在这个模型中，大鼠或老鼠被给予食物和水的脂肪。德克萨斯A&M大学贝勒牙科学院机构动物护理和使用委员会批准了所有的实验协议。下面的特定设置以对称性显示，并专门用于大鼠 TMJ 关节炎模型。小鼠也可以用于这个模型和替代牙痛和肌源性或社会性疼痛动物模型也可以使用42，43。
1. 软件设置
<ol><li>将喂食器单元的动物监视器软件加载到计算机上。</li>
	<li>动物监视器软件现在通过单击图标打开，在文件菜单选择下选择"配置"下拉选项。</li>
	<li>在"动物监视器配置"窗口中，取消选中标题为"Pellet 交付输入"（图 1A）的框。 注意：此框通常默认在工厂检查。取消选择此选项。一旦调查员取消选择此选项，结果将通过从低谷中取出颗粒而不是在分配颗粒时进行记录。 注意：当检查"自动文件命名"框时，软件将自动命名文件（图 1A）。默认情况下，此框通常在工厂进行选中。</li>
	<li>设置定时器灯在 06：00（早上 6：00）打开，并在 20：00（晚上 8：00） 关闭。 注意：对馈线器单元的硬件进行了修改，使盒子内的灯不由软件控制，而是连接到隔离的 24 小时定时器。因此，配置软件上显示的"家灯"在这些示例中不起作用。</li>
	<li>选择编辑拉下菜单并选择"实验"。显示标题为"框 01 -"的窗口（图 1B）。</li>
	<li>输入保存在此窗口中的数据的文件名。 注意：如果没有输入文件名，数据文件将由软件自动命名。实验的详细信息可以在此窗口中添加，并保存在数据文件中。窗口上的信息也可以保存并用于后续实验。</li>
	<li>在题为"实验长度（天）"的入口框中输入大于实验总时间的数字。 注意：这将确保软件保存数据，直到实验完成，一个错误可能是设置此值太短，这将阻止软件记录数据，即使动物仍然在喂养模块中。</li>
	<li>在题为"一天中的小时数"的条目框中输入 24。 注意：长度可以修改为实验者的规格。</li>
	<li>在标题为"用餐期结束标准（最小）"的框中输入 10： 注意：对于大鼠，根据先前的研究48（即餐前后由10分钟不服用颗粒）定义膳食，并且在此软件包中将最低膳食大小设定为每餐三粒。</li>
	<li>在标题为"颗粒大小（mg）"的框中输入45。如果个人想要在此窗口内使用鼠标输入 20。</li>
	<li>对于大鼠添加45毫克啮齿动物周丸到喂食器分配器漏斗。 注意：对于小鼠添加20毫克啮齿动物周丸到周漏斗。</li>
	<li>在实验窗口的"阶段"部分，在"名称"字段中输入术语日，在"小时#"字段类型 24（图 1B）中输入术语日。 注：在"相"部分下方有两个大的开放领域。 第一个大的开放领域将填充在以前的"阶段"和"名称"字段输入的文本。</li>
	<li>下一个大的开放领域将有"日相"标题输入字段标题为"名称"字光，并在字段中输入标题为"百分比"的数字60。 注意：此输入的文本将填充下面的大字段。</li>
	<li>接下来进入题为"名称"的字段"黑暗"，并在题为"百分比"的字段中输入数字40。注意：有了这些条目，60%的一天将归因于光相，40%将归因于黑暗阶段。当软件计算膳食模式时，将使用此信息。这些设置通常用于循环雌性动物，这些动物保持在 14：10 的光/暗周期中。</li>
	<li>选择"设置所有框都这样"按钮。保存此信息，然后点击确定。</li>
	<li>"启动框"屏幕出现，选择馈线以激活并点击确定（图1C）。</li>
	<li>接下来，动物监视器运行时间窗口将显示与膳食模式数据 （图 1D）. 注意：监控并记录此窗口中的"#已分配的颗粒"，以确定大鼠的当前健康状况。体重在300克左右的健康雄性大鼠通常每天吃300-800 45毫克的颗粒。</li>
	<li>文件每天生成，并自动保存，有一个。CSV扩展。打开这些文件以检索膳食模式数据，如食物摄入量、膳食数量、用餐时间、膳食大小或餐间间隔。这些膳食模式的间隔可以计算一整天或一天的一个阶段，如黑暗和光明阶段。如上所述，设置为 14：10 光/暗周期。每个颗粒何时从低谷中取出的原始数据也记录为原始数据。CSV文件。 注意：在软件的旧版本中，在生成 " 的计算中未使用 3 个颗粒的最小膳食大小。CSV文件。 此外，要使用较旧的软件获得平均用餐时间，您必须从平均膳食持续时间列中的值中减去 10 分钟。CSV文件。 当软件运行时，操作员可以手动选择文件下拉菜单选项，并每天选择"保存原始数据"。这将将原始数据保存 24 小时，而不是整个实验。这些原始数据可由用户自行决定的替代软件处理。 注意：在结果显示，我们使用替代软件，包括至少3粒的膳食大小。</li>
</ol>2. 膳食持续时间分析
<ol><li>将单个大鼠放在装有光束计算机激活的颗粒馈线的减声室中。 注意：在这些喂食单位有分级水瓶和废锅，其中放置了一张厚厚的吸水纸。在喂食器分配器漏斗45毫克啮齿动物周丸可以添加到大鼠或20毫克啮齿动物周颗粒可以添加到小鼠。周丸被分配到V形的喂食槽，在这个槽的底部是一个光束。通过打破这个光束，将检测到分配到槽中的颗粒。一旦大鼠从喂食器槽中取出此颗粒，光束就会恢复，这会使计算机发出信号，使计算机再次掉落颗粒。光束的恢复还触发计算机记录日期和时间，并保持分配的颗粒的运行计数。然后使用 Med Assoc. Inc. 软件分析颗粒的计数，以确定一天中任何部分的食物摄入量、膳食数量、用餐时间、膳食大小或餐间间隔。再次原始。CSV数据文件可以通过外部软件39，40，49-51进行分析。</li>
	<li>记录在实验期间食用的颗粒总数、消耗的水量和动物的重量，以辨别大鼠的一般健康状况。</li>
	<li>每天冲洗水瓶并加满淡水，并在需要时将 chow 添加到喂食漏斗中。</li>
	<li>每天将废锅和厚吸水纸倾倒在笼子下面，每天用高压空气吹除进料器部分的灰尘。 注意：需要个人防护设备（如礼服、手套、口罩和口罩）。</li>
	<li>实验完成后，取出地板、废锅和水瓶，清洗这些部件。此外，用手或洗碗机将喂食电子产品从洗碗机中取出。</li>
</ol>3. TMJ 关节炎诱导
<ol><li>在实验前至少4天将动物放在喂食器中。 注意：此数据将作为获取基线喂养行为的节前报告。然后，动物被从喂食器中取出进行治疗。一种治疗方法是诱导关节炎TMJ。对于此模型，大鼠在 08：00（即光相的开始）用异氟素麻醉后注射完整的 Freund 辅助剂 （CFA）（即光相的开始）。</li>
	<li>将 250 毫克 CFA 在 50 L 中双边注入每个 TMJ 的围场空间。 注意：在示例中（图 2） 250 毫克 CFA 在 50 L 被注射到每个 TMJ 中，但小至 15 μl 的体积低至 10 毫克的剂量在较短的时间段 52有效。</li>
	<li>注射控制大鼠TMJ与50升的0.9%盐水。注意：所有动物在麻醉后5分钟或更短的时间内移动。如果给予较小剂量的终审法院，对照大鼠将获得同样数量的盐水。</li>
</ol>

没有什么可透露的。

TMJ患者的体痛报告增加疼痛与增加咀嚼时间，这样，咀嚼周期延长越长，个人已经咀嚼45，53-56。我们的行为检测允许在测量膳食持续时间39时对大鼠和小鼠进行类似的测试。最近一项未发表的研究表明，冯弗雷灯丝测试比膳食持续时间测量具有更大的灵敏度，显示较长时间内有显著变化，但冯弗雷灯丝测试可以具有反射反应成分，而膳食持续时间测量需要中枢神经系统区域进行处...

动物模型已经被用来研究疼痛和与组织损伤和炎症1，2相关的非感知，但缺乏适当的动物模型导致对机制的不完全了解。虽然目前的模型帮助我们了解与急性和慢性或社会疼痛有关的各种机制，但这些动物模型有优点和缺点。
许多模型测量行为感知反应的持续时间很短。面部梳理是面部神经收缩后的一种已知行为反应。其他研究测量面部摩擦与ipsilatere前部或后爪，以及，退缩的头部后，管理正式注射到节奏和状关节（TMJ）或嘴唇4-7。头部抽取延迟是测量无菌行为的另一种模型，其中修改后的尾部轻弹镇痛仪用于在将热量应用于大鼠8的剃光振动垫后量化无菌反应（即头部戒断）。在向TMJ9注射谷氨酸后，胃部和按摩师的肌肉活动也被记录为疼痛的相关性。另一项研究测量了睡眠参数的变化，以评估发炎的雌雄大鼠的无菌反应，这些参数包括睡眠延迟、快速眼动（REM）、非REM睡眠百分比和REM睡眠百分比10。大多数测量行为非感应反应的动物模型使用很短的时间框架，即每天11-14分钟到几个小时。此外，大多数动物模型测试发生在光相和夜间动物，像老鼠，这可能会导致压力，可以混淆非感性结果15-18。上述检测测量不同或社会条件下的非感性反应，但持续时间短，因此只能用于研究急性疾病。另一种检测方法使用面部表情作为中度持续时间的无感知度，但这种方法可能是主观的19。
为了评估持续或慢性或长期的非感知，一些人使用冯弗雷丝在皮肤表面的应用来评估受神经收缩或TMJ炎症3，20的动物的机械敏感性。利弗曼 等人 2009年测量退出反应使用分级单片后，CFA注射到大鼠的按摩师肌肉 21，22。山崎 等人2008年给TMJ注射了CFA，然后在14天内量化了对TMJ地区施加的机械、热或冷刺激的不敏感行为。不幸的是，这些不敏感的行为检测涉及动物抑制，产生压力激素，学习或替代行为，可能会干扰测量的结果。
测量牙齿新觉的模型利用下颚开口反射，但这种方法可能不可靠23 或不精确24。电密电活性已用于测量牙齿新感25，但这种方法通常要求动物失去知觉，虽然在一项研究中牙齿新认识被调查在自由移动的老鼠26。2008年，Khan使用敏感的应变量表27 研究了牙齿新感与咀嚼功能之间的关系，但这种咬合持续时间模型需要限制动物的正常活动 28。咬伤力是衡量人类牙齿疼痛的可靠指标，但由于大鼠需要训练和/或克制来测量咬伤力，因此引入了压力源，从而得出具有可疑生理意义的发现29-31
使用操作设计来评估无感性行为，可以克服约束和压力的某些限制。一个操作模型使用避免不舒服的温度来评估和描述或描述社会非感知32-35。这种奖励冲突模型是基于加糖牛奶的奖励，诱导啮齿动物自愿将脸靠在加热或冷却的热探针34，36上。然而，测试需要动物训练，但检测的强度是数据以自动化的方式收集。
还有一种动物模型使用非感知诱发的啃食功能障碍作为组织非感知37的指数。然而，啮齿动物被限制在管子里，它唯一的出路就是咬着一只鸽子离开。该模型的一个优点是，它测量小鼠急性或慢性下颚损伤后的下颚功能。然而，啮齿动物是有限的，这增加了一个混淆的替代竞争行为， 即逃跑，这将是有压力的，因此可能会影响无菌检测结果。
膳食持续时间已用于测量动物的非感知与TMJ关节炎38-41，牙髓暴露42，肌肉损伤43。在动物开始进餐后，经历过或非社会性非感知的啮齿动物吃得比较慢。患有TMJ疼痛的患者也需要更长的时间来咀嚼他们的食物，当TMJ疼痛减少44-46时，周期长度缩短。当TMJ疼痛出现时，延长膳食持续时间预计将是一种"保护行为"，在操作上定义为无感性行为47。
膳食持续时间测量TMJ新感，使用非侵入性方法在雄性大鼠和雌性大鼠中长达19天，在雄性小鼠中测量6天（测试时间最长），可称为新药38-41的生物标记。为了支持膳食持续时间测量非感性反应，药理干预可减少非感知，导致动物的膳食持续时间恢复正常38，40，41。当无菌神经元被使用辣椒素摧毁时，这也得到了证实：神经破坏后，动物的膳食持续时间没有增加后，注射CFA到TMJ 40。
以下是关于如何获取和统计分析膳食持续时间数据的协议。

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	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:335px;">Animal Monitor software</td>
			<td style="width:92px;">Med Assoc. Inc</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">SOF-710</td>
			<td style="width:335px;">East Fairfield, VT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:335px;"></td>
			<td style="width:92px;"></td>
			<td style="width:137px;"></td>
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		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">Dustless Precision Pellets, Rodent, Grain-Based&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:92px;">Bio-Serv</td>
			<td>F0165</td>
			<td style="width:335px;">45 mg pellets, 50,000/box</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">Dustless Precision Pellets, Rodent, Grain-Based&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:92px;">Bio-Serv</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">FO163</td>
			<td style="width:335px;">20 mg pellets</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;">Complete Freund&#39;s Adjuvant</td>
			<td style="width:92px;">Chondrex, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">7001</td>
			<td style="width:335px;">No loger provides the 5 mg/ml concentration.&#160; Can use CFA from other sources as long as the investigator consistently uses this source</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
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meal duration as a measure of orofacial nociceptive responses in rodents

延长膳食时间可用于测量与患有或社会疼痛的人类的守卫行为相似的体面机械性高血症的增加。为了测量膳食持续时间，无拘无束的老鼠连续被关在声音衰减、计算机化的喂养模块中数天到数周，以记录喂养行为。这些声音衰减室配备了周颗粒分配器。分配器有一个颗粒槽，在槽底放置了光束，当啮齿动物从喂食器槽中取出颗粒时，这种光束不再被阻塞，指示计算机投下另一个颗粒。计算机记录从低谷中取出颗粒的日期和时间，从这些数据中，实验者可以计算膳食参数。在计算膳食参数时，根据以前的工作定义了膳食，并设定为 10 分钟（换句话说，当动物 10 分钟不进食时，即动物膳食的末日），并且将最低膳食大小设置为 3 个颗粒。然后，您可以通过软件计算操作员希望的任何时间段的用餐时间、膳食数量、食物摄入量、膳食大小和餐间间隔。在可以计算的喂养参数中，膳食持续时间已被证明是雄性大鼠和雌性大鼠中或社会非侵入性生物标志物。膳食持续时间测量是定量的，不需要训练或动物操作，需要皮质参与，并且不与其他实验诱导的行为竞争。这些因素将此分析与其他记录或社会非感知的操作或反射方法区分开来。

膳食持续时间是组织疼痛的行为相关性，膳食持续时间测量已应用于患有TMJ关节炎（图2）和蛀牙的动物（图3）。在一项实验中，大鼠在施用了250毫克高剂量的终审法院后，患有TMJ关节炎，这种治疗导致19天的膳食持续时间显著增加（图2）。注射到每个 TMJ 关节的低剂量 CFA （10 毫克） 仅在 2-3 天52中产生较小的膳食持续时间增加，表明使用此膳食持续...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Meal Duration as a Measure of Orofacial Nociceptive Responses in Rodents at JoVE.com

Meal Duration as a Measure of Orofacial Nociceptive Responses in Rodents

延长膳食时间代表啮齿动物的或非感知行为，类似于人类的守护行为与性疼痛。饮食是一种不需要训练或动物操作的行为，需要皮质参与，并且不与其他实验诱导的行为竞争，将此检测与替代反射或操作测量区分开来。

膳食持续时间作为衡量啮齿动物的奥体非感知反应的指标

A lengthening in meal duration can be used to measure an increase in orofacial mechanical hyperalgesia having similarities to the guarding behavior of ...

meal-duration-as-measure-orofacial-nociceptive-responses

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

7.5K 次观看.  Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry. 延长膳食时间代表啮齿动物的或非感知行为，类似于人类的守护行为与性疼痛。饮食是一种不需要训练或动物操作的行为，需要皮质参与，并且不与其他实验诱导的行为竞争，将此检测与替代反射或操作测量区分开来。

视频: Meal Duration as a Measure of Orofacial Nociceptive Responses in Rodents

Using Chronic Social Stress to Model Postpartum Depression in Lactating Rodents

Exposure to chronic stress is a reliable predictor of depressive disorders, and social stress is a common ethologically relevant stressor in both animals and humans. However, many animal models of depression were developed in males and are not applicable or effective in studies of postpartum females. Recent studies have reported significant effects of chronic social stress during lactation, an ethologically relevant and effective stressor, on maternal behavior, growth, and behavioral neuroendocrinology. This manuscript will describe this chronic social stress paradigm using repeated exposure of a lactating dam to a novel male intruder, and the assessment of the behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine effects of this model. Chronic social stress (CSS) is a valuable model for studying the effects of stress on the behavior and physiology of the dam as well as her offspring and future generations. The exposure of pups to CSS can also be used as an early life stress that has long term effects on behavior, physiology, and neuroendocrinology.

This article describes the use of chronic resident intruder social stress as an ethologically relevant paradigm to model postpartum depression and anxiety in lactating rodents.

哺乳期鼠害使用慢性社会压力型号产后抑郁症

Exposure to chronic stress is a reliable predictor of depressive disorders, and social stress is a common ethologically relevant stressor in both animals ...

科研

行为学

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior

We present an operant system for the detection of pain in awake, conscious rodents. The Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) assesses pain behaviors in a more clinically relevant way by not relying on reflex-based measures of nociception. Food fasted, hairless (or shaved) rodents are placed into a Plexiglas chamber which has two Peltier-based thermodes that can be programmed to any temperature between 7 &deg;C and 60 &deg;C. The rodent is trained to make contact with these in order to access a reward bottle. During a session, a number of behavioral pain outcomes are automatically recorded and saved. These measures include the number of reward bottle activations (licks) and facial contact stimuli (face contacts), but custom measures like the lick/face ratio (total number of licks per session/total number of contacts) can also be created. The stimulus temperature can be set to a single temperature or multiple temperatures within a session. The OPAD is a high-throughput, easy to use operant assay which will lead to better translation of pain research in the future as it includes cortical input instead of relying on spinal reflex-based nociceptive assays.

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior

We present a user-friendly, high-throughput operant system for the evaluation of pain behaviors in awake, conscious rodents. The Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) can assess pain through a reward/conflict paradigm thus providing a more humane way of testing. This protocol will yield more clinically relevant and translational data from rodents.

使用操作性口面疼痛评估设备（OPAD）测量伤害行为的变化

We present an operant  system for the detection of pain in awake, conscious rodents. The Orofacial  Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) assesses pain behaviors ...

The Crossmodal Congruency Task as a Means to Obtain an Objective Behavioral Measure in the Rubber Hand Illusion Paradigm

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a popular experimental paradigm. Participants view touch on an artificial rubber hand while the participants' own hidden hand is touched. If the viewed and felt touches are given at the same time then this is sufficient to induce the compelling experience that the rubber hand is one's own hand. The RHI can be used to investigate exactly how the brain constructs distinct body representations for one's own body. Such representations are crucial for successful interactions with the external world. To obtain a subjective measure of the RHI, researchers typically ask participants to rate statements such as "I felt as if the rubber hand were my hand". Here we demonstrate how the crossmodal congruency task can be used to obtain an objective behavioral measure within this paradigm.
The variant of the crossmodal congruency task we employ involves the presentation of tactile targets and visual distractors. Targets and distractors are spatially congruent (i.e. same finger) on some trials and incongruent (i.e. different finger) on others. The difference in performance between incongruent and congruent trials - the crossmodal congruency effect (CCE) - indexes multisensory interactions. Importantly, the CCE is modulated both by viewing a hand as well as the synchrony of viewed and felt touch which are both crucial factors for the RHI.
The use of the crossmodal congruency task within the RHI paradigm has several advantages. It is a simple behavioral measure which can be repeated many times and which can be obtained during the illusion while participants view the artificial hand. Furthermore, this measure is not susceptible to observer and experimenter biases. The combination of the RHI paradigm with the crossmodal congruency task allows in particular for the investigation of multisensory processes which are critical for modulations of body representations as in the RHI.

We demonstrate how an objective measure can be employed in the widely employed rubber hand illusion paradigm. This measure is obtained by modifying the well-established crossmodal congruency task. This task allows the investigation of multisensory processes which are critical for modulations of body representations as in the rubber hand illusion.

一致性的任务作为一种手段来获取目标行为的措施中的橡胶手错觉范式Crossmodal

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a popular experimental paradigm. Participants view touch on an artificial rubber hand while the participants' own hidden ...

The Attentional Set Shifting Task: A Measure of Cognitive Flexibility in Mice

Cognitive impairment, particularly involving dysfunction of circuitry within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), represents a core feature of many neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Deficits in cognitive function also represent the most difficult symptom domain&#160;to successfully treat, as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants have only modest effects. Functional neuroimaging studies and postmortem analysis of human brain tissue implicate the PFC as being a primary region of dysregulation in patients with these disorders. However, preclinical behavioral assays used to assess these deficits in mouse models which can be readily manipulated genetically and could provide the basis for studies of new treatment avenues have been underutilized. Here we describe the adaptation of a behavioral assay, the attentional set shifting task (AST), to be performed in mice to assess prefrontal cortex mediated cognitive deficits. The neural circuits underlying behavior during the AST are highly conserved across humans, nonhuman primates and rodents, providing excellent face, construct and predictive validity.

The goal of this protocol is to perform a behavioral assay such as the attentional set shifting task (AST) to assess prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive flexibility in mice.

在注意定势转移任务：测量小鼠认知的灵活性

Cognitive impairment, particularly involving dysfunction of circuitry within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), represents a core feature of many ...

A Method for Remotely Silencing Neural Activity in Rodents During Discrete Phases of Learning

This protocol describes how to temporarily and remotely silence neuronal activity in discrete brain regions while animals are engaged in learning and memory tasks. The approach combines pharmacogenetics (Designer-Receptors-Exclusively-Activated-by-Designer-Drugs) with a behavioral paradigm (sensory preconditioning) that is designed to distinguish between different forms of learning. Specifically, viral-mediated delivery is used to express a genetically modified inhibitory G-protein coupled receptor (the Designer Receptor) into a discrete brain region in the rodent. Three weeks later, when designer receptor expression levels are high, a pharmacological agent (the Designer Drug) is administered systemically 30 min prior to a specific behavioral session. The drug has affinity for the designer receptor and thus results in inhibition of neurons that express the designer receptor, but is otherwise biologically inert. The brain region remains silenced for 2-5 hr (depending on the dose and route of administration). Upon completion of the behavioral paradigm, brain tissue is assessed for correct placement and receptor expression. This approach is particularly useful for determining the contribution of individual brain regions to specific components of behavior and can be used across any number of behavioral paradigms.

This protocol describes how to temporarily and remotely silence neuronal activity in discrete brain regions while rats are engaged in learning and memory tasks. The approach combines pharmacogenetics (Designer-Receptors-Exclusively-Activated-by-Designer-Drugs) with a behavioral paradigm (sensory preconditioning) that is designed to distinguish between different components of learning.

为远程沉默的神经活动在鼠害的方法在学习独立的阶段

This protocol describes how to temporarily and remotely silence neuronal activity in discrete brain regions while animals are engaged in learning and ...

A Protocol of Manual Tests to Measure Sensation and Pain in Humans

Numerous qualitative and quantitative techniques can be used to test sensory nerves and pain in both research and clinical settings. The current study demonstrates a quantitative sensory testing protocol using techniques to measure tactile sensation and pain threshold for pressure and heat using portable and easily accessed equipment. These techniques and equipment are ideal for new laboratories and clinics where cost is a concern or a limiting factor. We demonstrate measurement techniques for the following: cutaneous mechanical sensitivity on the arms and legs (von-Frey filaments), radiant and contact heat sensitivity (with both threshold and qualitative assessments using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)), and mechanical pressure sensitivity (algometer, with both threshold and the VAS). The techniques and equipment described and demonstrated here can be easily purchased, stored, and transported by most clinics and research laboratories around the world. A limitation of this approach is a lack of automation or computer control. Thus, these processes can be more labor intensive in terms of personnel training and data recording than the more sophisticated equipment. We provide a set of reliability data for the demonstrated techniques. From our description, a new laboratory should be able to set up and run these tests and to develop their own internal reliability data.

The goal of this procedure is to demonstrate a battery of quantitative techniques for sensory and pain measurement in humans. The equipment and techniques described are commonly found in pain clinics or are easy to obtain.

手动测试的协议来衡量感觉和疼痛人类

Numerous qualitative and quantitative techniques can be used to test sensory nerves and pain in both research and clinical settings. The current study ...

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

The Monell two-series, forced-choice, paired-comparison tracking method provides a reliable measure of sweet taste preferences from childhood to adulthood. The method, which is identical for children, adolescents, and adults, is of short duration (&#60; 15 min), does not rely on sustained attention or place demands on memory (which would yield spurious age differences), and minimizes the impact of language development, making this method amenable to the cognitive limitations of pediatric populations. In this whole-mouth tasting method, subjects are asked to taste (without swallowing) pairs of solutions of different sucrose concentrations and to point to the solution they prefer. Each subsequent pair contains the participant&#39;s preceding preferred concentration and an adjacent stimulus concentration. The procedure continues until the subject chooses either a given concentration of sucrose when paired with both a higher and a lower concentration, or the highest or lowest concentration two consecutive times. Subjects are prevented from reaching response criteria on the basis of first or second position bias by the two-series design of the method, which counterbalances the order of solution presentation within each pair between the series (the weaker concentration is presented first in Series 1, second in Series 2). The geometric mean of the two sucrose concentrations chosen in Series 1 and 2 is an estimate of the participant&#39;s most preferred level of sucrose. Sucrose preference as determined with this laboratory-based measure has been shown to be associated with preference for sugars in foods and beverages and with taste receptor genotype, family history of alcoholism, and race/ethnicity, as well as depressive symptomatology among pediatric populations. The method has real-world relevance and has been applied to determine most preferred level of other tastes (e.g., salt), making it a valuable psychophysical tool.

Sweet taste has powerful hedonic appeal among people of all ages, particularly children. Described herein is a reliable and valid method that can be used to determine the level of sweetness most preferred, making it a valuable psychophysical tool for scientists.

心理跟踪方法来衡量儿童和成人的口味偏好

The Monell two-series, forced-choice, paired-comparison tracking method provides a reliable measure of sweet taste preferences from childhood to ...

Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents

Food intake measurements are essential for many research studies. Here, we provide a detailed description of a novel solution for measuring food intake in mice: the Feeding Experimentation Device (FED). FED is an open-source system that was designed to facilitate flexibility in food intake studies. Due to its compact and battery powered design, FED can be placed within standard home cages or other experimental equipment. Food intake measurements can also be synchronized with other equipment in real-time via FED's transistor-transistor logic (TTL) digital output, or in post-acquisition processing as FED timestamps every event with a real-time clock. When in use, a food pellet sits within FED's food well where it is monitored via an infrared beam. When the pellet is removed by the mouse, FED logs the timestamp onto its internal secure digital (SD) card and dispenses another pellet. FED can run for up to 5 days before it is necessary to charge the battery and refill the pellet hopper, minimizing human interference in data collection. Assembly of FED requires minimal engineering background, and off-the-shelf materials and electronics were prioritized in its construction. We also provide scripts for analysis of food intake and meal patterns. Finally, FED is open-source and all design and construction files are online, to facilitate modifications and improvements by other researchers.

Feeding Experimentation Device FED: Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents

Feeding Experimentation Device (FED) is an open-source device for measuring food intake in mice. FED can also synchronize food intake measurements with other techniques via a real-time digital output. Here, we provide a step-by-step tutorial for the construction, validation, and usage of FED.

饲养实验装置（FED）：建筑和验​​证的开源设备的在鼠害测量摄食

Food intake measurements are essential for many research studies. Here, we provide a detailed description of a novel solution for measuring food intake in ...

Noninvasive, High-throughput Determination of Sleep Duration in Rodents

Traditionally, sleep is monitored by an electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG studies in rodents require surgical implantation of the electrodes followed by a long recovery period. To perform an EEG recording, the animal is connected to a receiver, creating an unnatural tether to the head-mount. EEG monitoring is time consuming, carries risk to the animal, and is not a completely natural setting for the measurement of sleep. Alternative methods to detect sleep, particularly in a high-throughput fashion, would greatly advance the field of sleep research. Here, we describe a validated method for detecting sleep via activity-based home-cage monitoring. Previous studies have shown that sleep assessed via this method has a high degree of agreement with sleep defined by traditional EEG-based measures. Whereas this method is validated for total sleep time, it is important to note that sleep bout duration should be assessed by an EEG which has better temporal resolution. The EEG can also differentiate rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep, giving more detail about the exact nature of sleep. Nevertheless, activity-based sleep determination can be used to analyze multiple days of undisturbed sleep and to assess sleep as a response to an acute event (like stress). Here, we show the power of this system to detect the response of mice to daily intraperitoneal injections.

We describe a high-throughput method of measuring sleep by means of activity-based home-cage monitoring. This method offers advantages over traditional EEG-based methods. It is well validated for the determination of total sleep duration and can be a powerful tool to monitor sleep in rodent models of human disease.

无创高通量测定啮齿类动物睡眠时间

Traditionally, sleep is monitored by an electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG studies in rodents require surgical implantation of the electrodes followed by a ...

A Laboratory Method to Measure Contagious Yawning in Rats

Communication is an essential aspect of animal social life. Animals may influence one another and come together in schools, flocks, and herds. Communication is also the way sexes interact during courtship and how rivals settle disputes without fighting. However, there are some behavioral patterns for which it is difficult to test the existence of a communicatory function, because several types of sensory modalities are likely involved. For example, contagious yawning is a communicatory act in mammals that potentially occurs through sight, hearing, smell, or a combination of these senses depending on whether the animals are familiar to one another. Therefore, to test hypotheses about the possible communicatory role of such behaviors, a suitable method is necessary to identify the participating sensory modalities.
The method proposed here aims to obtain yawn contagion curves for familiar and unfamiliar rats and evaluate the relative participation of visual and olfactory sensory modalities. The method uses inexpensive materials, and with some minor changes, it can also be used with other rodent species such as mice. Overall, the method involves the substitution of clear dividers (with or without holes) with opaque dividers (with or without holes) that either allow or prevent communication between rats placed in adjacent cages with holes in adjoining sides. Accordingly, four conditions can be tested: olfactory communication, visual communication, both visual and olfactory communication, and neither visual nor olfactory communication. As social interaction occurs between the rats, these test conditions simulate what may occur in a natural environment. In this respect, the method proposed here is more effective than traditional methods that rely on video presentations whose biological validity can raise concerns. Nonetheless, it does not discriminate between the potential role of hearing and roles of smell and vision in yawn contagion.

The method described here aims to obtain yawn contagion curves in pairs of familiar or unfamiliar male rats. Cages with holes separated by either clear or opaque partitions with (or without) holes are used to detect whether visual, olfactory, or both types of sensory cues can stimulate yawn contagion.