Investigation of Learning and Anxiety States in Postpartum Female Rats

The present study seeks to examine the impact of the postpartum period on anxiety levels and learning abilities in female rats, utilizing established behavioral paradigms. Adult female Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a nulliparous control group and a postpartum group. Anxiety-related behavior was assessed using the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), while spatial learning and memory performance were evaluated through the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. In the EPM, postpartum rats demonstrated a significant reduction in the time spent in the open arms compared to controls (p < 0.05), indicating elevated anxiety levels following parturition. Conversely, no significant differences were observed in the time spent in closed or central zones. In the MWM, although postpartum rats initially located the hidden platform more quickly, their performance plateaued over time, whereas control animals exhibited a robust learning curve across trials. These findings suggest that physiological and neurobiological changes during the postpartum period may increase anxiety and moderately impair learning progression. The study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the neurobehavioral impact of the postpartum period and underscores the utility of animal models in understanding anxiety and cognitive alterations associated with maternal adaptation.