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Rationale: Classification of pigs based on the degree of resistance they display in a so-called "backtest" seems, to a certain extent, predictive for their coping strategy. Objective: The present study examined whether, as found in rodents, the behavioral response to apomorphine of pigs relates to individual coping characteristics. Methods: During the suckling period pigs were subjected to the backtest. In this test, each pig is restrained on its back for I min and the resistance (i.e. number of escape attempts) is scored. Pigs classified as low-resisting (LR, n=10) or high-resisting (HR, n=10) were selected. At 17-18 weeks of age they received a saline and an apomorphine injection (0.2 mg/kg SC) on 2 consecutive days in a balanced design. Behavior was recorded until 120 min after injection. Results: Apomorphine increased locomotion in all pigs and reduced standing, standing alert and defecating. In addition, apomorphine induced the occurrence of some peculiar activities, rarely seen in saline-treated pigs, which seemed to represent either a transition between different postures or a conflict between hind- and forelimb activities. Apomorphine-treated LR pigs performed significantly more of these activities than HR pigs, However, snout contact with the floor, an oral stereotypy, was significantly increased in apomorphine-treated HR pigs, but not in apomorphine-treated LR pigs. Conclusions: Tn conclusion, the response to apomorphine or pigs relates to their behavioral response, high-resisting (HR) versus low-resisting (LR), in the backtest. The contrasts in behavioral response to apomorphine suggest a difference in the dopaminergic system between HR and LR pigs

Activity. --- Age. --- Apomorphine. --- Backtest. --- Behavior. --- Behavioral strategies. --- Classification. --- Conflict. --- Contact. --- Coping characteristics. --- Coping strategies. --- Coping strategy. --- Coping style. --- Coping. --- D-amphetamine. --- Design. --- Dopamine. --- Dopaminergic system. --- Escape. --- Floor. --- Human. --- Immobility. --- Individual-differences. --- Locomotion. --- Method. --- Mice. --- Nucleus-accumbens. --- Oral stereotypies. --- Pig. --- Pigs. --- Posture. --- Resistance. --- Response. --- Responses. --- Rodent. --- Rodents. --- Search. --- Standing. --- Stereotyped behavior. --- Stereotypies. --- Stereotypy. --- Strategies. --- Strategy. --- System. --- Test. --- Time. --- Tool. --- Wistar rats.