Background

Laboratory mice have been used as models for biomedical studies, offering a variety of genetic models such as isogenic strains, spontaneous mutants and genetically modified animals. After the implementation of genetic modification, mice became an essential tool in neuroscience research, allowing researchers to investigate the role of individual genes on development and behavior. Furthermore, mice have been the main mammalian models and genetic organisms due to their 85% homology when compared to humans (Pritchett-Corning et al., 2015), including similarities with the functionality of the human brain such as anxiety-like behavior and other emotional responses (Van Meer and Raber, 2005). Thus mice became an essential part of efforts in prevention and treatment of many diseases, but also to test toxicity and adverse effects of biological and chemical substances and in researching the efficacy and safety of new drugs (McLeod and Hartley, 2017).

Mice behavior can be evaluated in several ways, including direct observation and a wide variety of behavioral tests comprising a single task or multiple tests, using or not automated behavioral response assessment (Wahlsten, 2011). The choice of tests applied in the course of an experiment is directly related to the question to be answered. A battery of tests is proposed to evaluate the basic motor and sensory functions. Some of the tests described in our protocol have been grounded on SHIRPA procedure (Rogers et al., 1997) The open field test (OFT) can be used to evaluate general activity, but also parameters related to sensorimotor, autonomous and sensory nervous systems (Yamamoto et al., 2019). Sensory information provided by the vestibular system is essential in spatial memory process (Manes et al., 2019), sensorimotor activity can be defined as the relationship among sensory perception, movement, emotion and cognition (Iliadi et al., 2016). Also, autonomic nervous system is responsible to maintain homeostasis in the organism (McCorry, 2007).

Here, we aim to develop a specific methodology to evaluate behavioral parameters of laboratory mice in order to characterize the phenotype of neurological disease models in mutant or genetically modified mice and to evaluate the effects and toxicity of substances.