Brain shut down for the winter: Do turtles respond to stimuli in cold hypoxia?
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1
Dept. of Bioscience, Aarhus university, Zoophysiology, Denmark
Several species of fish and turtles have evolved to survive cold hypoxic conditions in frozen fresh water lakes during the winter. Some fish species are reported to remain vigilant while turtles apparently enter a comatose state due the cold and hypoxic conditions. Here we address the extent of this state of coma under cold hypoxic conditions for yellow-bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta). To study this, we measured evoked potentials from turtles exposed to transient vibration stimuli (600 Hz, 0.05 G) during gradual changes in oxygen levels and temperature. We demonstrate a steady reduction and delay of stimuli response with both a drop in temperature and oxygen levels. Little, if any, response remains when turtles reach core temperatures below 5 ° C, indicating a complete comatose state. There is hysteresis in stimuli response at the same temperatures during cooling and reheating. Turtles show less stimuli response at 10° C - 15° C during reheating then during cooling. The results obtained so far support the conclusion that fresh water turtles enter non-responsive coma during cold hypoxia.
Acknowledgements
Funded by National Danish Natural Science Research Council
Keywords:
AEP,
cold,
Coma,
hypoxia,
potential,
turtle,
Vibration,
vigilance
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster (but consider for student poster award)
Topic:
Neuromodulation
Citation:
Madsen
J,
Wang
T and
Madsen
PT
(2012). Brain shut down for the winter: Do turtles respond to stimuli in cold hypoxia?.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00127
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Received:
26 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Mr. Jesper Guldsmed Madsen, Dept. of Bioscience, Aarhus university, Zoophysiology, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark, guldtsvum1@hotmail.com