Synonyms
Exploratory behavior; Locomotor activity; Repetitious behavior; Repetitive behavior; Spontaneous activity
Definition
Motor activity generally refers to a laboratory animal’s horizontal movements within an enclosure that permits the use of a variety of methods for quantifying such movements. The term is rarely used in the context of laboratory animals exercising in running wheels or on treadmills.
Stereotypyrefers to abnormally repetitive behavior that reflects dysfunction of the nervous system induced by drugs (especially those that elevate brain dopamine levels), brain lesions, genetic mutations, or environmental circumstances (e.g., wild animals in captivity). Depending on the context in which the term is used, stereotypy or stereotyped behavior may include specific features of locomotor activity (e.g., moving predominantly in the same direction along the inside perimeter of an enclosure) or may be restricted to repetitive behaviors that primarily occur in the absence of...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Carey RJ, DePalma G, Damianopoulos E (2003) Cocaine-conditioned behavioral effects: a role for habituation processes. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 74:701–712.
Fowler SC, Birkestrand BR, Chen R, Moss SJ, Vorontsova E, Wang G, Zarcone TJ (2001) A force-plate actometer for quantitating rodent behaviors: illustrative data on locomotion, rotation, spatial patterning, stereotypies and tremor. J Neurosci Methods 107:107–124.
Fowler SC, Pinkston JW, Vorontsova E (2007a) Clozapine and prazosin slow the rhythm of head movements during focused stereotypy induced by d-amphetamine in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 192:219–230.
Fowler SC, Covington HE, Miczek K (2007b) Stereotyped and complex motor routines expressed during cocaine self-administration: results from a twenty-four hour binge of unlimited cocaine access in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 192:465–478.
Gentry WB, Ghafoor AU, Wessinger WD, Laurenzana EM, Hendrickson HP, Owens SM (2004) (+)-Methamphetamine-induced spontaneous behavior in rats depends on route of (+)METH administration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 79:751–760.
Piazza PV, Deminière JM, Le Moal M, Simon H (1989) Factors that predict individual vulnerability to amphetamine self-administration. Science 245:1511–1513.
Robbins TW, Mittleman G, O’Brien J, Winn P (1990) The neuropsychological significance of stereotypy induced by stimulant drugs. In: Cooper SJ, Dourish CT (eds) Neurobiology of stereotyped behaviour. Clarendon, Oxford, pp 25–63.
Schiorring E (1971) Amphetamine induced selective stimulation of certain behaviour items with concurrent inhibition of others in an open-field test with rats. Behaviour 39:1–17.
Teitelbaum P, Pellis SM, DeVietti TL (1990) Disintegration into stereotypy induced by drugs or brain damage: a microdescriptive behavioural analysis. In: Cooper SJ, Dourish CT (eds) Neurobiology of stereotyped behaviour. Clarendon, Oxford, pp 169–199.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by MH043429 and HD002528.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Fowler, S.C. (2015). Motor Activity and Stereotypy. In: Stolerman, I.P., Price, L.H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_279
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_279
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-36171-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36172-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences