Behavioral and Redox Effects of Lithium and Curcumin in a Planarian Model of Sublethal Stress

This dataset contains the complete statistical outputs and underlying numerical data supporting the behavioral and biochemical analyses reported in the manuscript entitled “Behavioral and Redox Effects of Lithium and Curcumin in a Planarian Model of Sublethal Stress”.
Our working hypothesis was that chemically distinct neuroactive compounds produce dissociable functional outcomes under sublethal stress conditions, such that behavioral recovery depends on qualitative redox signaling rather than on the magnitude of generalized antioxidant activation. To test this, freshwater planarians (Girardia tigrina) were exposed to different stress modalities (mechanical, intense light, and predator odor) and subsequently treated with lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃), curcumin (CUR), or their combination.
The dataset includes raw and processed behavioral measures (time spent in compartments, preference scores, and delta change values), enzymatic activities (SOD, CAT, GST, and AChE), and the corresponding statistical analyses (ANOVA, mixed-effects models, non-parametric tests, post hoc comparisons, and effect sizes). Each file is organized by experiment and figure, with replicates representing independent biological units.

Behavioral data demonstrate stress-induced alterations in exploratory preference and learning performance. CUR consistently restored adaptive behavior and facilitated extinction, whereas Li₂CO₃ produced limited or stressor-dependent recovery. Biochemical data show divergent antioxidant signatures: CUR selectively increased SOD and reduced CAT activity (elevated SOD/CAT ratio), while Li₂CO₃ increased both enzymes. These results indicate that functional behavioral recovery is more closely associated with redox signaling balance than with global antioxidant reinforcement.
The data can be reused for independent verification, reanalysis with alternative statistical approaches, meta-analyses, or comparative studies of sublethal neurotoxicity and redox-dependent neural modulation in invertebrate models.