biology

Locomotor activity

Locomotor activity is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Locomotor activity rather than just read about it. In short: Locomotor activity is a measure of animal behavior which is employed in scientific research. Hyperlocomotion, also known as locomotor hyperactivity, hyperactivity, or increased locomotor activity, is an effect of certain drugs in animals in which locomotor activity (locomotion) is increased.

Key takeaways

Locomotor activity belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Locomotor activity to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Locomotor activity from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Locomotor activity is a measure of animal behavior which is employed in scientific research. Hyperlocomotion, also known as locomotor hyperactivity, hyperactivity, or increased locomotor activity, is an effect of certain drugs in animals in which locomotor activity (locomotion) is increased. It is induced by certain drugs like psychostimulants and NMDA receptor antagonists and is reversed by certain other drugs like antipsychotics and certain antidepressants. Stimulation of locomotor activity is thought to be mediated by increased signaling in the nucleus accumbens, a major brain area involved in behavioral activation and motivated behavior. Hypolocomotion, also known as locomotor hypoactivity, hypoactivity, and decreased locomotor activity, is an effect of certain drugs in animals in which locomotor activity is decreased. It is a characteristic effect of many sedative agents and general anesthetics. Antipsychotics, which are dopamine receptor antagonists, and many serotonergic agents, such as meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), can also produce this effect, often as a side effect. Although locomotor activity is mainly an animal behavior test, it has also been evaluated in humans. People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in the manic phase of bipolar disorder, on acute amphetamine, and with schizophrenia show increased locomotor activity, while children with autism show decreased locomotor activity. Conversely, reduced locomotor activity is observed in bipolar individuals on mood stabilizers and may be a characteristic symptom of the inattentive type of ADHD (ADHD-PI) and sluggish cognitive tempo.

Drugs affecting locomotor activity

Dopaminergic agents

Dopamine releasing agents Hyperlocomotion is induced by dopamine releasing agents (DRAs) and psychostimulants like amphetamine and methamphetamine. These drugs likewise induce stereotypies.

Dopamine reuptake inhibitors The dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRIs) amineptine, bupropion, and nomifensine increase spontaneous locomotor activity in animals. The DRI cocaine increases locomotor activity similarly to the preceding DRIs and to amphetamines. The atypical DRI modafinil does not produce hyperlocomotion in animals.

Dopamine receptor agonists Direct dopamine receptor agonists like apomorphine show biphasic effects, decreasing locomotor activity at low doses and increasing locomotor activity at high doses.

Dopamine receptor antagonists Drug-induced hyperlocomotion can be reversed by various drugs, such as antipsychotics acting as dopamine D2 receptor antagonists. Reversal of drug-induced hyperlocomotion has been used as an animal test of drug antipsychotic-like activity. Reversal of amphetamine- and NMDA receptor antagonist-induced stereotypies is also employed as a test of drug antipsychotic-like activity.

Adrenergic agents

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Locomotor activity

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Locomotor activity claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Locomotor activity before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Locomotor activity ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Locomotor activity

In research: Locomotor activity appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Locomotor activity in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Locomotor activity is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animal testing techniques, Neuroscience of schizophrenia, Psychology experiments, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Locomotor activity outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Locomotor activity in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Locomotor activity means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Locomotor activity out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Locomotor activity in simple terms?

Why does Locomotor activity matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Locomotor activity?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Locomotor activity.