This work is supported by a Baylor University Research Council grant and by a research grant from the Epilepsy Foundation.

Les souris mâles adultes utilisés dans l&#39;expérience suivante ont été générées et logés à l&#39;Université Baylor à une température ambiante de 22 ° C, avec une lumière de 14 h et 10 h foncé (20:00-06h00 h) cycle diurne. Les souris ont reçu un accès ad libitum à la nourriture et de l&#39;eau. Toutes les procédures aux souris étaient en conformité avec les Instituts nationaux de la santé Lignes directrices pour le soin et l&#39;utilisation des animaux de laboratoire et le protocole des animaux a été approuvé par l&#39;Université Baylor de protection des animaux et l&#39;utilisation Comité. Les souris ont été testés en fin de matinée / début d&#39;après midi. Pour toutes les procédures ci-dessous l&#39;enquêteur doivent porter des gants pour éliminer les odeurs et éviter la contamination. 1. Préparation des odeurs non-sociaux <ol><li> Préparer les odeurs non-sociaux fraîches chaque jour de test. Note: L&#39;enquêteur doit utiliser des gants pour préparer les odeurs. <ol><li> Remplissez 3 tubes de centrifugation avec 10 ml d&#39;eau chacun. </li><li> Pipette 100 pi d&#39;extrait de banane dans un 15 ml &amp; #160; tube conique et 100 ul de l&#39;extrait d&#39;amande dans un deuxième tube conique de 15 ml d&#39;une dilution à 1: 100. Remarque: Le troisième tube de 15 ml ne contenir de l&#39;eau. </li></ol></li></ol> 2. Préparation des odeurs sociaux <ol><li> Préparer les odeurs fraîches sociaux sur les essais du matin se produira. Obtenir odeurs sociaux de deux cages qui ne l&#39;ont pas été nettoyés pendant au moins trois jours et contenir un nombre égal de souris. Obtenir odeurs sociaux de souris du même sexe que le sujet de test. Note: Ce sont pour être stocké à température ambiante et doivent être utilisées dans 4-6 heures pour maintenir l&#39;odeur forte et cohérente. <ol><li> Déterminer combien odeur sociale des cotons-tiges doivent être créés: chaque souris testée sera présenté avec trois tampons des odeurs sociale 1, et trois des odeurs sociale 2. </li><li> Préparer odeurs sociaux en essuyant un coton-tige en zigzag à travers le fond d&#39;une cage sale. Secouez toute la literie excès accroché à la pointe. </li><li> tampons de magasins dans de grandes jarres en verre à couvercle ou dans des béchers couverts avec du parafilm. Désigner un conteneur pour l&#39;odeur sociale 1 et un second pour l&#39;odeur sociale 2. </li></ol></li><li> Maintenir cages de source des odeurs à l&#39;extérieur de la salle d&#39;essais expérimentaux. </li></ol> 3. acclimatation de la souris test <ol><li> Mettez des gants et peser la souris pour être testé et placer individuellement dans une cage propre avec un couvercle métallique sur le dessus et la bouteille d&#39;eau éliminée. </li><li> Laisser la souris pour acclimater à la nouvelle cage pendant 45 min dans une autre pièce que la salle d&#39;examen. Assurez-vous qu&#39;il n&#39;y a pas d&#39;odeurs inhabituelles ou des bruits dans la chambre. </li><li> Comme test prend environ 45 min, décaler les temps d&#39;acclimatation en mettant la prochaine souris pour être testé dans une cage propre pour acclimater droit avant de tester la souris actuelle. </li></ol> 4. Préparation de la salle d&#39;essai <ol><li> Placez écouvillons frais de coton, ruban de laboratoire, les flacons contenant des tampons d&#39;odeur sociaux, les tubes de nsur-sociale odeurs, une micro-pipette, deux minuteurs, et une bouteille de déchets avec un couvercle dans la salle d&#39;examen. </li><li> Assurez-vous que la salle de test est raisonnablement exempts d&#39;odeurs, les bruits forts, et la lumière vive. Ne pas porter de Cologne ou lotions parfumées. Remarque: L&#39;observateur ne devrait pas être le chewing-gum ou des bonbons pendant la période d&#39;essai et doit essayer de limiter leur exposition à des aliments de forte odeur. </li></ol> 5. Procédure de test <ol><li> Apportez la souris acclimatés dans sa cage dans la salle d&#39;examen et de placer la cage sur le comptoir à une hauteur qui est confortable pour la visualisation en position assise. </li><li> Présenter chaque odeur 3 fois de suite pendant 2 minutes à chaque fois. Utilisez l&#39;ordre de présentation qui peut être trouvé dans le tableau 1. <ol><li> Pipette 50 ul de substance odorante dans le parfum à tester à la pointe de la coton-tige et re-cap de la source de l&#39;odeur. Soulevez le haut du fil de la cage et insérez l&#39;extrémité non parfumé, de bois de la tige dans l&#39;ouverture de la bouteille d&#39;eau, Pushing à travers la longueur de la face inférieure de la toile vers le haut. Évitez de toucher le bout de coton pour quoi que ce soit, y compris les doigts, de sorte que la contamination des odeurs est évitée. </li><li> Continuer à tirer la tige à travers l&#39;ouverture de la bouteille d&#39;eau jusqu&#39;à environ 1 pouce de l&#39;extrémité de coton pend dans la cage. Apposer la fin de l&#39;écouvillon en bois sur le côté de la cage en utilisant du ruban de laboratoire. Remarque: Veillez à ne pas laisser le couvercle retombe sur la cage, causant un bruit fort qui perturberait la souris de test. </li><li> Commencer immédiatement moment pendant 2 min. Utilisez une minuterie pour chronométrer la présentation de 2 min. Noter le temps cumulé passé renifler l&#39;odeur pendant le procès de 2 min. Comptez le comportement de reniflement de l&#39;animal à l&#39;aide d&#39;un chronomètre séparé. Sniffing active est définie lorsque le nez de l&#39;animal est orientée vers la pointe de coton avec son nez ~ 2 cm ou plus près de la pointe. </li><li> Après l&#39;achèvement de chaque essai, soulevez le couvercle de fil et enlever le coton-tige en le tirant vers le bas par l&#39;ONUderside du couvercle (ce qui évite la contamination des odeurs en empêchant la pointe de coton de toucher le fil). Sceller le tampon utilisé dans un 500 de la bouteille de déchets. </li><li> Préparer et insérez le suivant écouvillon et commencez à chronométrer. Laissez environ 1 min entre chaque intervalle entre les essais. Continuer jusqu&#39;à ce que chaque parfum a été présenté trois fois de suite, pendant 2 minutes à chaque fois. </li></ol></li><li> Une fois que la souris a terminé tous les essais, vider la bouteille de déchets contenant des tampons de coton utilisés dans une poubelle à l&#39;extérieur de la salle d&#39;essai. Retour de la souris à sa cage. </li></ol> 6. Analyse <ol><li> Analyser les données pour chaque groupe par condition de l&#39;odeur en utilisant ANOVA à deux voies suivie par Newman-Keuls ou un test similaire post hoc pour déterminer accoutumance importante (moins de temps renifler successives mêmes odeurs), et dishabitutation (plus de temps reniflant une odeur de neuf). </li></ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Les résultats fournis dans le présent document sont optimales pour les souris. Les souris démontrent une réponse forte à un roman odeur, puis habituent rapidement. Une des étapes clés de cette méthode est la préparation des odeurs. L&#39;enquêteur doit prendre grand soin d&#39;isoler les odeurs un de l&#39;autre pour éviter la contamination. Un autre aspect important est la présentation du coton-tige. L&#39;enquêteur doit résoudre le meilleur emplacement de la pointe de coton de sorte que la souris peut en...

Les souris sont dépendants de l&#39;olfaction pour naviguer nouveaux environnements, trouver de la nourriture, pour reconnaître d&#39;autres personnes, et le comportement sexuel 1-3. Il est essentiel que les enquêteurs d&#39;établir si oui ou non les animaux de laboratoire ont un sens de l&#39;odorat de fonctionnement avant d&#39;administrer des tests de comportement qui impliquent la nourriture, l&#39;interaction sociale, ou les odeurs destinés à obtenir une réponse de la souris. Anosmie ou de l&#39;impossibilité de faire la distinction entre les différentes odeurs, peut entraîner des faux positifs ou négatifs dans une grande variété de paradigmes comportementaux, donc la capacité d&#39;une souris pour détecter et distinguer les odeurs devraient être établis avant d&#39;autres types de tests comportementaux sont effectuées. Le test habituation / de déshabituation olfactive a été décrite pour la première dans les années 1980 4. Le test a été conçu pour être utilisé chez la souris par les Drs. Mu Yang et Jacqueline Crawley 5. Ceci est un test simple et peu coûteuse qui permet à l&#39;enquêteur de l&#39;ESTAblish qu&#39;une souris peut détecter et différencier les odeurs. En plus de tester l&#39;olfaction, ce test permet à l&#39;enquêteur d&#39;observer le comportement général de la souris et doit être fait au début d&#39;un programme de tests. Les observations qualitatives concernant la locomotion de la souris, des signes d&#39;anxiété, niveau d&#39;activité, et la réponse aux odeurs sociaux contre les odeurs de nourriture peuvent signaler de nouveaux domaines dans lesquels des tests pourrait être effectuée. Dans cet essai, des cotons-tiges trempés dans diverses odeurs sont présentés à une souris à trois reprises dans une rangée. Avec chaque présentation répétée d&#39;une odeur, la souris sera habituer à le coton-tige, en dépensant moins de temps à étudier avec chaque présentation ultérieure. Quand une nouvelle odeur est présenté, déshabituation se produit, et une souris typique passer plus de temps à enquêter sur l&#39;écouvillon, indiquant qu&#39;il peut distinguer les odeurs actuels et antérieurs 5. Ce test est administré à une souris à la fois et comprend un 45 min acclimation période de suivi de 45 min de l&#39;essai. Bien que ce test est facile à réaliser, il peut être utilisé pour étudier les questions complexes sur le système olfactif de la souris. D&#39;autres tests populaires de l&#39;olfaction, tels que le test de la nourriture enfouie, établissent simplement la présence ou l&#39;absence d&#39;anosmie. Toutefois, le critère de discrimination et d&#39;accoutumance olfactive permet à l&#39;enquêteur de déterminer qu&#39;une souris a non seulement la capacité de détecter les odeurs mais peut discriminer entre les différentes odeurs. Le motif de l&#39;habituation et déshabituation a été utilisé pour établir que les nouveaux mutants peuvent discriminer entre 6,7 odeurs. Dans une étude surprenante, Fadool et ses collègues ont utilisé des mélanges complexes d&#39;odeurs pour montrer que les souris avec délétion du gène ciblé du canal Kv1.3 sont «super smellers» qui peuvent discriminer les odeurs très similaires mieux que les souris normales 8. Lors de l&#39;examen d&#39;un nouveau modèle de souris knock-out il est utile de Establish la présence d&#39;un comportement normal pour les tâches sensorielles de base. Quand cela est fait au début d&#39;un programme de tests, la discrimination fondée sur l&#39;odeur et le test d&#39;habituation donne un enquêteur l&#39;occasion d&#39;observer des comportements inhabituels. Ces observations pourraient éviter des résultats positifs ou faussement négatifs dans des essais ultérieurs qui sont attribuables à confondre caractéristiques du mutant. Comme les chercheurs continuent d&#39;enquêter sur le comportement social la nécessité de vérifier la fonction olfactive de base devient de plus en plus importante. En plus d&#39;examiner l&#39;olfaction en lignées mutantes, ce test peut être utilisé pour répondre à des questions spécifiques telles que si un traitement pharmacologique augmente spécifiquement la réponse d&#39;un animal à des stimuli sociaux ou d&#39;odeurs si leur réponse augmente à tous les stimuli d&#39;odeurs.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Mouse cage</td>
			<td>Allentown</td>
			<td>Standard mouse cage</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Wire lid</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Allentown</td>
			<td>BCU Mouse WBL 2500</td>
			<td rowspan="2"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bedding</td>
			<td>Harlan</td>
			<td>7090 Sani-Chips</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cotton swabs</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89031-270</td>
			<td>6&#8221; wooden handle</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Banana extract</td>
			<td>McCormick</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Almond extract</td>
			<td>McCormick</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laboratory tape</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89098-062</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stop watch</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>62374-000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nitrile gloves</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>82026</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Timing device</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>61161-350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 mL conical tubes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89003-294</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2 L beakers&#160;</td>
			<td>Pyrex</td>
			<td align="right">1003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td>PM-992</td>
			<td>4&#8221; x 250&#8217;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 L bottle with cap</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89000-240</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

testing for odor discrimination and habituation in mice

This video demonstrates a technique to establish the presence of a normally functioning olfactory system in a mouse. The test helps determine whether the mouse can discriminate between non-social odors and social odors, whether the mouse habituates to a repeatedly presented odor, and whether the mouse demonstrates dishabituation when presented with a novel odor. Since many social behavior tests measure the experimental animal&#8217;s response to a familiar or novel mouse, false positives can be avoided by establishing that the animals can detect and discriminate between social odors. There are similar considerations in learning tests such as fear conditioning that use odor to create a novel environment or olfactory cues as an associative stimulus. Deficits in the olfactory system would impair the ability to distinguish between contexts and to form an association with an olfactory cue during fear conditioning. 
In the odor habitation/dishabituation test, the mouse is repeatedly presented with several odors. Each odor is presented three times for two minutes. The investigator records the sniffing time directed towards the odor as the measurement of olfactory responsiveness. A typical mouse shows a decrease in response to the odor over repeated presentations (habituation). The experimenter then presents a novel odor that elicits increased sniffing towards the new odor (dishabituation). After repeated presentation of the novel odor the animal again shows habituation. This protocol involves the presentation of water, two or more non-social odors, and two social odors. In addition to reducing experimental confounds, this test can provide information on the function of the olfactory systems of new knockout, knock-in, and conditional knockout mouse lines.

Suivant le protocole décrit, les résultats ont été enregistrés à l&#39;aide de dix adultes (de jour postnatal 90-120) mâles C57BL / 6J et huit hommes FVB souche mixte fond (jour postnatal 50-70). Le test a été effectué par un seul enquêteur sur plusieurs jours. Chaque point sur les graphiques représente le temps moyen passé enquête une odeur. Lorsque le coton-tige trempé dans de l&#39;eau est d&#39;abord introduit, les souris passent beaucoup de temps à étudier ce roman obje...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice at JoVE.com

Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice

This manuscript describes a protocol to examine the olfactory system of rodents. The olfactory habituation/dishabituation test will allow investigators to determine whether a mouse habituates to a repeatedly presented odor and whether the mouse demonstrates dishabituation when presented a novel odor.

Test pour Odeur discrimination et l&#39;accoutumance chez la souris

This video demonstrates a technique to establish the presence of a normally functioning olfactory system in a mouse. The test helps determine whether the ...

testing-for-odor-discrimination-and-habituation-in-mice

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

17.5K vues.  Baylor University. This manuscript describes a protocol to examine the olfactory system of rodents. The olfactory habituation/dishabituation test will allow investigators to determine whether a mouse habituates to a repeatedly presented odor and whether the mouse demonstrates dishabituation when presented a novel odor. 

Vidéo: Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice

The contextual and cued fear conditioning test is one of the behavioral tests that assesses the ability of mice to learn and remember an association between environmental cues and aversive experiences. In this test, mice are placed into a conditioning chamber and are given parings of a conditioned stimulus (an auditory cue) and an aversive unconditioned stimulus (an electric footshock). After a delay time, the mice are exposed to the same conditioning chamber and a differently shaped chamber with presentation of the auditory cue. Freezing behavior during the test is measured as an index of fear memory. To analyze the behavior automatically, we have developed a video analyzing system using the ImageFZ application software program, which is available as a free download at http://www.mouse-phenotype.org/. Here, to show the details of our protocol, we demonstrate our procedure for the contextual and cued fear conditioning test in C57BL/6J mice using the ImageFZ system. In addition, we validated our protocol and the video analyzing system performance by comparing freezing time measured by the ImageFZ system or a photobeam-based computer measurement system with that scored by a human observer. As shown in our representative results, the data obtained by ImageFZ were similar to those analyzed by a human observer, indicating that the behavioral analysis using the ImageFZ system is highly reliable. The present movie article provides detailed information regarding the test procedures and will promote understanding of the experimental situation.

This article presents a protocol for a contextual and cued fear conditioning test using a video analyzing system to assess fear learning and memory in mice.

Contextuelles et Cued conditionnement de la peur de test en utilisant un système d&#39;analyse de la vidéo chez des souris

The contextual and cued fear conditioning test is one of the behavioral tests that assesses the ability of mice to learn and remember an association ...

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Sciences du comportement

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.

Barnes Maze Stratégies de test avec les petites et grandes des modèles de rongeurs

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 ...

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.

Le Conseil Trou modification - Comportement, cognition et l&#39;interaction sociale souris et des rats de mesure

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

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In addition to impairments in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, deficits in sensory processing are now recognized as a core symptom in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our ability to perceive and interact with the external world is rooted in sensory processing. For example, listening to a conversation entails processing the auditory cues coming from the speaker (speech content, prosody, syntax) as well as the associated visual information (facial expressions, gestures). Collectively, the &#8220;integration&#8221; of these multisensory (i.e., combined audiovisual) pieces of information results in better comprehension. Such multisensory integration has been shown to be strongly dependent upon the temporal relationship of the paired stimuli. Thus, stimuli that occur in close temporal proximity are highly likely to result in behavioral and perceptual benefits &#8211; gains believed to be reflective of the perceptual system&#39;s judgment of the likelihood that these two stimuli came from the same source. Changes in this temporal integration are expected to strongly alter perceptual processes, and are likely to diminish the ability to accurately perceive and interact with our world. Here, a battery of tasks designed to characterize various aspects of sensory and multisensory temporal processing in children with ASD is described. In addition to its utility in autism, this battery has great potential for characterizing changes in sensory function in other clinical populations, as well as being used to examine changes in these processes across the lifespan.

We describe how to implement a battery of behavioral tasks to examine the processing and integration of sensory stimuli in children with ASD. The goal is to characterize individual differences in temporal processing of simple auditory and visual stimuli and relate these to higher order perceptual skills like speech perception.

Test de la fonction sensorielle et multisensorielle chez les enfants avec des troubles du spectre autistique

In addition to impairments in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, deficits in sensory processing are ...

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.

Labyrinthe aquatique de Morris Test: Optimisation pour les souris de souche et environnement de test

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

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

Environmental enrichment (EE) is a housing environment for mice that boosts mental and physical health compared to standard laboratory housing. Our recent studies demonstrate that environmental enrichment decreases adiposity, increases energy expenditure, resists diet induced obesity, and causes cancer remission and inhibition in mice. EE typically consists of larger living space, a variety of &#8216;toys&#8217; to interact with, running wheels, and can include a number of other novel environmental changes. All of this fosters a more complex social engagement, cognitive and physical stimulations. Importantly, the toy location and type of toy is changed regularly, which encourages the mice to adapt to a frequently changing and novel environment. Many variables can be manipulated in EE to promote health effects in mice. Thus these approaches are difficult to control and must be properly managed to successfully replicate the associated phenotypes. Therefore, the goal of this video is to demonstrate how EE is properly set up and maintained to assure a complex, challenging, and controlled environment so that other researchers can easily reproduce the protective effects of EE against obesity and cancer.

Environmental enrichment for mice requires a complex and challenging setup, as well as comprehensive husbandry and handling techniques to assure robust metabolic and anti-cancer effects in the mice. This protocol provides detailed procedures to reproduce the above mentioned effects in mice.

Un protocole pour souris Bricolage dans un environnement enrichi

Environmental enrichment (EE) is a housing environment for mice that boosts mental and physical health compared to standard laboratory housing. Our recent ...

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Olfaction is highly conserved among species and is required for reproduction and survival.
In humans, olfaction is also one of the senses that is affected with aging and is a strong predictor of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, olfaction testing is used as a non-invasive diagnostic method to detect neurological deficits early on. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying olfactory network susceptibility, olfactory research in rodents has gained momentum in the past decade.
Here, we present a very simple, time efficient and reproducible olfactory testing method of innate odor perception and sensitivity in mice without the need of any prior food or water restriction. The tests are performed in a familiar environment to the mice, require only the scents and a 2 min session of odorant exposure. The analysis is performed, post-hoc, using computer-assisted commands on ImageJ and can be, therefore, carried out from start to end by one researcher.
This protocol does not require any special hardware or setup and is indicated for any laboratory interested in testing olfactory perception and sensitivity.

We present a simple and unbiased olfactory test in mice. With this protocol olfactory discrimination, preference, avoidance and sensitivity to a novel odor as compared to water can be assessed in single behavioral sessions. This method is indicated for a single experimenter and analysis is based on computer-assisted video processing.

Simple et test olfactif pour souris assistée par ordinateur

Olfaction is highly conserved among species and is required for reproduction and survival.
In humans, olfaction is also one of the senses that is affected ...

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Metamemory involves the cognitive ability to assess the strength of one&#39;s memories. To explore the possibility of metamemory in non-human animals, numerous behavioral tasks have been created, many of which utilize an option to decline memory tests. To assess metamemory in rats, we utilized this decline-test option paradigm by adapting previous visual delayed-match-to-sample tests (DMTS)1,2 developed for primate species to an odor-based test suitable for rodents. First,&#160;rats are given a sample to remember by digging in a cup of scented sand. After a delay, the rat is presented with four distinctly scented cups, one of which contains the identical scent experienced during the sample; if this matching cup is selected, then the rat obtains a preferred, larger reward. Selection of any of the other three non-matching sand-filled scented cups results in no reward. Retention intervals are individually titrated such that subjects perform between 40 and 70% correct, therefore ensuring rats sometimes remember and sometimes forget the sample. Here, the operational definition of metamemory is the ability to distinguish between the presence and absence of memory through behavioral responding. Towards this end, on two-thirds of trials, a decline option is presented in addition to the four choice cups (choice trials). If the decline-test option- an unscented colored sand cup, is selected, the subject receives a smaller less-preferred reward and avoids the memory test. On the remaining third of trials, the decline-test option is not available (forced trials), causing subjects to guess the correct cup when the sample is forgotten. On choice tests, subjects that know when they remember should select the decline option when memory is weak rather than take the test and choose incorrectly. Therefore, significantly higher performance on chosen tests as compared to forced memory tests is indicative of the adaptive use of the decline-test response and metacognitive responding.

This protocol describes a method for investigating the possibility of metamemory, or memory awareness, in rodents. The odor-based delayed-matching-to-sample paradigm is a novel, ecologically-relevant behavioral test useful for determining the extent to which rodents can adaptively respond based on cognitively monitoring the strength of their memory states.

Ils métacognitives répondant à l’aide de base d’odeur analysés Match à l’échantillon Test chez le rat

Metamemory involves the cognitive ability to assess the strength of one&#39;s memories. To explore the possibility of metamemory in non-human animals, ...

Measuring Active and Passive Tameness Separately in Mice

Domesticated animals such as dogs and laboratory mice show a high level of tameness, which is important for humans to handle them easily. Tameness has two behavioral components: a reluctance to avoid humans (passive tameness) and a motivation to approach humans (active tameness). To quantify these components in mice, we previously developed behavioral tests for active tameness, passive tameness, and the willingness to stay on a human hand, each designed to be completed within 3 min. The data obtained were used for selective breeding, with a large number of mice analyzed per generation. The active tameness test measures the movement of the mouse toward a human hand and the contact it engages in. The passive tameness test measures the duration of time that a mouse tolerates human touch. In the stay-on-hand test, a mouse is placed on a human hand and touched slowly using the thumb of that hand; the duration of time that the animal remains on the hand is measured. Here, we describe the test set-up and apparatus, explain the procedures, and discuss the appropriate data analysis. Finally, we explain how to interpret the results.

Tameness in animals includes a reduction of avoidance responses to humans (passive tameness) and an increase in active approaches to humans (active tameness). Here, we describe detailed protocols for three behavioral tests (active tameness, passive tameness, and stay-on-hand tests) to separately measure the active and passive tameness of mice.

Mesure Active et Passive docilité séparément chez les souris

Domesticated animals such as dogs and laboratory mice show a high level of tameness, which is important for humans to handle them easily. Tameness has two ...

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

Olfaction is the most important sensory mechanism by which many insects interact with their environment and a wind tunnel is an excellent tool to study insect chemical ecology. Insects can locate point sources in a three-dimensional environment through the sensory interaction and sophisticated behavior. The quantification of this behavior is a key element in the development of new tools for pest control and decision support. A wind tunnel with a suitable flight section with laminar air flow, visual cues for in-flight feedback and a variety of options for the application of odors can be used to measure complex behaviour which subsequently may allow the identification of attractive or repellent odors, insect flight characteristics, visual-odor interactions and interactions between attractants and odors lingering as background odors in the environment. A wind tunnel holds the advantage of studying the odor mediated behavioural repertoire of an insect in a laboratory setting. Behavioural measures in a controlled setting provide the link between the insect physiology and field application. A wind tunnel must be a flexible tool and should easily support the changes to setup and hardware to fit different research questions. The major disadvantage to the wind tunnel setup described here, is the clean odor background which necessitates special attention when developing a synthetic volatile blend for field application.

Here, we describe the construction and use of a wind tunnel for odor mediated behavioural assays with insects. The wind tunnel design facilitates the release of odor sources by several methods, with and without visual stimuli. Wind tunnel experiments are important methods to identify behaviorally active volatile chemicals.

Une soufflerie pour odeur véhiculée par des tests comportements insectes

Olfaction is the most important sensory mechanism by which many insects interact with their environment and a wind tunnel is an excellent tool to study ...