"Warm-up" along dimensions of movement in the ontogeny of exploration in rats and other infant mammals.

Abstract

When some infant mammals are placed outside their nest, a sequence of exploratory behavior occurs, displaying a regular buildup and spread of activity. This "warm-up" involves repetition of movement along specific dimensions and an orderly transition from one dimension to the next, with cephalocaudal recruitment of body and limb segments. A similar principle of organization applies to neurological recovery from lateral hypothalamic akinesia.