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Using the Carousel Maze as a test of cognitive symptoms in an animal model of schizophrenia
Buchtová, Helena ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Jiruška, Přemysl (referee)
Spatial behaviour of animals is used to model cognitive human abilities such as declarative learning and memory. Cognitive deficits accompany a number of neuropsychiatric disorders and their treatment is most problematic. Schizophreniais one of these disorders. Behavioral, neurochamical, and molecular evidence point to a critical role of the NMDA glutamatergic receptors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Disruption of their function results in behavioral and physiological changes including dysregulation of the depaminergic neurotransmission. This fact is used to model schizophrenia-related symptoms by systemic administration of NMDA receptor antagonists. Models combining administration of these drugs with behavioral tests aimed at specific cognitive deficits are of particular interest. This thesis use existing evidence to show that the Carousel Maze is such a behavioral test, which uses dynamic spatial learning to test the ability to coordinate discordant information and specific use of the relevant cues.
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Cognition test for testing object permanence in birds and primates
Marhounová, Lucie ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Veselý, Petr (referee)
Object permanence is a cognitive ability to mentally represent the existence and the movement of hidden objects. This phenomenon is being developed since birth in six different stages following the development of the sensorimotor intelligence. Not only the humans but also the other animals possess a certain notion of hidden objects and acquire various degrees of this ability depending on their life strategies. This thesis summarizes the research conducted up to the present in the field of the object permanence within the infant developmental psychology, but particularly in the animal world with the emphasis on the taxa where this ability has been most researched, that is in primates and birds. This thesis also recapitulates the types of the cognitive tasks used in the object permanence research and compares the methods of experiments applied to the humans, the primates and the birds. Part of this thesis also involves a phylogenetic reconstruction estimate of the ancestral character status in terms of the object permanence and testing the progress dependance of such character in relation to the selected ecological factors in primates.
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Episodic like memory in nonhuman animals
Gálik, Michal ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Vlček, Kamil (referee)
Episodic memory refers to an ability that allows a person to mentally re-enact past events from his own life. This capacity was long considered to be uniquely human. The best evidence of this ability in humans is subjective consciousness, which accompanies episodic recollection. For this reason, it is particularly difficult to study such cognitive ability in other animal species. However, there is some indirect evidence showing that animals could possess the ability of episodic memory to some degree. This bachelor thesis summarizes recent knowledge about episodic memory, provides an overview of specific studies in different animal taxons and compares the methodologies used by various authors to demonstrate episodic memory in animals. It focuses mainly on birds, rodents and primates. KEYWORDS : Episodic memory, Episodic-like memory, Hippocampus, Cognitive ability, Animal model
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Antipredatory reaction of leopard gecko Eublepharis macularius to snake predators
Musilová, Veronika ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Veselý, Petr (referee)
4 ABSTRACT If there is an innate, specific idea of the natural animal predator, antipredatory reactions should occur even the subjects are kept in captivity for several generations. An ideal subject for this type of research is the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), an animal which is kept in captivity for several generations (there are also several wild subjects in our laboratory). Its primary enemy in rural Pakistan is the snake. The goal of this thesis was to explore the leopard gecko's antipredatory behaviour, to the snake predators combining sympatric and alopatric behaviour, to other ecological factors. The predators are: Spalerosophis diadema (sympatric, reptile-vorous), Elaphe q. quatuorlineata (allopatric, prefers warm-blooded chordates, but also reptile- vorous), Hemorrhois hippocrepis (allopatric, lizards are its main prey), Lampropeltis getula californiae (alopatric, reptile-vorous), Eryx johnii (sympatric, eats young rodents and reptile), Gongylophis colubrinus (allopatric, eats young rodents and reptile) and Malpolon monspessulanus (allopatric, is moderately dangerous for leopard geckos). As an control was chosen Pseudopus apodus (native to Iran, eats invertebrates, small rodents and reptile). Sampling tests were performed with these leopard geckos. It was observed if the subject prefers...
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Cognitive functions of birds based on abstract visual stimuli
Štorchová, Zuzana ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Němec, Pavel (referee)
Spatial orientation of pigeons on a small scale was intensivelly studied in experiments using various types of arenas or mazes. In these experiments pigeons usually searched for food hidden in the goal area and they based their orientation on available landmarks. The development of new technologies allowed to test spatial cognition of pigeons also in virtual tasks, based exclusively on a schematic representation of an arena or maze on a touch screen. In experiments of this type pigeon marks the goal by pecking and it is rewarded by food from a feeder, located near the monitor. Study presented in this diploma thesis was based on combination of both types of spatial tasks. The information crucial for locating the goal was presented to pigeons on a computer screen in form of graphic stimuli, whereas the goal itself was formed by one of the 4 holes in corners of a transparent rectangular desk, standing in front of the monitor. Experiment with similar design was not yet published in the study of spatial cognition of pigeons. Two types of abstract graphic stimuli were tested. The first stimuli provided a spatial information about the location of a goal and had a form of small rectangular frame with a white spot in one of its corners. The frame represented the space of the response desk and the white spot...
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Success of reintroduction programmes and behavioural changes in captive animals
Konečná, Ludmila ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Frouz, Jan (referee)
The aims of this study are to: 1) review the data available in scientific literature about reintroduction programmes in vertebrates (reptiles, birds and mammals). The success of founder population reintroduction into the nature was assessed by its population size, survival rate and other life history traits. The breeding in captivity vs. using wild-caught animals for reintroduction and breeding conditions (longevity of captivity) was checked. Breeding in enclosure versus semi-captive conditions was also checked. 2) mainly, assess behavioural and morphological changes of populations in relation with captive breeding in relation to success of reintroduction. Map the geographic distribution of reintroduction programmes of particular higher taxa and evaluate the IUCN species status of animals used for conservation programmes.
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Long-term functional consequences of early clonazepam exposure in immature rats
Šubrt, Martin ; Kubová, Hana (advisor) ; Landová, Eva (referee)
Benzodiazepines (BZs) are widely prescribed because of broad spectrum of therapeutic effects. Under specific conditions they can be used during the pregnancy and early postnatally in humans. However, clinical studies suggest their possible behavioral teratogenicity even though it is difficult to separate consequences of early BZs exposure from underlying pathologies in clinical practice. Therefore experimental studies can help us to determine risks of early BZs treatment for later development. Present study was designed to assess functional consequences of early exposure to clonazepam (CZP). Immature rats were exposed to therapeutically relevant doses of CZP (0.1 - 1 mg/kg/day). CZP was administered for five consecutive day starting at postnatal (P) day 7. Behavioral tests started 24 hours after the last CZP injection (i.e. at P12) and continued up to the age of 4 months. Battery of behavioral tests evaluating cognitive functions, motivation and emotionality was used in this study. Present data show that early CZP exposure does not affect memory and learning abilities, but it leads to the increase of locomotor activity, decreased motivation and impairment of long term habituation. None of these effects was clearly dose-dependent. Importantly, early CZP-exposure changed social behavior (social interactions...
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