Multiple Simultaneous Acute Stresses in Mice: Single or Repeated Induction
Authors: Rachael E. Hokenson,
Mikko Oijala,
Annabel K. Short,
Jessica L. Bolton,
Yuncai Chen,
Jenny Molet,
Pamela M. Maras,
Tallie Z. Baram and
Gyorgy Lur,
date: 08/05/2020,
view: 456,
Q&A: 0
[Abstract] Stress is crucial to the survival of an organism, but excessive stress can lead to psychological disorders including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidality. The prevailing notion is that chronic stress promotes adverse outcomes on brain and body health, whereas acute stressors are generally benign. Notably, acute events such mass ...
The Discrete Paired-trial Variable-delay T-maze Task to Assess Working Memory in Mice
[Abstract] Working memory abnormalities involving the prefrontal cortex (PFC) dramatically contribute to poor functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia and still represent an unmet therapeutic need. Studies in rodents might provide essential tools to understand the mechanisms underlying PFC-dependent working memory dysfunctions, as well as precious ...
An Alternative Maze to Assess Novel Object Recognition in Mice
[Abstract] The novel object recognition (NOR) task is a behavioral test commonly used to evaluate episodic-like declarative memory and it relies on the innate tendency of rodents to explore novelty. Here we present a maze used to evaluate NOR memory in mice that reduces the time of the assay while improving reliability of the measurements by increasing the ...
Protocol for Measuring Free (Low-stress) Exploration in Rats
Authors: Wojciech Pisula and
Klaudia Modlinska,
date: 01/20/2020,
view: 1273,
Q&A: 0
[Abstract] Research on exploratory behavior plays a key part in behavioral science. Studying exploratory behavior of laboratory rodents may provide important data about many developmental and neurobiological processes occurring in animal ontogenesis. The proposed protocol for measuring the free (low-stress) exploration behavior in rats is straightforward, ...
Trial-based Discrimination Procedure for Studying Drug Relapse in Rats
[Abstract] In abstinent drug addicts, cues formerly associated with drug-taking experiences gain relapse-inducing potency (‘incubate’) over time. Animal models of incubation may help in developing treatments for relapse prevention. However, these models have primarily focused on the role of conditioned stimuli (CSs) signaling drug delivery and not ...
Social Defeat Stress (SDS) in Mice: Using Swiss Mice as Resident
[Abstract] Due to the high prevalence and great economic impact of depression, studies with animal models have been increasingly used to identify neurobiological mechanisms associated with this disorder. However, many animal models use stressful conditions that are not consistent with what we observe in the modern human world. Examples are the chronic ...
Behavioral Evaluation of Odor Memory in Mice
Authors: Afif J. Aqrabawi and
Jun Chul Kim,
date: 09/20/2018,
view: 2781,
Q&A: 0
[Abstract] Behavioural tests based on the spontaneous recognition paradigm have been used extensively for examining the memory capacity of rodents. By exploiting their innate preference to investigate novel stimuli, inferences can be drawn about the perceived familiarity of encountered objects. Olfaction is the dominant sense used by mice to navigate their ...
Sociability and Social Novelty Preference Tests Using a U-shaped Two-choice Field
[Abstract] We developed sociability tests based on use of a U-shaped two-choice field to read out behavioral states of sociability in rodents. The U-shaped two-choice field is a modified open field that is partially partitioned with a wall projecting to the central point, resulting in two symmetrical rectangular fields, each containing closed and open square ...