Figure 2. Vigorous or directed motion extends the duration of subsequent quiescence during lethargus.
(A) Posture-based analysis improved the measurement of pairwise correlations between the durations of motion bouts and those of subsequent quiescence bouts in undisturbed wild-type animals (R = 0.47 ± 0.03, N = 3609 bouts from 40 animals, p < 0.05). As a guide to the eye, motion bouts were grouped according to their durations in 2 s wide bins. The mean ± s.e.m duration of the subsequent quiescence bouts for each bin was plotted and these mean values were fitted to a line. In addition, pairwise correlation coefficients were calculated for each 15 min interval of L4leth separately. As a guide to the eye, linear fits to the binned data are depicted. In all cases, the errors were defined as the 95% confidence intervals and the number of bouts is given in parentheses. (B–C) The overall levels of motion (B) and the fraction of directed motion (C) during a motion bout have a significant effect on subsequent quiescence. Overall motion was defined as the mean time derivative of the absolute values of 18 angles along the body and directed motion was defined as either forward or backward locomotion, as opposed to dwelling (Nagy et al., 2014). Left: the median values of the overall vigor of motion (B) and the fraction of directed motion (C) as a function of the duration of the motion bouts (binned in 2 s bins). Middle (right): the durations of motion (quiescence) bouts calculated separately for the group of bouts that was above or below the median of its respective bin. The durations of quiescence bouts differed significantly between the two groups. N = 40 animals, error bars depict s.e.m, p < 0.01.