Ic. De Jong et al., Effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral responses to novelty, learning, and memory, and the circadian rhythm in cortisol in growing pigs, PHYSL BEHAV, 68(4), 2000, pp. 571-578
Previously we showed that pigs reared in an enriched environment had higher
baseline salivary cortisol concentrations during the light period than pig
s reared under barren conditions. In the present experiment, it was investi
gated whether these higher baseline salivary cortisol concentrations were a
real difference in cortisol concentration or merely represented a phase di
fference in circadian rhythm. The effects of different cortisol concentrati
ons on the behavioral responses to novelty and learning and long-term memor
y in a maze test were also studied in enriched and barren housed pigs. At 9
weeks of age enriched and barren housed pigs did not differ in baseline sa
livary cortisol concentrations nor in circadian rhythm, but at 22 weeks of
age barren housed pigs had a blunted circadian rhythm in salivary cortisol
as compared to enriched housed pigs. The differences in baseline salivary c
ortisol concentrations between enriched- and barren-housed pigs are age-dep
endent, and become visible after 15 weeks of age. Enriched- and barren-hous
ed piglets did not differ in time spent on exploration in the novel environ
ment test. Barren-housed pigs had an impaired long-term memory in the maze
test compared to enriched-housed pigs; however, no differences in learning
abilities between enriched- and barren-housed pigs were found. Because blun
ted circadian cortisol rhythms are often recorded during states of chronic
stress in pigs and rats or during depression in humans, it is suggested tha
t the blunted circadian rhythm in cortisol in barren-housed pigs similarily
may reflect decreased welfare. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights r
eserved.