作者希望感谢昭洋平野先生协助制作定制的设备。作者感谢高桥和宫本新吾先生的技术援助。这项工作得到了有关化学物质风险的研究, 卫生和实验室科学研究赠款, 卫生部, 劳工和福利部, 日本 (H25-KAGAKU-IPPANN-003) 和美国明治理工学院研究项目补助金大学, 日本。

本文所描述的所有实验程序均经明治大学机构动物护理和使用委员会 (IACUC 14-0002 (1)) 批准。在代表的结果中使用的动物如下: 从实验动物公司购买雄性大大鼠, 并在4只动物笼 (W200 x D410 x H250 mm) 的群中, 至少一周前开始行为实验。动物住房室保持在标准环境条件为光 (12:12 光/暗时间表以灯在 10:00 h), 室温 (25.0) 0.5 °c, 湿气 (55 @ 10%) 和透气 (10 次/小时), 并且动物有广告随意获得食物 (东方酵母有限公司, 东京, 日本) 和水。这些动物被保存在一个标准的鼠笼中 (W410 x D250 x H200 mm、Toyoriko 有限公司、日本爱知) 和纸床上用品 (阿尔法-直接还原, 汉莎 Corporatin, 东京, 日本)。
1. 高架 + 迷宫试验
<ol><li>在定制的容器 (W1,500 x D1,500 x H2,000 mm) (图 1A) 上设置高架 + 迷宫设备, 并在地板上方500毫米的加号形状的金属框架, 以支持运行方式武器 (图 1B), 在集装箱天花板照明将迷宫的表面照亮所需的光强度 (图 1C), 以及在中心天花板上的数字摄像机, 以启用行为测试的实时视频监控 (图 1C)。</li>
	<li>将臂 (L500 x W100 mm) 固定在加号形状的框架上, 然后将方形中央平台 (W100 x D100 mm) 固定在四臂的中心 (图 1D -F)。 注: 在我们的实验室中, 我们有两种类型的张开臂 (L500 x W100 毫米) 和两种类型的闭合臂 (L500 x W100 x H450 mm) (图 1D)。闭合的武器有透明或不透明的墙壁 (图 1D), 并且张开的胳膊设计有或不短的窗台 (H5 毫米,图 1E)。方形中央平台 (W100 x D100 mm) 放置在四臂的中心 (图 1D -F)。因此, 可以根据实验目的准备以下四种武器组合: 张开双臂, 用壁架 + 闭合的双臂, 透明的墙壁 (壁板/透明), 张开双臂与壁板 + 闭合的武器与不透明的墙壁 (壁板/不透明), 张开双臂没有壁板 + 闭合的胳膊与透明的墙壁 (没有壁板或透明), 并且张开的胳膊没有壁板 + 闭合的胳膊与不透明的墙壁 (无壁板或不透明)。手臂跑道的表面是黑色的, 以便通过自动行为分析软件更好地跟踪动物, 如2节中所述, 行为分析。</li>
	<li>将每个臂和中央平台的远端表面的光照强度调整到大约100莱克丝。</li>
	<li>每次测试前, 用70% 乙醇溶液清洗整个仪器, 用蒸馏水擦拭。</li>
	<li>单击硬盘录像机上的 "记录按钮" 以启动数字摄像机, 该摄像头将记录老鼠的行为, 为2节描述的视频成像分析, 行为分析。</li>
	<li>将一只动物放在中央平台上, 面对张开的手臂, 并允许在仪器上自由探索5分钟。</li>
	<li>单击硬盘录像机上的 "停止" 按钮以完成录制。</li>
	<li>将试验过的动物返回动物房后, 计算粪便和 urinations 的数量。</li>
	<li>从步骤1.4 重复, 直到实验结束。 注意: 在开始每个实验之前, 先进行一次干式测试, 以检查所有实验性的设置是否在实验动物暴露于实验条件之前进行了正确的设置。否则, 某些动物, 特别是第一只动物可能会经历不同的环境条件 (例如, 实验者在操作过程中可能诱发的噪音或/或可能由先前测试动物留下的动物线索)。 注意: 实验者在试验动物时靠近容器。因此, 即使实验者不可见, 老鼠仍然可以通过嗅觉和/或声音来感知它们。</li>
</ol>2. 行为分析
注意: 行为分析是通过人工观察和自动分析软件进行的。
<ol><li>
手动观察
	<ol>
<li>在将动物放置在窗台上后, 观察以下内容: 条目数 (当所有4只爪子都在手臂上时, 在手臂上的一项被定义为任何实例), 每只手臂上的时间, 以及面对张开臂的伸展参加的姿势数目。, 同时向关闭的手臂后退中央平台。</li>
		<li>用秒表测量上面定义的行为的持续时间和频率, 计数为5分钟, 从容器的门关闭开始。</li>
	</ol>
</li>
	<li>
自动化分析
	<ol>
<li>使用可用的软件程序, 记录以下内容: 距离, 在打开的手臂上的不同位置 (近, 中间, 和远端段从中央平台) 的时间, 和一分钟一分钟的时间分析花在开放和关闭武器。</li>
		<li>在手动观察开始时, 单击自动分析软件的 "开始" 按钮 (如果设置了记录持续时间, 录制将自动停止)。 注意: 本研究使用的行为分析软件通过与背景场的对比跟踪动物;动物, 被分配一个固定的大小, 被辨认作为更加明亮的对象和它的中心点的运动因而被使用对动物追踪。</li>
	</ol>
</li>
</ol>

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作者没有什么可透露的。

随着精神疾病患者的数量, 包括焦虑障碍的增加, 发展尖端研究, 以提高对焦虑的基本机制的理解是很重要的。为了达到这个目的, 优化实验程序也很重要。因此, 为提高高加迷宫试验的应用效果, 我们展示了 arm 的特点对实验结果的影响。
高加迷宫最初是为了测试动物的焦虑在啮齿动物4, 但虽然基本结构通常是一致的 (例如, 高500毫米以上的地板上有一?...

患有情绪紊乱的病人, 包括焦虑症和抑郁症的人数正在增加。虽然这些疾病的发展涉及遗传和环境因素, 但详细的致病机制尚未完全了解1。因此, 研究需要着眼于揭示情绪障碍的潜在机制, 以及开发有效药物, 副作用较少。
实验动物的行为测试对于研究大脑更高的功能, 包括情绪是有用的。由于动物行为是高度可变的, 实验结果往往不同的实验室, 即使一个相同的近交菌株被使用2。因此, 研究人员还需要了解他们采用的实验装置的基本特征, 以便在实验室中提供可靠、准确的结果。
高 + 迷宫测试最初建立, 以检查情绪反应性在啮齿目动物3,4。整个仪器通常位于地板上方500毫米, 并由两个开放和两个闭合的武器组成一个加号的形状。观察期间记录了手臂探测的测量 (包括每只手臂的进入时间和频率)、距离以及指定的行为, 如受测动物的伸展姿势。通过这些措施, 动物焦虑被估计为实验结果。
高加迷宫测试在全世界使用, 但并非所有实验室都使用相同的仪器设计5,6, 这些差异可能会影响实验结果。例如, 区别包括在张开双臂上存在或没有壁架, 或使用透明或不透明的墙壁为闭合的武器5,6。为防止动物从仪器7脱落, 并促进在闭合的武器内部的行为观察, 在张开的胳膊和使用透明的墙壁为闭合的胳膊的壁架被开发了, 分别8,9。虽然有一些研究表明, 个体手臂结构的差异如何影响检测动物焦虑的能力1,2,5,10,11, 开放 (无短壁) 和闭合 (透明/不透明墙) 手臂特征对动物行为的联合作用尚未调查。
在最近的一份报告中, 我们讨论了这些组合的手臂设计对焦虑样行为在大鼠12。简言之, 张开臂壁明显增加了大鼠的焦虑样行为, 而透明的手臂也可能降低了这种行为。此外, 我们验证了焦虑药物在无 ledged 张开臂 + 不透明壁闭合臂组合中的检测灵敏度较高, 与 ledged 张开臂 + 透明壁闭合臂相结合。在本报告中, 我们将介绍我们的协议的高加迷宫测试, 以及讨论的关键结果, 从前一份报告。我们相信, 这份报告将为那些已经就业或计划在他们的研究中使用高加迷宫的人提供有用的信息。

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="573">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Customized container (W1500 &#215; D1500 &#215; H2000 mm)</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">NA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NA</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Handmade by Mr. Akihiro Hirano</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">LED lighting</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">NA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NA</td>
			<td>Handmade by Mr. Akihiro Hirano</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Elevated plus maze apparatus</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">NA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NA</td>
			<td>Handmade by Mr. Akihiro Hirano</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Digital video camera</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Watec</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">WAT-250D2</td>
			<td>Any suitable video camera can be attached to a hard disk recorder for recording tracking profiles.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Hard disk recorder</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">TOSHIBA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">RD-R200</td>
			<td>Any suitable hard disk recorder can be attached to the digital video camera.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="105">
			<td height="105" style="height:105px;width:216px;">Sprague-Dawley rats</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Charles River Laboratories Japan, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NA</td>
			<td>Any suitable rats can be used for your study</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Standard rat cage</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Toyoriko</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">TP-105</td>
			<td>Any suitable rat cage be used for your study</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Instrument to measure light intensity</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">AS ONE</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">1-5818-02</td>
			<td>Any suitable instrument to measure light intensity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">EthoVision XT version 8.0</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Noldus</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NA</td>
			<td>Any suitable software to measure animal behavior</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="84">
			<td height="84" style="height:84px;width:216px;">Diazepam</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Taiyo Pharmaceutical Industry</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">1124402A2061</td>
			<td>Any suitable drug can be used for your study</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="84">
			<td height="84" style="height:84px;width:216px;">Tween 80</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Wako Pure Chemical Industries</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">9005-65-6</td>
			<td>Any suitable drug can be used for your study</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

testing animal anxiety in rats: effects of open arm ledges and closed arm wall transparency in elevated plus maze test

高加迷宫试验是评估啮齿动物动物焦虑的行为测试。尽管这种测试在行为科学领域得到广泛应用, 但不同的实验室往往会产生相互矛盾的结果。为了找出不同结果的原因, 我们以前重点讨论了在实验室之间不同的手臂特征, 最突出的是在张开臂两侧有壁板的存在/没有, 以及闭合臂壁的透明度/不透明性。在以前的报告中, 我们使用了一个定制的容器来比较不同的开放和闭合手臂设计组合的大鼠行为在其他相同的实验条件下, 并表明, 在手臂特征的差异干扰实验结果。简言之, 张开臂壁明显增加了大鼠的焦虑样行为, 而透明的手臂也可能降低了这种行为。此外, 我们验证了一个更高的检测灵敏度的效果, 焦虑药物的组合不 ledged 张开臂 + 不透明的壁闭合臂相比, ledged 张开臂 + 透明壁闭合臂的组合。在本报告中, 我们介绍了高附加迷宫测试的协议, 并讨论了上次报告的关键结果和我们的实验经验。我们相信这份报告将为研究人员或计划使用高加迷宫的研究者提供有用的信息。

在前面的研究中, 我们比较了张开臂壁的组合效应和闭合臂墙的透明度对迷宫12探索性行为的影响。大鼠明显地花费了较少的时间在张开的胳膊没有壁架比在张开的胳膊与壁架 (F [1, 60] = 13.49, P = 0.0005) (图 2A)。同样的结果也发现了进入开放武器的数量 (F [1, 60] = 11.17, P < 0.0014)12, 表明存在的壁面增加了大?...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test at JoVE.com

Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test

大鼠动物焦虑症的实验研究: 开放臂壁和闭合臂墙透明度对高加迷宫试验的影响

高附加迷宫测试的大鼠焦虑行为因测试环境而异。在这里, 我们展示了仪器的设置, 特别是手臂结构, 如何影响迷宫的行为, 我们解释了一个可靠的协议, 以检测焦虑药物的影响。这份报告将有助于焦虑的研究。

The elevated plus maze test is a behavioral test for assessing animal anxiety in rodents. Although this test is widely applied in the field of behavioral ...

testing-animal-anxiety-rats-effects-open-arm-ledges-closed-arm-wall

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

13.4K 次观看.  Meiji University. 高附加迷宫测试的大鼠焦虑行为因测试环境而异。在这里, 我们展示了仪器的设置, 特别是手臂结构, 如何影响迷宫的行为, 我们解释了一个可靠的协议, 以检测焦虑药物的影响。这份报告将有助于焦虑的研究。

视频: Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

The plus-maze was derived from the early work of Montgomery. He observed that rats tended to avoid the open arms of a maze, preferring the enclosed ones. Handley, Mithani and File et al. performed the first studies on the plus-maze design we use today, and in 1987 Lister published a design for use with mice. 
Time spent on, and entries into, the open arms are an index of anxiety; the lower these indices, the more anxious the mouse is. Alternatively, a mouse that spends most of its time in the closed arms is classed as anxious. 
One of the problems of the plus-maze is that, while time spent on, and entries into, the open arms is a fairly unambiguous measure of anxiety, time in the central area is more difficult to interpret, although time spent here has been classified as &#x201C;decision making&#x201D;. In many tests central area time is a considerable part of the total test time.
Shepherd et al. produced an ingenious design to eliminate the central area, which they called the &#x201C;zero maze&#x201D;. However, although used by several groups, it has never been as widely adopted as the plus-maze. 
In the present article I describe a modification of the plus-maze design that not only eliminates the central area but also incorporates elements from other anxiety tests, such as the light-dark box and emergence tests. It is a linear series of four alleys, each having increasing anxiogenic properties. It has given similar results to the plus-maze in general. Although it may not be more sensitive than the plus-maze (more data is needed before a firm conclusion can be reached on this point), it provides a useful confirmation of plus-maze results which would be useful when, for example, only a single example of a mutant mouse was available, as, for example, in ENU-based mutagenesis programs.

The plus-maze measures anxiety-like behaviour in rodents. There are two opposite closed and two opposite open arms; anxious rodents avoid the open arms. The central area is neither completely open nor closed, so time spent here is ambiguous and difficult to interpret. Here a modification of the plus-maze protocol eliminating this area is described.

在小鼠和大鼠连续的小巷测试焦虑

The plus-maze was derived from the early work of Montgomery. He observed that rats tended to avoid the open arms of a maze, preferring the enclosed ones.  ...

科研

行为学

An Alternative to the Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap

Recently research on the relationship between stress and cognition, emotion, and behavior has greatly increased. These advances have yielded insights into important questions ranging from the nature of stress&#39; influence on addiction1 to the role of stress in neural changes associated with alterations in decision-making2,3. As topics being examined by the field evolve, however, so too must the methodologies involved. In this article a practical and effective alternative to a classic stress induction technique, the cold pressor test (CPT), is presented: the cold pressor arm wrap (CPAW). CPT typically involves immersion of a participant&#39;s dominant hand in ice-cold water for a period of time4. The technique is associated with robust activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary (SAM) axis (and release of catecholamines; e.g.&#160;adrenaline and noradrenaline) and mild-to-moderate activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with associated glucocorticoid (e.g.&#160;cortisol) release. While CPT has been used in a wide range of studies, it can be impractical to apply in some research environments. For example use of water during, rather than prior to, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to damage sensitive and expensive equipment or interfere with acquisition of MRI signal. The CPAW is a practical and effective alternative to the traditional CPT. Composed of a versatile list of inexpensive and easily acquired components, CPAW makes use of MRI-safe gelpacs cooled to a temperature similar to CPT rather than actual water. Importantly CPAW is associated with levels of SAM and HPA activation comparable to CPT, and can easily be applied in a variety of research contexts. While it is important to maintain specific safety protocols when using the technique, these are easy to implement if planned for. Creation and use of the CPAW will be discussed.

The cold pressor test is a classic stress induction task used in a wide range of research examining the relationship between stress and cognition, emotion, and behavior. In this article, a practical and versatile alternative to the traditional cold pressor test is presented: the cold pressor arm wrap.

传统冷压机测试的替代方案:冷压机臂包装

Recently research on the relationship between stress and cognition, emotion, and behavior has greatly increased. These advances have yielded insights into ...

Use of an Eight-arm Radial Water Maze to Assess Working and Reference Memory Following Neonatal Brain Injury

Working and reference memory are commonly assessed using the land based radial arm maze.&#160;However, this paradigm requires pretraining, food deprivation, and may introduce scent cue confounds. The eight-arm radial water maze is designed to evaluate reference and working memory performance simultaneously by requiring subjects to use extra-maze cues to locate escape platforms and remedies the limitations observed in land based radial arm maze designs. Specifically, subjects are required to avoid the arms previously used for escape during each testing day (working memory) as well as avoid the fixed arms, which never contain escape platforms (reference memory). Re-entries into arms that have already been used for escape during a testing session (and thus the escape platform has been removed) and re-entries into reference memory arms are indicative of working memory deficits. Alternatively, first entries into reference memory arms are indicative of reference memory deficits. We used this maze to compare performance of rats with neonatal brain injury and sham controls following induction of hypoxia-ischemia and show significant deficits in both working and reference memory after eleven days of testing. This protocol could be easily modified to examine many other models of learning impairment.

The eight-arm radial water maze is designed to evaluate reference and working memory performance simultaneously by requiring subjects to use extra-maze cues to locate escape platforms and remedies the limitations observed in land based radial arm maze designs.

Working and reference memory are commonly assessed using the land based radial arm maze.&#160;However, this paradigm requires pretraining, food ...

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Spatial learning and memory of laboratory rodents is often assessed via navigational ability in mazes, most popular of which are the water and dry-land (Barnes) mazes. Improved performance over sessions or trials is thought to reflect learning and memory of the escape cage/platform location. Considered less stressful than water mazes, the Barnes maze is a relatively simple design of a circular platform top with several holes equally spaced around the perimeter edge. All but one of the holes are false-bottomed or blind-ending, while one leads to an escape cage. Mildly aversive stimuli (e.g.&#160;bright overhead lights) provide motivation to locate the escape cage. Latency to locate the escape cage can be measured during the session; however, additional endpoints typically require video recording. From those video recordings, use of automated tracking software can generate a variety of endpoints that are similar to those produced in water mazes (e.g.&#160;distance traveled, velocity/speed, time spent in the correct quadrant, time spent moving/resting, and confirmation of latency). Type of search strategy (i.e.&#160;random, serial, or direct) can be categorized as well. Barnes maze construction and testing methodologies can differ for small rodents, such as mice, and large rodents, such as rats. For example, while extra-maze cues are effective for rats, smaller wild rodents may require intra-maze cues with a visual barrier around the maze. Appropriate stimuli must be identified which motivate the rodent to locate the escape cage. Both Barnes and water mazes can be time consuming as 4-7 test trials are typically required to detect improved learning and memory performance (e.g.&#160;shorter latencies or path lengths to locate the escape platform or cage) and/or differences between experimental groups. Even so, the Barnes maze is a widely employed behavioral assessment measuring spatial navigational abilities and their potential disruption by genetic, neurobehavioral manipulations, or drug/ toxicant exposure.

The dry-land Barnes maze is widely used to measure spatial navigation ability in response to mildly aversive stimuli. Over consecutive days, performance (e.g.&#160;latency to locate escape cage) of control subjects improves, indicative of normal learning and memory. Differences between rats and mice necessitate apparatus and methodology changes that are detailed here.

巴恩斯迷宫测试策略与小型和大型啮齿类动物模型

Spatial learning and memory of laboratory rodents is often assessed via navigational ability in mazes, most popular of which are the water and dry-land ...

Use of the Open Field Maze to Measure Locomotor and Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice

Animal models have proven to be invaluable to researchers trying to answer questions regarding the mechanisms of behavior. The Open Field Maze is one of the most commonly used platforms to measure behaviors in animal models. It is a fast and relatively easy test that provides a variety of behavioral information ranging from general ambulatory ability to data regarding the emotionality of the subject animal. As it relates to rodent models, the procedure allows the study of different strains of mice or rats both laboratory bred and wild-captured. The technique also readily lends itself to the investigation of different pharmacological compounds for anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects. Here, a protocol for use of the open field maze to describe mouse behaviors is detailed and a simple analysis of general locomotor ability and anxiety-related emotional behaviors between two strains of C57BL/6 mice is performed. Briefly, using the described protocol we show Wild Type mice exhibited significantly less anxiety related behaviors than did age-matched Knock Out mice while both strains exhibited similar ambulatory ability.

A protocol is provided to use an Open Field Maze to access general locomotor activity, anxiety and emotionality in a laboratory mouse model.

使用开放式现场迷宫来衡量小鼠的运动能力和焦虑样行为

Animal models have proven to be invaluable to researchers trying to answer questions regarding the mechanisms of behavior. The Open Field Maze is one of ...

The Modified Hole Board - Measuring Behavior, Cognition and Social Interaction in Mice and Rats

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure multiple dimensions of unconditioned behavior in small laboratory mammals (e.g., mice, rats, tree shrews and small primates). This paradigm is a valuable alternative for the use of a behavioral test battery, since a broad behavioral spectrum of an animal&#8217;s behavioral profile can be investigated in one single test.
The apparatus consists of a box, representing the &#8216;protected&#8217; area, separated from a group compartment. A board, on which small cylinders are staggered in three lines, is placed in the center of the box, representing the &#8216;unprotected&#8217; area of the set-up. The cognitive abilities of the animals can be measured by baiting some cylinders on the board and measuring the working and reference memory. Other unconditioned behavior, such as activity-related-, anxiety-related- and social behavior, can be observed using this paradigm. Behavioral flexibility and the ability to habituate to a novel environment can additionally be observed by subjecting the animals to multiple trials in the mHB, revealing insight into the animals&#8217; adaptive capacities.
Due to testing order effects in a behavioral test battery, na&#239;ve animals should be used for each individual experiment. By testing multiple behavioral dimensions in a single paradigm and thereby circumventing this issue, the number of experimental animals used is reduced. Furthermore, by avoiding social isolation during testing and without the need to food deprive the animals, the mHB represents a behavioral test system, inducing if any, very low amount of stress.

This protocol describes the modified hole board, which is a behavioral test set-up that comprises the characteristics of an open field and a traditional hole board. This set-up enables the differential analysis of unconditioned behavior of small laboratory mammals as well as the analysis of cognitive abilities.

修改后的孔板 - 测量行为，认知和社会互动小鼠和大鼠

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure ...

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents

Spatial cognition research in rodents typically employs the use of maze tasks, whose attributes vary from one maze to the next. These tasks vary by their behavioral flexibility and required memory duration, the number of goals and pathways, and also the overall task complexity. A confounding feature in many of these tasks is the lack of control over the strategy employed by the rodents to reach the goal, e.g., allocentric (declarative-like) or egocentric (procedural) based strategies. The double-H maze is a novel water-escape memory task that addresses this issue, by allowing the experimenter to direct the type of strategy learned during the training period. The double-H maze is a transparent device, which consists of a central alleyway with three arms protruding on both sides, along with an escape platform submerged at the extremity of one of these arms.
Rats can be trained using an allocentric strategy by alternating the start position in the maze in an unpredictable manner (see protocol 1; &#167;4.7), thus requiring them to learn the location of the platform based on the available allothetic cues. Alternatively, an egocentric learning strategy (protocol 2; &#167;4.8) can be employed by releasing the rats from the same position during each trial, until they learn the procedural pattern required to reach the goal. This task has been proven to allow for the formation of stable memory traces.
Memory can be probed following the training period in a misleading probe trial, in which the starting position for the rats alternates. Following an egocentric learning paradigm, rats typically resort to an allocentric-based strategy, but only when their initial view on the extra-maze cues differs markedly from their original position. This task is ideally suited to explore the effects of drugs/perturbations on allocentric/egocentric memory performance, as well as the interactions between these two memory systems.

The goal of this protocol is to investigate spatial cognition in rodents. The double-H water maze is a novel test, which is particularly useful to elucidate the different components of learning, consolidation and memory, as well as the interplay of memory systems.

双-H迷宫:一个强大的行为测试学习和记忆的鼠害

Spatial cognition research in rodents typically employs the use of maze tasks, whose attributes vary from one maze to the next. These tasks vary by their ...

Morris Water Maze Test: Optimization for Mouse Strain and Testing Environment

The Morris water maze (MWM) is a commonly used task to assess hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory in transgenic mouse models of disease, including neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. However, the background strain of the mouse model used can have a substantial effect on the observed behavioral phenotype, with some strains exhibiting superior learning ability relative to others. To ensure differences between transgene negative and transgene positive mice can be detected, identification of a training procedure sensitive to the background strain is essential. Failure to tailor the MWM protocol to the background strain of the mouse model may lead to under- or over- training, thereby masking group differences in probe trials. Here, a MWM protocol tailored for use with the F1 FVB/N x 129S6 background is described. This is a frequently used background strain to study the age-dependent effects of mutant P301L tau (rTg(TauP301L)4510 mice) on the memory deficits associated with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. Also described is a strategy to re-optimize, as dictated by the particular testing environment utilized.

This manuscript describes a Morris water maze (MWM) protocol tailored for use with a commonly used mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The MWM is widely used in transgenic mouse models. Implementation of a procedure sensitive to the background strain of the mouse model is essential for detecting group differences.

Morris水迷宫实验:优化小鼠品系和测试环境

 The Morris water maze (MWM) is a commonly used task to assess hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory in transgenic mouse models of disease, ...

Place and Response Learning in the Open-field Tower Maze

This protocol describes how the Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) paradigm is used to study spatial learning in rodents. This maze is especially useful for examining how rats learn to use a place- or response-learning to successfully navigate in an open-field arena. Additionally, this protocol describes how the OFTM differs from other behavioral maze paradigms that are commonly used to study spatial learning in rodents. The OFTM described in this article was adapted from the one previously described by Cole, Clipperton, and Walt (2007). Specifically, the OFTM was created to test spatial learning in rodents without the experimenter having to consider how &#8220;stress&#8221; might play a role as a confounding variable. Experiments have shown that stress-alone can significantly affect cognitive function1. The representative results section contains data from an experiment that used the OFTM to examine the effects of estradiol treatment on place- and response-learning in adult female Sprague Dawley rats2. Future studies will be designed to examine the role of the hippocampus and striatum in place- and response-learning in the OFTM.

The Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) is a maze created to study the behavioral and neural mechanisms of spatial learning (e.g., place- or response-learning) in rats. This maze is especially useful for experimenters who want to use a non-stressful maze paradigm to investigate spatial learning in their research.

在打开场塔迷宫的地方，反应学习

This protocol describes how the Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) paradigm is used to study spatial learning in rodents. This maze is especially useful for ...

An Objective and Child-friendly Assessment of Arm Function by Using a 3-D Sensor

Progressive and irreversible muscle atrophy characterizes Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and other similar muscle disorder diseases. Objective assessment of muscle functions is an essential and important, although challenging, prerequisite for successful clinical trials. Current clinical rating scales restrain the movement abnormalities to certain predefined coarse-grained individual items. The Kinect 3-D sensor has emerged as a low-cost and portable motion sensing technology used to capture and track people&#39;s movement in many medical and research fields. A novel approach using this 3-D sensor was developed and a game-like test was designed to objectively measure the upper limb function of patients with SMA. The prototype test targeted joint movement capability. While sitting in a virtual scene, the patient was instructed to extend, flex, and lift the whole arm in order to reach and place some objects. Both kinematic and spatiotemporal characteristics of upper limb movement were extracted and analyzed, e.g., elbow extension and flexion angles, hand velocity, and acceleration. The first study included a small cohort of 18 ambulant SMA patients and 19 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. A comprehensive analysis of arm movement was achieved; however, no significant difference between the groups were found due to the mismatch of patient&#39;s capability and the test difficulty. Based on this experience, a second version of the test consisting of a modified version of the first game with increased difficulties and a second game targeting muscle endurance were designed and implemented. The new test has not been conducted in any patient groups yet. Our work has demonstrated the potential capability of the 3-D sensor in assessing such muscle function and suggested an objective approach to complement the clinical rating scales.

An objective measure of muscle functions is challenging especially in children. Based on a commercially available digital 3-D sensor, a child-friendly gaming test was developed to assess upper limb function for clinical trials.

基于3维传感器的 Arm 功能的客观和儿童友好评估

Progressive and irreversible muscle atrophy characterizes Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and other similar muscle disorder diseases. Objective assessment ...