Now, rats can do more than run around your home and search for the cheese to munch on. They can drive! A study soon to be printed in a peer-reviewed journal called Behavioral Brain Research evaluated how the learning complex abilities improved the emotional resilience of rats. The same study presents that results could impact further research on the human brain.
Yahoo! News reports, "Rats at the University of Richmond operated a different kind of wheel for this study." A team of researchers at the said college trained 11 male and six female rats on how to drive a vehicle, specifically, a rodent operated vehicle. The said rat car, as described by USA Today, was constructed through the use of a gallon-plastic container with windows made of copper bar, and floor plate made of aluminum.
Observing How Rats can Drive
Contrary to what we usually observe in rats when caught or stuck in a mousetrap, instead of feeling tense and uneasy, these tiny animals on the experiment are seen to be more relaxed. This observation is described by New Scientist, adding that the finding echoes the previous work of Kelly Lambert, the research work's lead author. In his past study, Lambert shows rats as turning less stressed after mastering difficult tasks, including "digging up buried fruits."
Just the same, rats may receive the same satisfaction as humans get each time they perfect a newly discovered skill. In humans, Lambert articulates, this is called "self-efficacy or agency." Meanwhile, this University of Richmond research, driving, has helped the rats get more relaxed. Relatively, the researchers evaluated this by gauging the different levels of two hormones: the corticosterone, a stress marker, and dehydroepiandrosterone, counteracting stress.
Linking Rats' Behavior to Human Brains
This discovery that rats can drive is not to actually teach them to drive. The study aims to link the findings to human brains. The scientists who were part of the experiment stated that rat brains function as the right model for the human brain as both share the same neurochemicals and areas.
And, while humans are more complex than rats, the latter can help scientists fully understand the common truths about the manner brains are interacting with the environments to uphold optimum mental health. Additionally, Lambert shares his team is interested in how the rats can use a car as their tool to explore their environment. He adds, the experiment is a great learning opportunity for them, and they are unsure where the project is going to lead them. Only one thing is sure; the experiment has been a fun experience for them.
