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Chasles M, Fleurot R, Giacobini P, Tillet Y. Prenatal Androgen Exposure Induces Anxiety-Like Behavior in Ewes. Neuroendocrinology 2024; 114:721-732. [PMID: 38697024 DOI: 10.1159/000539111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In humans, prenatal androgen excess can lead to a broad spectrum of pathologies in adulthood, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS present a variety of reproductive and metabolic disturbances and they also face increased risk to develop neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Despite the high prevalence, the cause of depressive and anxiety symptoms is not fully elucidated. The use of androgenized ewe models can provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of PCOS, as they closely mimic the reproductive, neuroendocrine, and metabolic characteristics observed in women with this condition. METHOD We studied the impact of prenatal exposure to testosterone propionate on cognitive and behavioral performances of Ile-de-France ewes, using a plethora of behavioral tests for anxiety and cognitive performances. RESULTS Our findings indicate that prenatal androgenized ewes exhibit markedly elevated levels of anxiety-like behavior compared to control animals, while showing no discernible differences in cognitive performance. CONCLUSION These discoveries offer novel perspectives on how maternal androgen excess contributes to anxiogenic effects in PCOS preclinical models, underscoring the ewe's significance as a model for conducting mechanistic studies to unravel the physiological and molecular aspects of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Chasles
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Inserm UMR-S1172, University Lille, Lille, France
| | - Renaud Fleurot
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Inserm UMR-S1172, University Lille, Lille, France
| | - Yves Tillet
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
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Katsarou EI, Reid N, Lianou DT, Fthenakis GC. Stress related to wild canid predators near dairy sheep farms associated with increased somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3252. [PMID: 38331991 PMCID: PMC10853181 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53887-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated the association between wild canid predators reported near sheep farms throughout Greece and somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk as a reflection of milk quality. The study included 325 dairy sheep flocks, where bulk-tank milk somatic cell counts and total bacterial counts were measured and staphylococci were isolated. Farms were divided into three groups: Cohort A (farms with no reports of wild canid predators nearby), B (farms with canid predators (golden jackal and grey wolf) nearby yet with no experience of livestock losses to predation) and C (farms with canid predators nearby and livestock losses to predation). Somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk of Cohort C farms were significantly higher, + 43% and + 29%, compared to those for Cohorts A and B, respectively: 0.617 × 106 cells mL-1 versus 0.433 × 106 or 0.477 × 106 cells mL-1, respectively. The presence of wild canid predators near sheep farms was associated with lower quality milk potentially indicative of stress consistent with the potential effects of a landscape of fear. Increasing biosecurity measures at livestock farms, e.g., fencing, and presence of livestock guard dogs could minimise predation risk, whilst also improving livestock welfare by reducing predator-associated stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni I Katsarou
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, 43100, Karditsa, Greece
| | - Neil Reid
- Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Daphne T Lianou
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, 43100, Karditsa, Greece
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3
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Astruc T, Terlouw EMC. Towards the use of on-farm slaughterhouse. Meat Sci 2023; 205:109313. [PMID: 37611461 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Slaughter on the farm can address the concerns of farmers by meeting the needs of short distribution channels while better preserving animal welfare and meat quality. It can support conventional slaughter, by compensating for the significant decrease in the number of slaughterhouses in recent decades. The review describes first the different stages of slaughter and their possible impacts on animals' stress, welfare and consequences on their meat quality. The second part takes stock of recent thinking on the subject of slaughter and the regulation and technological advances that have led to the development of mobile slaughter units. A non-exhaustive list of mobile slaughter units currently in use in different countries is presented. Although these units can only absorb a small percentage of the total amounts of animals slaughtered, they are a welcome alternative to current slaughter practices for certain types of production and distribution, provided that the animal welfare and all aspects of meat quality are garanteed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E M Claudia Terlouw
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, F-63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
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4
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Strang C, Muth F. Judgement bias may be explained by shifts in stimulus response curves. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221322. [PMID: 37035286 PMCID: PMC10073905 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Judgement bias, or 'optimism' and 'pessimism', has been demonstrated across many taxa, yet the cognitive mechanisms underlying this behaviour remain unclear. In an optimism paradigm, animals are trained to an association, and, if given a positive experience, behave more favourably towards 'ambiguous' stimuli. We tested whether this effect could be explained by changes to stimulus response gradients by giving bees a task where their response was tested across a wider gradient of stimuli than typically tested. In line with previous work, we found that bees given a positive experience demonstrated judgement bias, being more likely to visit ambiguous stimuli. However, bees were also less likely to visit a stimulus on the other side of the rewarded stimulus (S+), and as such had a shifted stimulus response curve, showing a diminished peak shift response. In two follow-up experiments we tested the hypothesis that our manipulation altered bees' stimulus response curves via changes to the peak shift response by reducing peak shift in controls. We found that, in support of our hypothesis, elimination of peak shift also eliminated differences between treatments. Our results point towards a cognitive explanation of 'optimistic' behaviour in non-human animals and offer a new paradigm for considering emotion-like states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Strang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- School of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Brescia University College, London, Ontario, Canada N6G 1H2
| | - Felicity Muth
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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5
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Iyasere OS, Durosaro SO, Oyeniran VJ, Daramola JO. Is an increase of glucocorticoid concentrations related to the degree of arousal or valence experienced by an animal to a stimulus? Domest Anim Endocrinol 2022; 81:106752. [PMID: 35868218 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2022.106752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal welfare is the quality of life as perceived by the animal itself. It is also the state of an animal in its attempt to cope with its environment. Animal welfare has high ethics and economic importance. Thus the need to develop parameters for assessing animal welfare. An acute increase in glucocorticoid (GC) concentration is necessary for adaptation to a stressful situation. Glucocorticoids also play a significant role in metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Glucocorticoid enhances effective learning through the hippocampus and other normal body functions. That is why we remember events (either positive or negative) associated with strong emotions. Long-term secretion of GCs has catabolic effects. Thus, affecting animal health. Measuring GC is one of the ways of assessing animal welfare. But, high GC concentration does not only indicate pain or suffering. We report that stress and emotion trigger similar physiological responses. So, measuring GC levels cannot differentiate between positive and negative states. We conclude that GC shows circadian rhythms and episodic spikes in some species. Values from a single sample point are not reliable to make conclusions about a condition. Training animals for blood collection may reduce stress. Thus not causing bias in the GC concentration measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Iyasere
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria.
| | - S O Durosaro
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - V J Oyeniran
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria
| | - J O Daramola
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria
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Pre-Partum Supplementation with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Colostrum Characteristics and Lamb Immunity and Behavior after a Mild Post-Weaning Aversive Handling Period. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141780. [PMID: 35883327 PMCID: PMC9311828 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the effect of pre-natal supplementation with n-3 α-linolenic acid (ALA) combined with a tannin-rich forage on colostrum composition and immunological quality and whether these changes had advantageous effects on lambs’ survival and stress reaction to a post-weaning stressor. Forty-eight Latxa ewes were fed during the last five weeks of pregnancy with two experimental diets: a control diet based on a neutral concentrate and forage (tall fescue hay; CO-FES), and a supplemented diet based on polyunsaturated (PUFA)-rich concentrate and tanniferous forage (sainfoin; ALA-SAIN). After parturition, twenty ewes had their blood and colostrum sampled, and their lambs were monitored until post-weaning. Lambs were afterwards subjected to (i) an aversive handling period (AHP) followed by a behavioral assessment and (ii) inflammatory and lymphocyte proliferation challenge. Feeding ALA-SAIN resulted in changes in colostrum fatty acid composition, specifically higher α-linoleic acid (p < 0.001), conjugate linoleic acid (p = 0.005), vaccenic acid (p = 0.006) and long-chain n-3 PUFA (p = 0.004). Pre-partum nutrition did not affect lamb immunoglobulin (Ig) G apparent efficacy absorption, but circulating IgG tended to be higher (p = 0.054) in ALA-SAIN lambs. ALA-SAIN lambs interacted more frequently with other lambs (p = 0.002), whereas ALA-SAIN females spent more time closer to other lambs (p < 0.001). Plasma cortisol was higher (p = 0.047) and plasma interleukin (IL)-2 lower (p = 0.003) in CO-FES lambs. This research highlights the importance of prenatal nutrition on the immune system stimulation and lambs’ behavior as a strategy to improve lambs’ health and welfare during early life.
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Kremer L, van Reenen CG, Engel B, Bokkers EAM, Schnabel SK, van der Werf JTN, Webb LE. Developing a feasible and sensitive judgement bias task in dairy cows. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:425-445. [PMID: 34633570 PMCID: PMC8940804 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01563-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Judgement bias tasks (JBTs) are used to assess the influence of farm practices on livestock affective states. The tasks must be adjusted to the species and age group of focus. In cattle, most JBTs were designed for calves instead of adult cows. This study aimed to develop a JBT suitable for adult dairy cows, combining feasibility, validity, sensitivity and repeatability. Three JBTs were developed in which cows were trained to reach or avoid reaching a feeder, the location of which signalled a reward or punisher. The tasks differed in terms of punisher-cows being allocated either to "no-reward", an air puff or an electric shock. Cows were then exposed twice to three ambiguous positions of the feeder, on two separate occasions. Speed of learning and proportions of correct responses to the conditioned locations were used to assess the feasibility of the task. Adjusted latencies to reach the ambiguous feeder positions were used to examine whether response patterns matched the linear and monotonic graded pattern expected in a valid and sensitive JBT at baseline. Latencies to reach the feeders in the two repeated testing sessions were compared to assess ambiguity loss over tasks' repetitions. The validity of using spatial JBTs for dairy cows was demonstrated. While the effect on JBT feasibility was nuanced, the punisher did influence JBT sensitivity. None of the JBTs' repeatability could be supported. We conclude that using an air puf as punisher led to the most sensitive, yet non-repeatable, JBT for dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Kremer
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Cornelis G van Reenen
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Engel
- Biometris, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddie A M Bokkers
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine K Schnabel
- Biometris, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jozef T N van der Werf
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E Webb
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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8
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Nelis JLD, Bose U, Broadbent JA, Hughes J, Sikes A, Anderson A, Caron K, Schmoelzl S, Colgrave ML. Biomarkers and biosensors for the diagnosis of noncompliant pH, dark cutting beef predisposition, and welfare in cattle. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:2391-2432. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Utpal Bose
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food St Lucia Australia
| | | | | | - Anita Sikes
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food Coopers Plains Australia
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9
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Lecorps B, Weary DM, von Keyserlingk MAG. Negative expectations and vulnerability to stressors in animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:240-251. [PMID: 34454913 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Humans express stable differences in pessimism that render some individuals more vulnerable to stressors and mood disorders. We explored whether non-human animals express stable individual differences in expectations (assessed via judgment bias tests) and whether these differences relate to susceptibility to stressors. Judgment bias tests do not distinguish pessimism from sensitivity to reinforcers; negative expectations are likely driven by a combination of these two elements. The available evidence suggests that animals express stable individual differences in expectations such that some persistently perceive ambiguous situations in a more negative way. A lack of research prevents drawing firm conclusions on how negative expectations affect responses to stressors, but current evidence suggests a link between negative expectations and the adoption of avoidance coping strategies, stronger responses to uncontrollable stressors and risk of mood-related disorders. We explore implications for animals living in captivity and for research using animals as models for human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lecorps
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada.
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10
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Iyasere OS, Oyetunji DE, Wheto M, Durosaro SO, Adigun TT, Muraina HA, Akinyemi OO, Daramola JO. Effect of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of chickens in a feed-related discriminant task. J Therm Biol 2021; 98:102914. [PMID: 34016341 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about immediate and long-lasting effect of acute heat stress on chicken cognition. Thirty-five, 9-week-old birds were trained to differentiate two cone colours; white (rewarded, R; with feed underneath) and black (unrewarded, UR; empty). The sixteen birds that learnt the task were randomly assigned to three temperature regimens (TR: 22-24 °C (control), 30-32 and 36-38 °C for 3h/day) for three consecutive days during which rectal (RT), wing (WT) and eye (ET) temperatures were monitored. After the 3 h of exposure, birds were allowed to rest for 1 h before the commencement of the discriminant task. The latencies to open the cones (R and UR) and proportion of cones opened were recorded. A long-lasting effect was tested a week after exposure to TR. TR had a significant effect on RT, WT and ET. The motivation to turn over R cones was weaker in birds exposed to 36-38 °C than birds exposed to 22-24 °C. Also, the proportion of R cones opened were fewer in birds that experienced TR of 36-38 °C compared to birds exposed to 22-24 °C and 30-32 °C specifically on two out of the three cognitive test days (Days 1 and 3). Latency and proportion of UR cones opened was not affected by TR. RT, WT and ET were all negatively and significantly correlated with latency to open the UR cones. Previous exposure of birds to three TR had no effect on the latency to open both cones but the proportion of R cones opened was greater in birds exposed to 30-32 °C compared to the 22-24 °C birds. In conclusion, an immediate (36-38 °C) and long-lasting effect (30-32 °C) of acute heat stress was associated with a weak motivation to perform feed related discrimination task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun S Iyasere
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
| | - Damilola E Oyetunji
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Mathew Wheto
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Samuel O Durosaro
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Taiwo T Adigun
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Habeeb A Muraina
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Olaoluwa O Akinyemi
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - James O Daramola
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
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Analysis of Hindgut Microbiome of Sheep and Effect of Different Husbandry Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2020; 11:ani11010004. [PMID: 33375098 PMCID: PMC7822195 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiome is now seen as an important resource to understand animal health and welfare in many species. However, there are few studies aiming at identifying the association between fecal microbiome composition and husbandry conditions in sheep. A wide range of stressors associated with management and housing of animals increases the hypothalamic–pituitary axis activity, with growing evidence that the microbiome composition can be modified. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to describe the core microbiome in sheep, characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and to explore whether exposure to stressful husbandry conditions changed sheep hindgut microbiome composition. Sheep (n = 10) were divided in two groups: isolated group (individually separated for 3 h/day) and control group (housed in the home pen for the entire trial period). Sheep core microbiome was dominated by Firmicutes (43.6%), Bacteroidetes (30.38%), Proteobacteria (10.14%), and Verrucomicrobia (7.55%). Comparative results revealed few operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with significantly different relative abundance between groups. Chao1, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Fisher’s alpha indices did not show differences between groups. OTU-based Bray–Curtis distances between groups were not significant (p-value = 0.07). In conclusion, these results describing the core microbiome of sheep do not suggest a strong effect of stressful husbandry conditions on microbial composition.
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Lecorps B, Nogues E, von Keyserlingk MAG, Weary DM. Pessimistic dairy calves are more vulnerable to pain-induced anhedonia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242100. [PMID: 33206707 PMCID: PMC7673544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain induces deficits in appreciation of rewards (i.e. anhedonia) and variation in response to pain may be partly explained by individual differences in general expectations (i.e. optimism). Dairy calves are routinely subjected to painful procedures such as hot-iron disbudding. We tested if female Holstein calves (n = 17) display signs of anhedonia (as evidenced by reduced consumption of a sweet solution) after hot-iron disbudding (performed under general and local anesthesia), and whether individual differences in optimism explain the variation in this response. Individual variation in optimism was measured using responses to two judgment bias tests (performed when calves were 25 d old), and anhedonia was measured by comparing consumption of a sweet solution before and after hot-iron disbudding. We found that intake of the sweet solution declined (by mean ± SD: 48.4 ± 44.3%) on the day after disbudding, and that more pessimistic calves were more affected. Sweet solution consumption did not return to baseline for the duration of the study (i.e. 5 days). Calves reduced their intake of a sweet solution after hot-iron disbudding, consistent with pain-induced anhedonia, and more pessimistic calves showed stronger evidence of anhedonia, suggesting that they were more affected by the procedure. However, our results cannot rule out the possibility that calf responses were driven by anorexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lecorps
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emeline Nogues
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel M. Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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13
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Whittaker AL, Barker TH. A consideration of the role of biology and test design as confounding factors in judgement bias tests. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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14
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Lagisz M, Zidar J, Nakagawa S, Neville V, Sorato E, Paul ES, Bateson M, Mendl M, Løvlie H. Optimism, pessimism and judgement bias in animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:3-17. [PMID: 32682742 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Just as happy people see the proverbial glass as half-full, 'optimistic' or 'pessimistic' responses to ambiguity might also reflect affective states in animals. Judgement bias tests, designed to measure these responses, are an increasingly popular way of assessing animal affect and there is now a substantial, but heterogeneous, literature on their use across different species, affect manipulations, and study designs. By conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of 459 effect sizes from 71 studies of non-pharmacological affect manipulations on 22 non-human species, we show that animals in relatively better conditions, assumed to generate more positive affect, show more 'optimistic' judgements of ambiguity than those in relatively worse conditions. Overall effects are small when considering responses to all cues, but become more pronounced when non-ambiguous training cues are excluded from analyses or when focusing only on the most divergent responses between treatment groups. Task type (go/no-go; go/go active choice), training cue reinforcement (reward-punishment; reward-null; reward-reward) and sex of animals emerge as potential moderators of effect sizes in judgement bias tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Josefina Zidar
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
| | - Vikki Neville
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Sorato
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth S Paul
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Mendl
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
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Marini D, Cowley F, Belson S, Lee C. The importance of an audio cue warning in training sheep to a virtual fence and differences in learning when tested individually or in small groups. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Ede T, Lecorps B, von Keyserlingk MAG, Weary DM. Symposium review: Scientific assessment of affective states in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:10677-10694. [PMID: 31477285 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Affective states, which refer to feelings or emotions, are a key component of animal welfare, but these are also difficult to assess. Drawing upon a body of theoretical and applied work, we critically review the scientific literature on the assessment of affective states in animals, drawing examples where possible from research on dairy cattle, and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of scientific methods used to assess affective states in animals. We adopt the "valence/arousal" framework, describing affect as a 2-dimensional space (with valence referring to whether an experience is positive or negative, and arousal referring to the intensity of the experience). We conclude that spontaneous physiological and behavioral responses typically reflect arousal, whereas learned responses can be valuable when investigating valence. We also conclude that the assessment of affective states can be furthered using mood assessments and that the use of drug treatments with known emotional effects in humans can be helpful in the assessment of specific affective states in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ede
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z6
| | - Benjamin Lecorps
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z6
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z6
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z6.
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17
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Pharmacologically-induced stress has minimal impact on judgement and attention biases in sheep. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11446. [PMID: 31391491 PMCID: PMC6686049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47691-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The emotional impact of exposure to stressors has not been well quantified in animals. We hypothesised that exogenous induction of stress in sheep would induce a pessimistic judgement bias and increased attention towards a threatening stimulus, suggestive of a negative emotional state. Stress was induced pharmacologically by administering synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone. Judgement bias was assessed using a spatial go/no-go task after exposure to acute stress (one injection), chronic stress (21 daily injections) and acute-on-chronic stress (2 min isolation after 28 daily injections). Attention bias was assessed during chronic stress only (22 daily injections). In contrast with our hypotheses, there was no strong evidence that Synacthen administration altered judgement bias or attention bias at any stage of the experiment. Stressed sheep were more likely to approach ambiguous locations than saline Control animals, however, statistical evidence for models fitting treatment group was very weak. Overall, our findings suggest that elevated levels of cortisol may not fully explain changes to judgement bias observed in previous studies after environmentally-induced stress. Further studies are required to better understand which aspects of environmentally-induced stress alter judgement bias and to further validate cognitive methods of assessing affect in sheep.
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18
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Sorato E, Zidar J, Garnham L, Wilson A, Løvlie H. Heritabilities and co-variation among cognitive traits in red junglefowl. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0285. [PMID: 30104430 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection can act on between-individual variation in cognitive abilities, yet evolutionary responses depend on the presence of underlying genetic variation. It is, therefore, crucial to determine the relative extent of genetic versus environmental control of these among-individual differences in cognitive traits to understand their causes and evolutionary potential. We investigated heritability of associative learning performance and of a cognitive judgement bias (optimism), as well as their covariation, in a captive pedigree-bred population of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus, n > 300 chicks over 5 years). We analysed performance in discriminative and reversal learning (two facets of associative learning), and cognitive judgement bias, by conducting animal models to disentangle genetic from environmental contributions. We demonstrate moderate heritability for reversal learning, and weak to no heritability for optimism and discriminative learning, respectively. The two facets of associative learning were weakly negatively correlated, consistent with hypothesized trade-offs underpinning individual cognitive styles. Reversal, but not discriminative learning performance, was associated with judgement bias; less optimistic individuals reversed a previously learnt association faster. Together these results indicate that genetic and environmental contributions differ among traits. While modular models of cognitive abilities predict a lack of common genetic control for different cognitive traits, further investigation is required to fully ascertain the degree of covariation between a broader range of cognitive traits and the extent of any shared genetic control.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Sorato
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Josefina Zidar
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Laura Garnham
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Alastair Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
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19
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Raoult CMC, Gygax L. Mood induction alters attention toward negative-positive stimulus pairs in sheep. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7759. [PMID: 31123314 PMCID: PMC6533262 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44330-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood is a lasting affective state that influences motivation and decision-making by pre-shaping a subject’s expectations (pessimism/optimism). Mood states affect biases in judgment, memory, and attention. Due to a lack of verbal report, assessing mood in non-human animals is challenging and is often compromised by intense training sessions. Measuring mood using attentional biases can circumvent this problem, as it takes advantage of observing a spontaneous reaction. As in humans, we expected that negative mood will heighten attention toward negative compared to positive stimuli. Here, we validate measures of attention toward acoustic stimuli in sheep (N = 64) and assess sheep’s differential attention toward acoustic stimuli before and after mood induction (N = 32). Mood was induced by manipulating the environment. We used animal vocalizations (dog barking and sheep bleating as negative and positive stimuli, respectively) varying in intensity and played simultaneously from one side each, and measured lateral attention based on the sheep’s behavior. Overall results were somewhat ambiguous. Yet, negative mood sheep seemed to shift their attention more toward dog vocalizations when the stimulus pair was well balanced at baseline. Though some adaptations are still needed, our approach could be a promising alternative to measure animals’ mood without prior training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille M C Raoult
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Tänikon 1, CH-8356, Ettenhausen, Switzerland.,Animal Welfare Division, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Gygax
- Animal Husbandry & Ethology, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
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20
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21
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Chronic stress influences attentional and judgement bias and the activity of the HPA axis in sheep. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211363. [PMID: 30699168 PMCID: PMC6353200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Environmental challenges are part of everyday life for most domestic animals. However, very little is known about how animals cope emotionally and physiologically with cumulative challenges. This experiment aimed to determine the impact of long-term exposure to environmental challenges on the affective state and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to a subsequent additional acute shearing challenge. METHODS Sheep were exposed to either a long-term environmental challenge (rest disruption and individual housing) in order to induce chronic stress (chronic stress group) or control conditions (group housing in a field with low stress handling and daily feed rewards, control group). Judgement and attention bias were assessed as measures of the emotional state following several days of the challenge or control treatment (pre-shearing tests). In addition, the responsiveness of the HPA-axis was evaluated using a combined Corticotropin Releasing Hormone and Arginine Vasopressin (CRH/AVP) challenge. Finally, all animals were exposed to an acute shearing challenge, then judgement bias (post-shearing test), HPA-axis and internal body temperature responses were determined. RESULTS In the pre-shearing judgement bias test, the chronic stress group slightly increased optimism compared to the control treatment. In the attention bias test, the chronic stress group showed reduced vigilance behaviour towards a predator threat and a quicker approach to the food compared to the control treatment. The chronic stress group also had lower plasma ACTH concentrations in response to the CRH/AVP challenge compared to the control group, no differences in cortisol concentrations were found. In the post-shearing judgement bias test, differences in optimism were no longer evident between the chronic stress and control groups. Plasma ACTH concentrations and body temperatures showed a greater increase in response to shearing in the chronic stress group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that long-term exposure to challenges biased cognitive measures of the affective state towards an increased expectation of a reward and reduced attention towards a threat. The exaggerated ACTH responses in the chronic stress group may be indicative of HPA-axis dysregulation. Despite a period of challenge exposure in the chronic stress group, judgement bias responses to the shearing challenge were similar in the chronic stress and control groups; the reasons for this need further investigation. The altered affective state together with signs of HPA-axis dysregulation may indicate an increased risk of compromised welfare in animals exposed to long-term environmental challenges.
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Stomp M, Leroux M, Cellier M, Henry S, Lemasson A, Hausberger M. An unexpected acoustic indicator of positive emotions in horses. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197898. [PMID: 29995876 PMCID: PMC6040684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Indicators of positive emotions are still scarce and many proposed behavioural markers have proven ambiguous. Studies established a link between acoustic signals and emitter’s internal state, but few related to positive emotions and still fewer considered non-vocal sounds. One of them, the snort, is shared by several perrisodactyls and has been associated to positive contexts in these species. We hypothesized that this could be also the case in horses. In this species, there is a clear need for a thorough description of non-vocal acoustic signals (snorts, snores or blows are often used interchangeably) but overall this sound produced by nostrils during expiration has up to now been mostly considered as having a hygienic function. However, observations revealed that snorts were produced more in some individuals than in others, without relationship with air conditions. We observed 48 horses living in two “extreme” conditions: restricted conditions (single stall, low roughage diet) and naturalistic conditions (stable groups in pasture). The immediate place (e.g. stall/pasture) and the behavioural/postural (behaviour performed/ears positions) contexts of snort production were observed. We additionally performed an evaluation of the welfare state, using validated behavioural (e.g. stereotypies) and postural (e.g. overall ears positions) welfare indicators. The results show that 1) snort production was significantly associated with situations known to be positive for horses (e.g. feeding in pasture) and with a positive internal state (ears in forward or sidewards positions), 2) the riding school horses produced twice as many snorts when in pasture than in stall, 3) the naturalistic population emitted significantly more snorts than riding school ones in comparable contexts, 4) the frequency of snorts was negatively correlated with the composite total chronic stress score (TCSS, reflecting compromised welfare based on the horse’s rank on the different indicators): the lower the TCSS, the higher the snort rate. Snorts therefore appear as reliable indicators of positive emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Stomp
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6552 CNRS Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique de Paimpont, Paimpont, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Maël Leroux
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6552 CNRS Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique de Paimpont, Paimpont, France
| | - Marjorie Cellier
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6552 CNRS Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique de Paimpont, Paimpont, France
| | - Séverine Henry
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6552 CNRS Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique de Paimpont, Paimpont, France
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6552 CNRS Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique de Paimpont, Paimpont, France
| | - Martine Hausberger
- CNRS, UMR 6552 Ethologie animale et humaine, Université de Rennes 1, Université de Caen-Normandie, Rennes, France
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23
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Environmental complexity buffers against stress-induced negative judgement bias in female chickens. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5404. [PMID: 29599444 PMCID: PMC5876351 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23545-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive processes are often biased by emotions. In humans, affective disorders are accompanied by pessimistic judgement, while optimistic judgement is linked to emotional stability. Similar to humans, animals tend to interpret ambiguous stimuli negatively after experiencing stressful events, although the long-lasting impact on judgement bias has rarely been investigated. We measure judgement bias in female chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) after exposure to cold stress, and before and after exposure to additional unpredictable stressors. Additionally, we explore if brain monoamines can explain differences in judgement bias. Chicks exposed to cold stress did not differ in judgement bias compared to controls, but showed sensitivity to additional stressors by having higher motivation for social reinstatement. Environmental complexity reduced stress-induced negative judgement bias, by maintaining an optimistic bias in individuals housed in complex conditions even after stress exposure. Moreover, judgement bias was related to dopamine turnover rate in mesencephalon, with higher activity in individuals that had a more optimistic response. These results demonstrate that environmental complexity can buffer against negative effects of additive stress and that dopamine relates to judgement bias in chicks. These results reveal that both internal and external factors can mediate emotionally biased judgement in animals, thus showing similarities to findings in humans.
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24
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Developing an Ethically Acceptable Virtual Fencing System for Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8030033. [PMID: 29495478 PMCID: PMC5867521 DOI: 10.3390/ani8030033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Virtual fencing has the potential to be implemented in animal management systems where conventional fencing cannot be applied. Previous work has been conducted on cattle with virtual fencing technology that uses a collar that emits a warning audio when an animal approaches a GPS set boundary. If the animal continues walking towards the boundary an electric stimulus is applied. Less research has been conducted on sheep virtual fencing, so alternatives need to be explored to test the proof of concept on the application of virtual fencing with sheep. Using manually controlled training collars, 30 crossbred sheep were trained to respond to an audio cue in order to avoid receiving a low-level electrical stimulus. Abstract To ensure animal welfare isn’t compromised when using virtual fencing, animals must be able to associate a benign conditioned stimulus with an aversive stimulus. This study used an associative learning test to train 30, four-year-old, Merino x Suffolk ewes, to associate an audio cue with an electric stimulus. Collars manually controlled by a GPS hand-held unit were used to deliver the audio and electric stimuli cues. For the associative learning, when sheep approached an attractant at a distance of three m from the trough, an audio cue was applied for one s. If the sheep stopped or changed direction, the audio cue ceased immediately and no electrical stimulus was applied. If the sheep did not respond to the audio cue it was followed by a low-level electrical stimulus. Approaches to the attractant significantly decreased from day one to day two. It took a mean of three pairings of the audio cue and electrical stimulus for a change in behaviour to occur, after which sheep that approached the attractant had a 52% probability of avoiding the electrical stimulus and responding to the audio cue alone. Further research is required to determine whether sheep can be trained to associate an audio cue with a negative stimulus for use in group grazing situations.
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Abstract
Animals that experience situations likely to induce negative emotions show changes in judgment associated with pessimism. Few studies have focused on whether animals express stable differences in pessimism and whether these differences are related to personality traits. The first aim of this study was to explore if dairy calves are consistent over time in making judgments under ambiguous situations. Our second aim was to determine whether individual differences in judgment bias are related to conventional personality traits assessed using four standardized tests (Open field, Novel object, Human reactivity and Social motivation test). We subjected animals to two sessions of judgment bias and personality trait tests at 25 and 50 d of age. Individual differences in judgment bias were consistent over time with some animals persistently making more pessimistic choices compared to others. Two main dimensions of personality (Fearfulness and Sociability), obtained through principal component analysis, were also highly consistent over time. Pessimism was related to fearfulness, with more fearful calves making more pessimistic judgments. We conclude that dairy calves differ in the way they perceive and react to ambiguity and that this relates to individual differences in fearfulness.
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26
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Raoult CMC, Moser J, Gygax L. Mood As Cumulative Expectation Mismatch: A Test of Theory Based on Data from Non-verbal Cognitive Bias Tests. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2197. [PMID: 29491844 PMCID: PMC5824615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Affective states are known to influence behavior and cognitive processes. To assess mood (moderately long-term affective states), the cognitive judgment bias test was developed and has been widely used in various animal species. However, little is known about how mood changes, how mood can be experimentally manipulated, and how mood then feeds back into cognitive judgment. A recent theory argues that mood reflects the cumulative impact of differences between obtained outcomes and expectations. Here expectations refer to an established context. Situations in which an established context fails to match an outcome are then perceived as mismatches of expectation and outcome. We take advantage of the large number of studies published on non-verbal cognitive bias tests in recent years (95 studies with a total of 162 independent tests) to test whether cumulative mismatch could indeed have led to the observed mood changes. Based on a criteria list, we assessed whether mismatch had occurred with the experimental procedure used to induce mood (mood induction mismatch), or in the context of the non-verbal cognitive bias procedure (testing mismatch). For the mood induction mismatch, we scored the mismatch between the subjects’ potential expectations and the manipulations conducted for inducing mood whereas, for the testing mismatch, we scored mismatches that may have occurred during the actual testing. We then investigated whether these two types of mismatch can predict the actual outcome of the cognitive bias study. The present evaluation shows that mood induction mismatch cannot well predict the success of a cognitive bias test. On the other hand, testing mismatch can modulate or even inverse the expected outcome. We think, cognitive bias studies should more specifically aim at creating expectation mismatch while inducing mood states to test the cumulative mismatch theory more properly. Furthermore, testing mismatch should be avoided as much as possible because it can reverse the affective state of animals as measured in a cognitive judgment bias paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille M C Raoult
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland.,Animal Welfare Division, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Julia Moser
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Gygax
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
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27
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Bellegarde LGA, Erhard HW, Weiss A, Boissy A, Haskell MJ. Valence of Facial Cues Influences Sheep Learning in a Visual Discrimination Task. Front Vet Sci 2017; 4:188. [PMID: 29164143 PMCID: PMC5681486 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sheep are one of the most studied farm species in terms of their ability to process information from faces, but little is known about their face-based emotion recognition abilities. We investigated (a) whether sheep could use images of sheep faces taken in situation of varying valence as cues in a simultaneous discrimination task and (b) whether the valence of the situation affects their learning performance. To accomplish this, we photographed faces of sheep in three situations inducing emotional states of neutral (ruminating in the home pen) or negative valence (social isolation or aggressive interaction). Sheep (n = 35) first had to learn a discrimination task with colored cards. Animals that reached the learning criterion (n = 16) were then presented with pairs of images of the face of a single individual taken in the neutral situation and in one of the negative situations. Finally, sheep had to generalize what they had learned to new pairs of images of faces taken in the same situation, but of a different conspecific. All sheep that learned the discrimination task with colored cards reached the learning criterion with images of faces. Sheep that had to associate a negative image with a food reward learned faster than sheep that had to associate a neutral image with a reward. With the exception of sheep from the aggression-rewarded group, sheep generalized this discrimination to images of faces of different individuals. Our results suggest that sheep can perceive the emotional valence displayed on faces of conspecifics and that this valence affects learning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille G A Bellegarde
- Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, Scotland.,UMR Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.,School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Hans W Erhard
- UMR Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Alexander Weiss
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
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Jones S, Paul ES, Dayan P, Robinson ESJ, Mendl M. Pavlovian influences on learning differ between rats and mice in a counter-balanced Go/NoGo judgement bias task. Behav Brain Res 2017; 331:214-224. [PMID: 28549647 PMCID: PMC5480777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Judgement bias tests of animal affect and hence welfare assume that the animal's responses to ambiguous stimuli, which may herald positive or negative outcomes, are under instrumental control and reflect 'optimism' or 'pessimism' about what will happen. However, Pavlovian control favours responses (e.g. approach or withdrawal) according to the valence associated with a stimulus, rather than the anticipated response outcomes. Typically, positive contexts promote action and approach whilst negative contexts promote inhibition or withdrawal. The prevalence of Go-for-reward (Go-pos) and NoGo-to-avoid-punishment (NoGo-neg) judgement bias tasks reflects this Pavlovian influence. A Pavlovian increase or decrease in activity or vigour has also been argued to accompany positive or negative affective states, and this may interfere with instrumental Go or NoGo decisions under ambiguity based on anticipated decision outcomes. One approach to these issues is to develop counter-balanced Go-pos/NoGo-neg and Go-neg/NoGo-pos tasks. Here we implement such tasks in Sprague Dawley rats and C57BL/6J mice using food and air-puff as decision outcomes. We find striking species/strain differences with rats achieving criterion performance on the Go-pos/NoGo-neg task but failing to learn the Go-neg/NoGo-pos task, in line with predictions, whilst mice do exactly the opposite. Pavlovian predispositions may thus differ between species, for example reflecting foraging and predation ecology and/or baseline activity rates. Learning failures are restricted to cues predicting a negative outcome; use of a more powerful air-puff stimulus may thus allow implementation of a fully counter-balanced task. Rats and mice achieve criterion faster than in comparable automated tasks and also show the expected generalisation of responses across ambiguous tones. A fully counter-balanced task thus offers a potentially rapidly implemented and automated method for assessing animal welfare, identifying welfare problems and areas for welfare improvement and 3Rs Refinement, and assessing the effectiveness of refinements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Jones
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Elizabeth S Paul
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Dayan
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Mendl
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, UK.
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Le Ray S, Le Gal M, Delfour F. Does emotional state influence motor lateralization in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)? Acta Ethol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-017-0273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Roelofs S, Murphy E, Ni H, Gieling E, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Judgement bias in pigs is independent of performance in a spatial holeboard task and conditional discrimination learning. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:739-753. [PMID: 28508125 PMCID: PMC5486501 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1095-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Biases in judgement of ambiguous stimuli, as measured in a judgement bias task, have been proposed as a measure of the valence of affective states in animals. We recently suggested a list of criteria for behavioural tests of emotion, one of them stating that responses on the task used to assess emotionality should not be confounded by, among others, differences in learning capacity, i.e. must not simply reflect the cognitive capacity of an animal. We performed three independent studies in which pigs acquired a spatial holeboard task, a free choice maze which simultaneously assesses working memory and reference memory. Next, pigs learned a conditional discrimination between auditory stimuli predicting a large or small reward, a prerequisite for assessment of judgement bias. Once pigs had acquired the conditional discrimination task, optimistic responses to previously unheard ambiguous stimuli were measured in the judgement bias task as choices indicating expectation of the large reward. We found that optimism in the judgement bias task was independent of all three measures of learning and memory indicating that the performance is not dependent on the pig's cognitive abilities. These results support the use of biases in judgement as proxy indicators of emotional valence in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Roelofs
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Eimear Murphy
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Division of Animal Welfare, VPHI Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Haifang Ni
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elise Gieling
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - F Josef van der Staay
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Hintze S, Roth E, Bachmann I, Würbel H. Toward a Choice-Based Judgment Bias Task for Horses. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2017; 20:123-136. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2016.1276834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hintze
- Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Emma Roth
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Iris Bachmann
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract
Farming systems can expose animals to chronic mild stress which is known to induce negative affective state. Affective state in animals, as in humans, can be assessed through behavioral cues. This study aimed to describe the effect of a chronic mild stress, known to induce a negative affective state, on sheep health through their response to vaccination. The study used 15 lambs subjected to a model of chronic mild stress for 15 weeks and 15 lambs reared under conventional farming as a control group. After 7 weeks of stressful treatment, the lambs were individually exposed to a judgment bias test to assess a putative stress-induced 'pessimism.' After 15 weeks of stressful treatment, antibody immune response was measured after an injection of a live vaccine challenge (Chlamydia abortus attenuated vaccine strain 1B). Stressed lambs displayed a pessimistic-like perception in the judgment bias test, revealing a negative affective state. Stressed and control animals showed different immunological reactions to vaccine challenge: stressed sheep had lower hemoglobin concentrations and higher platelet, granulocyte and acute-phase protein concentrations. Antibody response induced by the vaccine strain was not different between stressed and control sheep. Our results suggest that negative affective state induced by chronic stress treatment may induce a stronger inflammatory response to vaccine challenge in sheep. Improvement of animal health may be achieved through consideration of stressors that may affect the emotional and immunological state of sheep.
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Favreau-Peigné A, Calandreau L, Constantin P, Bertin A, Arnould C, Laurence A, Richard-Yris MA, Houdelier C, Lumineau S, Boissy A, Leterrier C. Unpredictable and repeated negative stimuli increased emotional reactivity in male quail. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Kasbaoui N, Cooper J, Mills DS, Burman O. Effects of Long-Term Exposure to an Electronic Containment System on the Behaviour and Welfare of Domestic Cats. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162073. [PMID: 27602572 PMCID: PMC5014424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-roaming cats are exposed to a variety of risks, including involvement in road traffic accidents. One way of mitigating these risks is to contain cats, for example using an electronic boundary fence system that delivers an electric ‘correction’ via a collar if a cat ignores a warning cue and attempts to cross the boundary. However, concerns have been expressed over the welfare impact of such systems. Our aim was to determine if long-term exposure to an electronic containment system was associated with reduced cat welfare. We compared 46 owned domestic cats: 23 cats that had been contained by an electronic containment system for more than 12 months (AF group); and 23 cats with no containment system that were able to roam more widely (C group). We assessed the cats’ behavioural responses and welfare via four behavioural tests (unfamiliar person test; novel object test; sudden noise test; cognitive bias test) and an owner questionnaire. In the unfamiliar person test, C group lip-licked more than the AF group, whilst the AF group looked at, explored and interacted more with the unfamiliar person than C group. In the novel object test, the AF group looked at and explored the object more than C group. No significant differences were found between AF and C groups for the sudden noise or cognitive bias tests. Regarding the questionnaire, C group owners thought their cats showed more irritable behaviour and AF owners thought that their cats toileted inappropriately more often than C owners. Overall, AF cats were less neophobic than C cats and there was no evidence of significant differences between the populations in general affective state. These findings indicate that an electronic boundary fence with clear pre-warning cues does not impair the long term quality of life of cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naïma Kasbaoui
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7DL, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonathan Cooper
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7DL, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel S. Mills
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7DL, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Burman
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7DL, United Kingdom
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Roelofs S, Boleij H, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Making Decisions under Ambiguity: Judgment Bias Tasks for Assessing Emotional State in Animals. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:119. [PMID: 27375454 PMCID: PMC4899464 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Judgment bias tasks (JBTs) are considered as a family of promising tools in the assessment of emotional states of animals. JBTs provide a cognitive measure of optimism and/or pessimism by recording behavioral responses to ambiguous stimuli. For instance, a negative emotional state is expected to produce a negative or pessimistic judgment of an ambiguous stimulus, whereas a positive emotional state produces a positive or optimistic judgment of the same ambiguous stimulus. Measuring an animal's emotional state or mood is relevant in both animal welfare research and biomedical research. This is reflected in the increasing use of JBTs in both research areas. We discuss the different implementations of JBTs with animals, with a focus on their potential as an accurate measure of emotional state. JBTs have been successfully applied to a very broad range of species, using many different types of testing equipment and experimental protocols. However, further validation of this test is deemed necessary. For example, the often extensive training period required for successful judgment bias testing remains a possible factor confounding results. Also, the issue of ambiguous stimuli losing their ambiguity with repeated testing requires additional attention. Possible improvements are suggested to further develop the JBTs in both animal welfare and biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Roelofs
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Behavior and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hetty Boleij
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Laboratory Animal Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Behavior and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Franz Josef van der Staay
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Behavior and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
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Barker T, Howarth G, Whittaker A. The effects of metabolic cage housing and sex on cognitive bias expression in rats. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Bethell EJ. A “How-To” Guide for Designing Judgment Bias Studies to Assess Captive Animal Welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2015; 18 Suppl 1:S18-42. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2015.1075833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Sinclair A, Weber Wyneken C, Veldkamp T, Vinco L, Hocking P. Behavioural assessment of pain in commercial turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) with foot pad dermatitis. Br Poult Sci 2015; 56:511-21. [PMID: 26248066 PMCID: PMC4667540 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2015.1077204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the differences in susceptibility to foot pad dermatitis (FPD) of two medium-heavy lines of turkeys, and whether FPD is painful, by detailed analysis of behaviour in birds with and without analgesic treatment (betamethasone). Turkeys housed on dry litter in the first experiment generally had more frequent bouts of different behaviours that were of shorter duration than birds on wet litter. T-patterns (behavioural sequences) were more frequent, varied and complex on dry than on wet litter. Betamethasone-injected birds of line B, but not breed A, had shorter resting and longer standing durations on wet litter than saline-injected birds. In the second experiment, turkeys on wet litter given saline stood less and rested more than all other treatment groups, suggesting that they experienced pain that was alleviated in birds receiving betamethasone. Turkeys on dry litter had more frequent, varied and complex patterns of behaviour than turkeys on wet litter and birds kept on intermediate litter wetness. Betamethasone provision increased pattern variety regardless of litter treatment. Turkeys with low FPD scores transferred to wet litter and given saline injections had a longer total duration of resting and shorter duration of standing compared to betamethasone-treated birds. Low FPD birds transferred to wet litter had a similar number of patterns and total pattern occurrence as high FPD birds transferred to dry litter. Betamethasone increased pattern variety and frequency compared to saline injections whereas overall pattern complexity was similar. It was concluded that wet litter affects the behaviour of turkey poults independently of FPD and that betamethasone may also change the behaviour of turkeys. There was some evidence from analgesic treatment and T-pattern analyses that FPD was painful. However, there was no evidence of differences in susceptibility to FPD of the two commercial hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Sinclair
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - C. Weber Wyneken
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - T. Veldkamp
- Department Animal Nutrition, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - L.J. Vinco
- National Reference Centre for Animal Welfare, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - P.M. Hocking
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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Meagher RK, Daros RR, Costa JHC, von Keyserlingk MAG, Hötzel MJ, Weary DM. Effects of Degree and Timing of Social Housing on Reversal Learning and Response to Novel Objects in Dairy Calves. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132828. [PMID: 26274583 PMCID: PMC4537137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents and primates deprived of early social contact exhibit deficits in learning and behavioural flexibility. They often also exhibit apparent signs of elevated anxiety, although the relationship between these effects has not been studied. To investigate whether dairy calves are similarly affected, we first compared calves housed in standard individual pens (n = 7) to those housed in a dynamic group with access to their mothers (n = 8). All calves learned to approach the correct stimulus in a visual discrimination task. Only one individually housed calf was able to re-learn the task when the stimuli were reversed, compared to all but one calf from the group. A second experiment investigated whether this effect might be explained by anxiety in individually housed animals interfering with their learning, and tested varying degrees of social contact in addition to the complex group: pair housing beginning early (approximately 6 days old) and late (6 weeks old). Again, fewer individually reared calves learned the reversal task (2 of 10 or 20%) compared to early paired and grouped calves (16 of 21 or 76% of calves). Late paired calves had intermediate success. Individually housed calves were slower to touch novel objects, but the magnitude of the fear response did not correlate with reversal performance. We conclude that individually housed calves have learning deficits, but these deficits were not likely associated with increased anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K. Meagher
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Rolnei R. Daros
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - João H. C. Costa
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maria J. Hötzel
- Departamento de Zootecnia e Desenvolvimento Rural, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Daniel M. Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Bethell EJ, Koyama NF. Happy hamsters? Enrichment induces positive judgement bias for mildly (but not truly) ambiguous cues to reward and punishment in Mesocricetus auratus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140399. [PMID: 26587255 PMCID: PMC4632568 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in the study of animal cognition and emotion have resulted in the 'judgement bias' model of animal welfare. Judgement biases describe the way in which changes in affective state are characterized by changes in information processing. In humans, anxiety and depression are characterized by increased expectation of negative events and negative interpretation of ambiguous information. Positive wellbeing is associated with enhanced expectation of positive outcomes and more positive interpretation of ambiguous information. Mood-congruent judgement biases for ambiguous information have been demonstrated in a range of animal species, with large variation in the way tests are administered and in the robustness of analyses. We highlight and address some issues using a laboratory species not previously tested: the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). Hamsters were tested using a spatial judgement go/no-go task in enriched and unenriched housing. We included a number of controls and additional behavioural tests and applied a robust analytical approach using linear mixed effects models. Hamsters approached the ambiguous cues significantly more often when enriched than unenriched. There was no effect of enrichment on responses to the middle cue. We discuss these findings in light of mechanisms underlying processing cues to reward, punishment and true ambiguity, and the implications for the welfare of laboratory hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Bethell
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
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41
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Nogueira SSDC, Fernandes IK, Costa TSO, Nogueira-Filho SLG, Mendl M. Does Trapping Influence Decision-Making under Ambiguity in White-Lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari)? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127868. [PMID: 26061658 PMCID: PMC4464763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is an endangered species whose bold anti-predator behaviour in comparison to related species may increase its vulnerability to hunting and predation. We used a judgement bias test to investigate whether captive peccaries that had recently experienced a trapping event made more ‘pessimistic’ decisions under ambiguity. If so, this would indicate (i) that the procedure may induce a negative affective state and hence have welfare implications, and (ii) that the species is able to adopt a cautious response style despite its bold phenotype. Eight individuals were trained to ‘go’ to a baited food bowl when a positive auditory cue (whistle; CS+) was given and to ‘no-go’ when a negative cue (horn A; CS-) was sounded to avoid a loud sound and empty food bowl. An ‘ambiguous’ auditory cue (bell; CSA) was presented to probe decision-making under ambiguity. Individuals were subjected to three tests in the order: T1 (control-no trap), T2 (24h after-trap procedure), and T3 (control-no trap). In each test, each animal was exposed to 10 judgement bias trials of each of the three cue types: CS+,CS-,CSA. We recorded whether animals reached the food bowl within 60s (‘go’ response) and their response speed (m/s). The animals varied in their responses to the CSA cue depending on test type. In all tests, animals made more ‘go’ responses to CS+ than CSA. During control tests (T1 and T3), the peccaries showed higher proportions of ‘go’ responses to CSA than to CS-. In T2, however, the animals showed similar proportions of ‘go’ responses to CSA and CS-, treating the ambiguous cue similarly to the negative cue. There were differences in their response speed according to cue type: peccaries were faster to respond to CS+ than to CS- and CSA. Trapping thus appeared to cause a ‘pessimistic’ judgement bias in peccaries, which may reflect a negative affective state with implications for the welfare and management of captive individuals, and also function to increase caution and survival chances following such an event in the wild environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Michael Mendl
- University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
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42
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Coulon M, Nowak R, Andanson S, Petit B, Lévy F, Boissy A. Effects of prenatal stress and emotional reactivity of the mother on emotional and cognitive abilities in lambs. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:626-36. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Coulon
- INRA; UMR1213, Herbivores; 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle France
- Clermont Université, VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores, BP 10448; 63000 Clermont-Ferrand France
- Université de Lyon,VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores; 69280 Marcy-l'Etoile France
| | - Raymond Nowak
- INRA; UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements; 37380 Nouzilly France
- CNRS; UMR7247; 37380 Nouzilly France
- Université François Rabelais de Tours; 37041 Tours France
- Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation; 37380 Nouzilly France
| | - Stephane Andanson
- INRA; UMR1213, Herbivores; 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle France
- Clermont Université, VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores, BP 10448; 63000 Clermont-Ferrand France
- Université de Lyon,VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores; 69280 Marcy-l'Etoile France
| | - Bérengère Petit
- INRA; UMR1213, Herbivores; 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle France
- Clermont Université, VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores, BP 10448; 63000 Clermont-Ferrand France
- Université de Lyon,VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores; 69280 Marcy-l'Etoile France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- INRA; UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements; 37380 Nouzilly France
- CNRS; UMR7247; 37380 Nouzilly France
- Université François Rabelais de Tours; 37041 Tours France
- Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation; 37380 Nouzilly France
| | - Alain Boissy
- INRA; UMR1213, Herbivores; 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle France
- Clermont Université, VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores, BP 10448; 63000 Clermont-Ferrand France
- Université de Lyon,VetAgro Sup; UMR1213 Herbivores; 69280 Marcy-l'Etoile France
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43
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Gordon DJ, Rogers LJ. Cognitive bias, hand preference and welfare of common marmosets. Behav Brain Res 2015; 287:100-8. [PMID: 25813746 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) have hand preferences for grasping pieces of food and holding them while eating and these are stable throughout adult life. We report here that left-handed marmosets have negative cognitive bias compared to right-handed marmosets. Twelve marmosets were trained to expect a food reward from a bowl with a black lid and not from one with a white lid, or vice versa. In probe tests with ambiguous, grey-lidded bowls a left-handed group (N=7) were less likely to remove the lid to inspect the bowl than a right-handed group (N=5). This difference between left- and right-handed marmosets was not dependent on rate of learning, sex or age. In fact, hand-preference was not associated with rate of learning the task. Furthermore, retrospective examination of colony records of 39 marmosets revealed that more aggression was directed towards left- than right-handed marmosets. Hence, hand preference, which can be measured easily, could serve as an indicator of cognitive bias and may signal a need for particular care in laboratory environments. We explain the results by arguing that hand preference reflects more frequent (or dominant) use of the opposite hemisphere and this predisposes individuals to behave differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne J Gordon
- Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Lesley J Rogers
- Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
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Frontal brain deactivation during a non-verbal cognitive judgement bias test in sheep. Brain Cogn 2014; 93:35-41. [PMID: 25506630 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Animal welfare concerns have raised an interest in animal affective states. These states also play an important role in the proximate control of behaviour. Due to their potential to modulate short-term emotional reactions, one specific focus is on long-term affective states, that is, mood. These states can be assessed by using non-verbal cognitive judgement bias paradigms. Here, we conducted a spatial variant of such a test on 24 focal animals that were kept under either unpredictable, stimulus-poor or predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions to induce differential mood states. Based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we measured haemodynamic frontal brain reactions during 10 s in which the sheep could observe the configuration of the cognitive judgement bias trial before indicating their assessment based on the go/no-go reaction. We used (generalised) mixed-effects models to evaluate the data. Sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing conditions took longer and were less likely to reach the learning criterion and reacted slightly more optimistically in the cognitive judgement bias test than sheep from the predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions. A frontal cortical increase in deoxy-haemoglobin [HHb] and a decrease in oxy-haemoglobin [O2Hb] were observed during the visual assessment of the test situation by the sheep, indicating a frontal cortical brain deactivation. This deactivation was more pronounced with the negativity of the test situation, which was reflected by the provenance of the sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing conditions, the proximity of the cue to the negatively reinforced cue location, or the absence of a go reaction in the trial. It seems that (1) sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor in comparison to sheep from the predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions dealt less easily with the test conditions rich in stimuli, that (2) long-term housing conditions seemingly did not influence mood--which may be related to the difficulty of tracking a constant long-term state in the brain--and that (3) visual assessment of an emotional stimulus leads to frontal brain deactivation in sheep, specifically if that stimulus is negative.
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Coulon M, Lévy F, Ravel C, Nowak R, Boissy A. Mild effects of gestational stress and social reactivity on the onset of mother-young interactions and bonding in sheep. Stress 2014; 17:460-70. [PMID: 25256606 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2014.969238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Consequences of prenatal stress on mother-young relationships are well-documented in altricial mammals but less so in precocial mammals. In this study, we investigated the effects of unpredictable aversive events on maternal behavior and mutual mother-young recognition in pregnant ewes while accounting for modulatory effects of ewe reactivity. From a population of 120 Romane-breed ewes, we selected 20 high-responsive (HR) and 20 low-responsive (LR) ewes according to pre-mating reactivity assessed in isolation tests. Over the final third of pregnancy, 10 HR ewes and 10 LR ewes were exposed daily to various aversive events such as social isolation, mixing and transport (stressed ewes), while the other 20 ewes were not exposed to aversive events (control ewes). Although the treatment induced chronic stress, physiologically confirmed by an increase in salivary cortisol following transport and sham shearing, maternal behavior of stressed ewes observed during the first 30 min postpartum and in the selectivity test 1 h 30 min later did not differ from controls. However, in a maternal motivation test performed 48 h postpartum, stressed ewes vocalized less than controls when separated from their lambs, and walked less readily past an unknown object to reach their lambs. Lambs of stressed ewes spent more time near their dam in a preference test performed 15 h after birth compared to control-ewe lambs. HR ewes spent more time grooming their lambs than LR ewes. We posit that domestication could have selected animals displaying robust expression of maternal behavior related to social reactivity and producing offspring that are better adapted to challenging situations.
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Repeated exposure to positive events induces optimistic-like judgment and enhances fearfulness in chronically stressed sheep. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Vögeli S, Lutz J, Wolf M, Wechsler B, Gygax L. Valence of physical stimuli, not housing conditions, affects behaviour and frontal cortical brain activity in sheep. Behav Brain Res 2014; 267:144-55. [PMID: 24681090 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of short-term emotions by long-term mood is little understood but relevant to understand the affective system and of importance in respect to animal welfare: a negative mood might taint experiences, whilst a positive mood might alleviate single negative events. To induce different mood states in sheep housing conditions were varied. Fourteen ewes were group-housed in an unpredictable, stimulus-poor and 15 ewes in a predictable, stimulus-rich environment. Sheep were tested individually for mood in a behavioural cognitive bias paradigm. Also, their reactions to three physical stimuli thought to differ in their perceived valence were observed (negative: pricking, intermediate: slight pressure, positive: kneading). General behaviour, activity, ear movements and positions, and haemodynamic changes in the cortical brain were recorded during stimulations. Generalised mixed-effects models and model probabilities based on the BIC (Bayesian information criterion) were used. Only weak evidence for mood difference was found. Sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing condition had a somewhat more negative cognitive bias, showed slightly more aversive behaviour, were slightly more active and moved their ears somewhat more. Sheep most clearly differentiated the negative from the intermediate and positive stimulus in that they exhibited more aversive behaviour, less nibbling, were more active, showed more ear movements, more forward ear postures, fewer backward ear postures, and a stronger decrease in deoxyhaemoglobin when subjected to the negative stimulus. In conclusion, sheep reacted towards stimuli according to their presumed valence but their mood was not strongly influenced by housing conditions. Therefore, behavioural reactions and cortical brain activity towards the stimuli were hardly modulated by housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Vögeli
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences, Tänikon, CH-8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland; Animal Behaviour, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Janika Lutz
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences, Tänikon, CH-8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland; Animal Behaviour, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Wolf
- Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Wechsler
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences, Tänikon, CH-8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Gygax
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences, Tänikon, CH-8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland.
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