The authors have no acknowledgements.

Declaración de Ética: Todos los procedimientos fueron aprobados por el Comité de Ética Animal de la Universidad de Sydney y se ajustaba a Nacional de Salud y Consejo de Investigación Médica de directrices Australia. Los procedimientos se realizaron en ratones C57 / BL6J que fueron criados en las instalaciones de la Universidad de Sydney Bosch roedores. Todos los animales fueron alojados en una habitación individual adecuadamente ventilada en 21 ° C de temperatura ambiente en un ciclo de luz-oscuridad de 12 horas con las luces encendidas a las 0600 horas en jaulas ventiladas individualmente con acceso ad libitum al alimento seco y agua. Hembras finales del embarazo fueron asignados aleatoriamente a las condiciones de vivienda estándar o enriquecidos ambientalmente. 1. Vivienda (niveles de enriquecimiento): <ol><li> Obtenga 4 de finales del embarazo adultos ratones hembras. Aleatoriamente asignar 2 a la condición estándar y colocar cada uno de ellos en una jaula ratón estándar limpio (dimensiones 391 x 199 x 160 mm) que contiene un iglú rojo ratón. Para la condición enriquecido, coloque el remaIning 2 ratones en una sola jaula limpia tamaño de una rata (dimensiones 462 x 403 x 404 mm). </li><li> En la jaula de enriquecimiento, coloque una variedad de objetos diseñados para aumentar la estimulación sensorial y motor (por ejemplo, ruedas de rodadura, los estímulos visuales, bolas de algodón perfumado, tiras de velcro). </li><li> Cada 2 a 3 días se mueven estos objetos sobre dentro de la jaula; refrescar cualquier que se han destruido. </li><li> Tras el destete a los 21 días después del parto, los animales del sexo y el lugar en el alojamiento segregado entre hombres y mujeres en consonancia con las condiciones ambientales que se criaron. Para la condición enriquecido aseguran que hay entre 3 y 10 ratones por jaula con 2 y 5 ratones para el estándar. Comenzar las pruebas de comportamiento una vez que los animales alcanzan la edad adulta (12 a 14 semanas de edad). </li></ol> 2. Construcción de la Caja de Puzzle <ol><li> Obtener 6 piezas de acrílico blanco (u otro material no poroso): uno 750 x 280 mm, dos 280 x 250 mm, dos 750 x 250 mm, y uno de 150 x 280 mm (véase la Figura 1). </li><li> Obtener una pieza de acrílico negro 280 x 250 mm, con un 40 x 40 mm abertura cuadrada cortada en un lado de esta pieza (ver Figura 1). </li><li> Montar la caja de rompecabezas de la siguiente manera: utilizar la pieza 750 mm x 280 como la parte inferior de la caja, use 280 x 250 mm piezas como los extremos de la caja, y las piezas de 750 x 250 mm como los lados de la caja. </li><li> Medir 150 mm en la caja desde un extremo, y colocar la pieza de acrílico negro través de la caja de modo que la divide en dos compartimientos (uno grande, uno pequeño) con la abertura ras con la parte inferior de la caja. </li><li> Tome la mm pieza de acrílico blanco 150 x 280 y colocarlo encima del compartimiento más pequeño de la caja y asegúrese de que cubre esta área por completo, proporcionando una cámara oscura &quot;meta-box&quot;. Pegue esta pieza de acrílico para el cuerpo de la caja principal por bisagras, o dejar libre para ser eliminado completamente durante las pruebas de comportamiento. </li><li> Tome 3 piezas de acrílico (tres 4 x 120 mm) y unirse para hacer una &quot;u-shapcanal ed &quot;. </li></ol><img alt="Figura 1" fo:content-width="5in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225fig1highres.jpg" width="500" /> Figura 1: Diagrama esquemático de la tarea Puzzle Box. El Box Puzzle es una caja de acrílico que consiste en un área de campo abierto (600 x 280 mm) y un área protegida meta-caja (150 x 280 mm), que mide 750 x 280 mm en total. Una abertura de 40 x 40 mm dentro de la partición (gris) que separa las dos zonas permite que los animales puedan acceder a la zona de meta-caja cubierta del campo abierto. Esta apertura se bloquea con obstrucciones que son cada vez más difíciles de eliminar como prueba progresa. Animales sometidos a un protocolo de cinco días, que consiste en cuatro condiciones de obstrucción con tres ensayos para cada condición. 3. Funcionamiento del Grupo de Puzzle Box <ol><li> Limpiar a fondo el Puzzle Caja con 70% de alcohol. Repita este paso entre cada animal probado. </li><li> Coloque un iglú ratón rojo limpio dentro del ar meta-boxea de la caja de rompecabezas, y reemplazar la tapa de la caja de la meta. </li><li> Si hay una condición de obstrucción que se prueba, coloque la obstrucción dentro de la puerta de la caja de la meta (ver Figura 2). </li><li> Coloca el ratón está probando en la sección de campo abierto de la caja de rompecabezas, orientado hacia el área chica, y en el extremo más alejado de la caja de la meta. </li><li> Registre el tiempo necesario para que las cuatro patas del animal para entrar en la sección de meta-caja de la caja de Puzzle. </li><li> Si un animal no entra en el área chica, dar por terminado el juicio una vez que se alcanza el límite de tiempo establecido (ver Tabla 1). </li><li> Una vez que el juicio ha terminado, retire al animal de la caja de rompecabezas y colocarlo en una jaula de retención separado hasta que comience el próximo juicio. Mantenga una distancia 60 a 180 segundos entre los ensayos para cada animal. </li><li> Para cada animal, realizar tres pruebas por día durante cinco días consecutivos de pruebas, con cuatro condiciones de obstrucción y tres ensayos de cada condición. La tercera trial de una condición de obstrucción dado siempre debe administrada en un día posterior (véase la Tabla 1). </li></ol><img alt="Tabla 1" fo:content-width="5in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225table1.jpg" width="500" /> Tabla 1: Esquema de la tarea Puzzle Box. La tarea Puzzle Box está dirigido por cinco días, y consta de cuatro condiciones de obstrucción. Hay tres ensayos sobre cada uno de los primeros cuatro días, y uno en el quinto día. Cada condición de obstrucción tiene tres ensayos; los dos primeros en un día, y el tercero el día inmediatamente siguiente. El primer ensayo de una condición de obstrucción tiene como objetivo probar la capacidad de resolución de problemas nativo, el segundo ensayo examina la adquisición de tareas y refuerzo, y el tercer ensayo se utiliza como un ensayo para la retención de la solución y el recuerdo. <img alt="Figura 2" fo:content-width="6in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225fig2highres.jpg" width="600" /> Figura 2: Obstruircondiciones de iones dentro de la tarea Puzzle Box. Diagramas esquemáticos de la arena Puzzle Box y las condiciones de obstrucción utilizados en este estudio. (A) Estado 0 (C0), sin obstrucción presente dentro de la puerta entre el campo abierto y las zonas meta-box. (B) Condición 1 (C1 ), con una &quot;forma de U&quot; canal presente dentro de la puerta entre el campo abierto y las zonas meta-box. (C) Condición 2 (C2), donde el canal se llena con material de cama limpia. (D) Condición 3 (C3 ), con un &quot;tapón de tejido&quot; presente dentro de la puerta entre el campo abierto y las zonas meta-box. (E) Condición 4 (C4) con un &quot;tapón de espuma&quot; presente dentro de la puerta entre el campo abierto y meta-box áreas. Las dimensiones de la arena son según listado en Métodos y Figura 1. 4. Interpretación de los Datos <ol><li> Representar los datos, ya sea como tiempo necesario para comcompletar el ensayo (incluyendo ensayos nulos donde los animales no completó la tarea en el plazo especificado) o como el número de juicios nulos. </li><li> Use un ANOVA de medidas repetidas para evaluar el efecto de la condición de vivienda a los resultados dentro de la caja de rompecabezas, con el tipo de obstrucción / condición (C) y el número de tareas (T) factores intra-sujetos y el nivel de enriquecimiento (estándar versus enriquecido) como entre los sujetos del factor . </li></ol>

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Los datos presentados demuestran que la caja de rompecabezas se puede utilizar con eficacia para evaluar el impacto de los EE. Ratones criados en ambientes enriquecidos tomaron consistentemente mucho menos tiempo para resolver los puzzles de obstrucción dentro de este ensayo de conducta que hizo los animales criados en condiciones normales de laboratorio. Por otra parte, esta diferencia fue más prominente en el primer juicio por tres de las cuatro condiciones de la prueba, lo que sugiere EE tiene una mayor influencia ...

El enriquecimiento ambiental (EE) se puede definir como un entorno que proporcionan los animales con mayor oportunidad para la interacción social, la actividad motora, y una mayor estimulación sensorial que por lo general con experiencia en un environment.EE estándar de laboratorio se ha demostrado que afecta sistemáticamente el comportamiento de los animales, provocando cambios tales como la reducción del estrés y la actividad relacionada con la ansiedad-8-10, la mejora de rendimiento en las tareas de aprendizaje y memoria 8,11, inicio temprano de la coordinación motora y la actividad exploratoria 11, los cambios en la atención materna 8 así como la resistencia a las sustancias adictivas 12- 15. Además, EE ha sido revelado para mejorar los efectos de los trastornos neurodegenerativos, retrasar la aparición y la disminución de la severidad de los síntomas en los modelos animales de la enfermedad de Huntington 1-4,16, 17 de Parkinson y la enfermedad de 18 Alzheimer. Estos cambios correlacionarse con las alteraciones anatómicas y moleculares EE se sabe que induce en todo el cerebro. Los animales criados en ambientes enriquecidos de primeras etapas de desarrollo muestran una miríada de cambios neuronales, incluyendo el aumento de peso del cerebro y el espesor cortical, ramificación dendrítica 9,2-22 y la densidad sináptica 23. EE puede alterar tanto el nivel y el momento de la expresión del factor de crecimiento 9,24-30, que se ha demostrado que contribuyen al desarrollo acelerado de la sensorial 25,26,28,29, mnemónica 30, así como circuitos de motores 31,32. Trabajos anteriores han puesto de manifiesto en las conclusiones veces contradictorias cuando se investiga el impacto de EE, sin tener en cuenta los diferentes tipos de animales y ambientes utilizados dentro de los estudios individuales 9,24,27,30. Actualmente, no hay ninguna tarea de comportamiento consistente y simple que puede ser usado para medir la efectividad de varios paradigmas de EE en diferentes cepas y specs de los animales. La tarea Puzzle Box fue diseñado como una prueba sencilla para determinar problema nativo de un animal habilidad 7 resolver. Se requieren animales colocados en el área abierta para eliminar los materiales situados en una pequeña abertura para acceder a una región / refugio cubierto obstruir. Cada sujeto se administra tres ensayos con la misma obstrucción a fin de evaluar tres atributos cognitivos diferentes. El primer ensayo se obtiene un indicador de línea de base de la capacidad de resolución de problemas inherentes o nativo. El segundo ensayo, se ejecutan en el mismo día, le da una idea de la capacidad del animal para mejorar y así reforzar las estrategias para eliminar la obstrucción específico. El tercer ensayo, llevado a cabo en el día siguiente, da una idea de la capacidad del sujeto para retener y recordar la solución aprendido a la tarea. La motivación de la resolución de estos rompecabezas &quot;obstrucción&quot; de los animales puede ser variado, potencialmenteevocando un deseo innato para evitar los campos abiertos y buscar refugio, así como un impulso inherente a explorar su entorno 6,7. La multitud de potenciales conductores de comportamiento que subyacen al deseo de resolver el Puzzle Box sugiere que varias áreas del cerebro están involucradas en la mediación de la ejecución de tareas. El trabajo previo ha mostrado que en modelos murinos de la esquizofrenia, la corteza prefrontal así como el hipocampo están implicados en la adquisición de esta tarea 5. Un estudio de la lesión en ratas también ha revelado un gran número de regiones del cerebro implicadas en el rendimiento Puzzle Box, incluyendo varios núcleos talámicos, el hipotálamo, el cerebelo, y estructuras límbicas. En conjunto, estos hallazgos indican que la participación en este problema la solución de tarea implica una serie de estructuras neurales asociados con la función cognitiva. La caja de rompecabezas ha sido utilizado con éxito para evaluar la capacidad para resolver problemas de los ratones, así como déficits cognitivos exhibido por mmodelos de orina de la esquizofrenia 5-7. El rendimiento en la tarea se ha demostrado ser altamente consistente, y se correlacionan bien con los resultados de otras pruebas de comportamiento cognitivo 6. El objetivo de este trabajo fue así adaptar la tarea Puzzle Box para convertirse en un medio simple y confiable para determinar la eficacia de los EE.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Black Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>750 x 280 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>280 x 250 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>280 x 250 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>750 x 250 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>750 x 250 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>150 x 280 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>White Acrylic Board</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>280 x 250 mm with a 40 x 40 mm &#34;door&#34; cut into one side</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Underpass</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>3 pieces of 40 x 120 mm plexiglass or acrylic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Note: If unable to access acrylic board, plexiglass or similar non-porous material will suffice.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Webcam</td>
			<td>Logitech</td>
			<td>C210</td>
			<td>Fix to roof with electrical tape. Alternatively, use a tripod.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>VirtualDub v1.10.4</td>
			<td>VirtualDub</td>
			<td>N/A&#160;</td>
			<td>Software for recording behaviour videos. Input from webcam.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TopScan v 3.0</td>
			<td>CleverSys Inc.</td>
			<td>N/A&#160;</td>
			<td>Software for automated top-view tracking and analysis of mouse behaviour. Captured videos are analysed post-hoc.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

the use of the puzzle box as a means of assessing the efficacy of environmental enrichment

Environmental enrichment can dramatically influence the development and function of neural circuits. Further, enrichment has been shown to successfully delay the onset of symptoms in models of Huntington&#8217;s disease 1-4, suggesting environmental factors can evoke a neuroprotective effect against the progressive, cellular level damage observed in neurodegenerative disorders. The ways in which an animal can be environmentally enriched, however, can vary considerably. Further, there is no straightforward manner in which the effects of environmental enrichment can be assessed: most methods require either fairly complicated behavioral paradigms and/or postmortem anatomical/physiological analyses. This protocol describes the use of a simple and inexpensive behavioral assay, the Puzzle Box 5-7 as a robust means of determining the efficacy of increased social, sensory and motor stimulation on mice compared to cohorts raised in standard laboratory conditions. This simple problem solving task takes advantage of a rodent&#8217;s innate desire to avoid open enclosures by seeking shelter. Cognitive ability is assessed by adding increasingly complex impediments to the shelter&#8217;s entrance. The time a given subject takes to successfully remove the obstructions and enter the shelter serves as the primary metric for task performance. This method could provide a reliable means of rapidly assessing the efficacy of different enrichment protocols on cognitive function, thus paving the way for systematically determining the role specific environmental factors play in delaying the onset of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease.

Los resultados descritos aquí son una muestra representativa, con datos tomados de varias cohortes que constan de diferentes camadas. Todas las pruebas de comportamiento se llevó a cabo entre 0700 y 1100 horas, con el fin de pruebas al azar de animales dentro de una cohorte. Los animales criados en un ambiente enriquecido (n = 14, 7 mujeres y 7 hombres) tuvieron significativamente menos tiempo para resolver las tareas de obstrucción dentro de la caja del rompecabezas que los criados en un entorno estándar (n = 15, 7...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment at JoVE.com

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment provides a potential protective effect against neurodegenerative disorders. Currently, however, there is no easy way of determining the efficacy of enrichment procedures. This protocol describes a simple &#8220;Puzzle Box&#8221; method for assessing an animal&#8217;s cognitive function, in order to reveal the effectiveness of environmental enrichment.

El uso de la caja de rompecabezas como un medio para evaluar la eficacia de Enriquecimiento Ambiental

Environmental enrichment can dramatically influence the development and function of neural circuits.  Further, enrichment has been shown to successfully ...

the-use-puzzle-box-as-means-assessing-efficacy-environmental

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

11.5K vistas.  University of Sydney. Environmental enrichment provides a potential protective effect against neurodegenerative disorders. Currently, however, there is no easy way of determining the efficacy of enrichment procedures. This protocol describes a simple “Puzzle Box” method for assessing an animal’s cognitive function, in order to reveal the effectiveness of environmental enrichment.

Video: The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment

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.

El Grupo de Congruencia crossmodal como medio para obtener una medida del comportamiento objetivo de la Guía Caucho mano 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 ...

Investigación

Comportamiento

Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can cause devastating neurological deficits, including impairment or loss of upper limb and hand function. A majority of the spinal cord injuries in humans occur at the cervical levels. Therefore, developing cervical injury models and developing relevant and sensitive behavioral tests is of great importance. Here we describe the use of a newly developed forelimb step-alternation test after cervical spinal cord injury in rats. In addition, we describe two behavioral tests that have not been used after spinal cord injury: a postural instability test (PIT), and a pasta-handling test. All three behavioral tests are highly sensitive to injury and are easy to use. Therefore, we feel that these behavioral tests can be instrumental in investigating therapeutic strategies after cSCI.

Three new behavioral tests (forelimb step-alternation, postural instability test, pasta handling test) for evaluating forelimb function after cervical spinal cord injury in rodents are described.

La evaluación de la función Miembro Anterior tras unilateral cervical SCI usando Tareas Novela: Limb Paso alternancia, inestabilidad postural y manipulación Pasta

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can cause devastating neurological deficits, including impairment or loss of upper limb and hand function. A majority ...

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

The goal of the present protocol is to describe the forced swim test (FST), which is one of the most commonly used assays for the study of depressive-like behavior in rodents. The FST is based on the assumption that when placing an animal in a container filled with water, it will first make efforts to escape but eventually will exhibit immobility that may be considered to reflect a measure of behavioral despair. This test has been extensively used because it involves the exposure of the animals to stress, which was shown to have a role in the tendency for major depression. Additionally, the FST has been shown to share some of the factors that are influenced or altered by depression in humans, including changes in food consumption, sleep abnormalities and drug-withdrawal-induced anhedonia. The main advantages of this procedure are that it is relatively easy to perform and that its results are easily and quickly analyzed. Moreover, its sensitivity to a broad range of antidepressant drugs that makes it a suitable screening test is one of the most important features leading to its high predictive validity. Despite its appeal, this model has a number of disadvantages. First, the issue of chronic augmentation is problematic in this test because in real life patients need to be treated for at least several weeks before they experience any relief from their symptoms. Last, due to the aversiveness of the FST, it is important to take into account possible influences it might have on brain structure/function if brain analyses are to be carried out following this procedure.

This protocol describes the forced swim test, which is used for the study of depressive-like behavior in rodents. This procedure involves placing an animal in a container filled with water that eventually will lead to the exhibition of immobility behavior, which is considered to reflect behavioral despair.

La prueba de natación forzada como un modelo de depresivo-como comportamiento

The goal of the present protocol is to describe the forced swim test (FST), which is one of the most commonly used assays for the study of depressive-like ...

Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of Engagement to Characterize Learning: A Neurophysiological Perspective

In a recent theoretical synthesis on the concept of engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris1 defined engagement by its multiple dimensions: behavioral, emotional and cognitive. They observed that individual types of engagement had not been studied in conjunction, and little information was available about interactions or synergy between the dimensions; consequently, more studies would contribute to creating finely tuned teaching interventions. Benefiting from the recent technological advances in neurosciences, this paper presents a recently developed methodology to gather and synchronize data on multidimensional engagement during learning tasks. The technique involves the collection of (a) electroencephalography, (b) electrodermal, (c) eye-tracking, and (d) facial emotion recognition data on four different computers. This led to synchronization issues for data collected from multiple sources. Post synchronization in specialized integration software gives researchers a better understanding of the dynamics between the multiple dimensions of engagement. For curriculum developers, these data could provide informed guidelines for achieving better instruction/learning efficiency. This technique also opens up possibilities in the field of brain-computer interactions, where adaptive learning or assessment environments could be developed.

This paper aims to describe the techniques involved in the collection and synchronization of the multiple dimensions (behavioral, affective and cognitive) of learners&#8217; engagement during a task.

La evaluación de las múltiples dimensiones de compromiso para caracterizar aprendizaje: una perspectiva neurofisiológica

In a recent theoretical synthesis on the concept of engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris1 defined engagement by its multiple dimensions: ...

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Nowadays, the increasing incidence of eating disorders due to poor self-control has given rise to increased obesity and other chronic weight problems, and ultimately, to reduced life expectancy. The capacity to refrain from automatic responses is usually high in situations in which making errors is highly likely. The protocol described here aims at reducing imprudent preference in women during hypothetical intertemporal choices about appetitive food by associating it with errors. First, participants undergo an error task where two different edible stimuli are associated with two different error likelihoods (high and low). Second, they make intertemporal choices about the two edible stimuli, separately. As a result, this method decreases the discount rate for future amounts of the edible reward that cued higher error likelihood, selectively. This effect is under the influence of the self-reported hunger level. The present protocol demonstrates that errors, well known as motivationally salient events, can induce the recruitment of cognitive control, thus being ultimately useful in reducing impatient choices for edible commodities.

Giving in to temptation of tasty food may result in long-term overweight problems. This protocol describes how to reduce imprudent preference for edible commodities during hypothetical intertemporal choices in women by associating them with errors.

Errores como un medio de reducir impulsivo Choice Food

Nowadays, the increasing incidence of eating disorders due to poor self-control has given rise to increased obesity and other chronic weight problems, and ...

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

An individual's sexual drive is influenced by genotype, experience and environmental conditions. How these factors interact to modulate sexual behaviors remains poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, environmental cues, such as food availability, affect mating activity offering a tractable system to investigate the mechanisms modulating sexual behavior. In D. melanogaster, environmental cues are often sensed via the chemosensory gustatory and olfactory systems. Here, we present a method to test the effect of environmental chemical cues on mating behavior. The assay consists of a small mating arena containing food medium and a mating couple. The mating frequency for each couple is continuously monitored for 24 h. Here we present the applicability of this assay to test environmental compounds from an external source through a pressurized air system as well as manipulation of the environmental components directly in the mating arena. The use of a pressurized air system is especially useful to test the effect of very volatile compounds, while manipulating components directly in the mating arena can be of value to ascertain a compound's presence. This assay can be adapted to answer questions about the influence of genetic and environmental cues on mating behavior and fecundity as well as other male and female reproductive behaviors.

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

We demonstrate an assay to analyze the environmental and genetic cues that influence mating behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

Un método para probar el efecto de las señales ambientales sobre el comportamiento de apareamiento en<em&gt; Drosophila melanogaster</em

An individual's sexual drive is influenced by genotype, experience and environmental conditions. How these factors interact to modulate sexual behaviors ...

The Knob Supination Task: A Semi-automated Method for Assessing Forelimb Function in Rats

Tasks that accurately measure dexterity in animal models are critical to understand hand function. Current rat behavioral tasks that measure dexterity largely use video analysis of reaching or food manipulation. While these tasks are easy to implement and are robust across disease models, they are subjective and laborious for the experimenter. Automating traditional tasks or creating new automated tasks can make the tasks more efficient, objective, and quantitative. Since rats are less dexterous than primates, central nervous system (CNS) injury produces more subtle deficits in dexterity, however, supination is highly affected in rodents and crucial to hand function in primates. Therefore, we designed a semi-automated task that measures forelimb supination in rats. Rats are trained to reach and grasp a knob-shaped manipulandum and turn the manipulandum in supination to receive a reward. Rats can acquire the skill within 20 &plusmn; 5 days. While the early part of training is highly supervised, much of the training is done without direct supervision. The task reliably and reproducibly captures subtle deficits after injury and shows functional recovery that accurately reflects clinical recovery curves. Analysis of data is performed by specialized software through a graphical user interface that is designed to be intuitive. We also give solutions to common problems encountered during training, and show that minor corrections to behavior early in training produce reliable acquisition of supination. Thus, the knob supination task provides efficient and quantitative evaluation of a critical movement for dexterity in rats.

This manuscript describes a semi-automated task that quantifies supination in rats. Rats reach, grasp, and supinate a spherical manipulandum. The rat is rewarded with a pellet if the turn angle exceeds a criterion set by the user. This task increases throughput, sensitivity to injury, and objectivity compared to traditional tasks.

La tarea de supinación de mando: Un método semiautomático para evaluar la función de Forelimb en ratas

Tasks that accurately measure dexterity in animal models are critical to understand hand function. Current rat behavioral tasks that measure dexterity ...

Methods of Pairing and Pair Maintenance of New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) Via Behavioral Ethogram, Monitoring, and Interventions

New Zealand White (NZW) laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), as well as their ancestors the European Rabbit, are a social species that exhibit numerous benefits to being housed accordingly. Although these rabbits are innately gregarious, certain behaviors can still arise when kept in captivity, which if left unchecked, can confound research results or lead to wounding, which in extreme cases can be severe. To prevent these issues, there must be a well-structured plan for the monitoring and maintenance of paired laboratory rabbits. The purpose of this protocol is to present effective procedures for establishing newly paired NZW rabbits as well as methods for successful maintenance. Multiple methods have been tested for the creation of newly paired female rabbits from the vendor, but the most efficacious technique emphasizes capitalizing on the stress bonding from transport, urine marking, pairing in a neutral cage with no forced sharing of resources and a system of monitoring and intervention. To determine the best method of housing paired rabbits in a standard caging environment, data were collected to generate a behavioral ethogram. Behaviors were then quantified as positive, neutral or negative and were tracked across the lifespan of the pair to determine which behaviors indicated pair success or failure. With the newfound knowledge of socially housed laboratory NZW rabbit behavior, enrichment intervention was applied to alleviate aggression and prevent wounding, thus resulting in a higher percentage of successful pairs. Through several years of trialing different pairing methods, the development of the ethogram and the resulting enrichment interventions, understanding of the highly complex social constructs that dominate pair housed rabbit behavior has dramatically increased and allowed for the provision of more species-specific care and increased standards of welfare.

Methods of Pairing and Pair Maintenance of New Zealand White Rabbits Oryctolagus Cuniculus Via Behavioral Ethogram, Monitoring, and Interventions

Though European rabbits are a social species, socially housing them can be challenging. Therefore, there must be a thorough understanding of behaviors and social structures of pair-housed laboratory rabbits. Here we present a protocol to identify pairing methods, species-typical hierarchy establishment behaviors and behaviors that warrant appropriate intervention.

Métodos de emparejamiento y mantenimiento par de Nueva Zelanda blanco conejos (Cuniculus de Oryctolagus) Via etograma comportamiento, seguimiento e intervenciones

New Zealand White (NZW) laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), as well as their ancestors the European Rabbit, are a social species that exhibit ...

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with parents. This paper focuses on such a method, namely Five-Minute Speech Sample-Coherence (FMSS-Coherence). In this method, a parent is asked to speak for five uninterrupted minutes about her/his child and their relationship. The resulted narrative is coded for coherence, namely the extent to which the parent provides&#160;in the narrative&#160;a clear, consistent, multidimensional and well-supported portrayal of the child. FMSS-Coherence is based on attachment research that shows that the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives is indicative of the quality of the parent-child relationship and child adjustment. It overcomes the limitations of attachment narrative measures which are typically labor intensive. FMSS-Coherence is less nuanced than extant attachment narrative measures. Yet, studies of families from different cultural backgrounds, across different child ages and in the context of typically developing children as well as children with special needs suggest that coherence can be reliably evaluated using the FMSS procedure. Furthermore, parents&#8217; FMSS-Coherence is associated with parenting quality and children&#8217;s socio-emotional adjustment. Thus, it holds promise for researchers and practitioners who seek a relatively time- and cost-effective method for assessing the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives regarding their child.

Assessing the Coherence of Parents&#039; Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

This paper introduces a method for assessing the coherence of parents' short narratives regarding their child and their relationship using the five-minute speech sample procedure.

Evaluar la coherencia de las narrativas cortas de los padres con respecto a su hijo utilizando el procedimiento de muestra de habla de cinco minutos

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with ...

Providing Meaningful Environmental Enrichment and Measuring Saliva Cortisol in Pigs Housed on Slatted Flooring

As pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, the welfare of animals in the swine industry has increasingly become a major public concern, which imposes a substantial pressure coming from customers, legislators and other stakeholders, to make management changes to improve the well-being of these animals. Several studies have demonstrated that providing environmental enrichment to pigs allows them to express their natural behavior, such as rooting and exploring, as well as nesting prior to farrowing, and is associated with reduced stress and improved production and welfare. However, many considerations should be taken into account when providing environmental enrichment, such as the type of floor, drainage and sewage systems, the pigs&#39; stage in life, the material, as well as its hanging method, height and location within the pen. The objectives of this paper are (1) to give methodologic information on how to provide a relatively simple and practical meaningful environmental enrichment for pigs which are housed on slatted floors during the different stages of their life, and (2) to demonstrate how to collect saliva samples for the measurement of cortisol concentrations, as a biomarker for acute stress. Protocols include information regarding the use of jute, cotton ropes, straw in racks, as well as chewable silicone sticks devices as environmental enrichment in pens of farrowing and lactation, weaners and finishers. In addition, the use of cotton rope for a non-invasive saliva samples collection for cortisol concentrations analysis is detailed. The protocols provided are relevant for professionals aiming to improve and monitor animal welfare, in both research and industrial swine farming.

This protocol demonstrates how to provide practical meaningful environmental enrichment for pigs which are housed on slatted flooring during the different stages of their lives, and how to collect saliva samples in a non-invasive manner for the measurement of cortisol concentrations, as a biomarker for acute stress.

Proporcionar un enriquecimiento ambiental significativo y medir el cortisol de saliva en cerdos alojados en pisos de lama

As pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, the welfare of animals in the swine industry has increasingly become a major public concern, which imposes a ...