 14 and 28 days voluntary wheel running in mice on just one set of behaviours; those in the open field test
Summary
A recent study revealed a surprising positive correlation between increased anxiety and elevated neurogenesis following chronic voluntary wheel running and multiple behavioural testing in mice, suggesting that adult hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in the genesis of anxiety. We addressed these confounding issues and directly asked the question whether exercise-induced neurogenesis increases anxiety responding without any prior experience. To this end we looked at the effects of 14 and 28 days voluntary wheel running in mice on just one set of behaviours; those in the open field test. To confirm the effects of wheel running on anxiety-related behaviour this experiment was repeated in a separate batch of animals, but instead of the open field the animals were tested in another test for anxiety, the light/dark box test
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