Research supported by FWO postdoctoral fellowship to AVdJ. The authors would like to thank Leen Van Aerschot and Ilse Bloemen for their technical support.

All protocols have been reviewed and approved by the animal experiments committee of the University of Leuven, Belgium, and were carried out in accordance with the European Community Council Directive (86/609/EEC).
1. Equipment, Apparatus, and Room Set Up:
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a Crawley&#39;s three-chamber box23 which consists of three chambers (19 x 45 cm, height 30 cm) with transparent dividing walls allowing free access to each chamber.</li>
	<li>Utilize two food cups...

<ol>
	<li>Nordin, S., Murphy, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Odor+memory+in+normal+aging+and+Alzheimer's+disease.">Odor memory in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease.</a> Ann Ny Acad Sci. 855, 686-693 (1998).</li><li>Devanand, D. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Olfactory+deficits+in+patients+with+mild+cognitive+impairment+predict+Alzheimer's+disease+at+follow-up.">Olfactory deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment predict Alzheimer's disease at follow-up.</a> Am J Psychiat. 157 (9), 1399-1405 (2000).</li><li>Peters, J. M., Hummel, T., Kratzsch, T., L&#246;tsch, J., Skarke, C., Fr&#246;lich, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Olfactory+function+in+mild+cognitive+impairment+and+Alzheimer's+disease:+an+investigation+using+psychophysical+and+electrophysiological+techniques.">Olfactory function in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an investigation using psychophysical and electrophysiological techniques.</a> Am J Psychiat. 160 (11), 1995-2002 (2003).</li><li>Bahar-Fuchs, A., Moss, S., Rowe, C., Savage, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Awareness+of+olfactory+deficits+in+healthy+aging,+amnestic+mild+cognitive+impairment+and+Alzheimer's+disease.">Awareness of olfactory deficits in healthy aging, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.</a> Int Psychogeriatr. 23 (7), 1097-1106 (2011).</li><li>Serby, M., Larson, P., Kalkstein, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+nature+and+course+of+olfactory+deficits+in+Alzheimer's+disease.">The nature and course of olfactory deficits in Alzheimer's disease.</a> Am J Psychiat. 148 (3), 357-360 (1991).</li><li>Hidalgo, J., Chopard, G., Galmiche, J., Jacquot, L., Brand, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Just+noticeable+difference+in+olfaction:+discriminative+tool+between+healthy+elderly+andpatients+with+cognitive+disorders+associated+with+dementia.">Just noticeable difference in olfaction: discriminative tool between healthy elderly andpatients with cognitive disorders associated with dementia.</a> Rhinology. 49 (5), 513-518 (2011).</li><li>S&#225;nchez-Andrade, G., James, B. M., Kendrick, K. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neural+encoding+of+olfactory+recognition+memory.">Neural encoding of olfactory recognition memory.</a> J Reprod Develop. 51 (5), 547-558 (2005).</li><li>Galef, B. G., Wigmore, S. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transfer+of+information+concerning+distant+foods:+A+laboratory+investigation+of+the+'information-centre'+hypothesis.">Transfer of information concerning distant foods: A laboratory investigation of the 'information-centre' hypothesis.</a> Anim Behav. 31, 748-758 (1983).</li><li>Galef, B. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Social+interaction+modifies+learned+aversions,+sodium+appetite,+and+both+palatability+and+handling-time+induced+dietary+preference+in+rats+(Rattus+norvegicus).">Social interaction modifies learned aversions, sodium appetite, and both palatability and handling-time induced dietary preference in rats (Rattus norvegicus).</a> J Comp Psychol. 100 (4), 432-439 (1986).</li><li>Galef, B. G., Kennett, D. J., Stein, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Demonstrator+influence+on+observer+diet+preference:+Effects+of+simple+exposure+and+the+presence+of+a+demonstrator.">Demonstrator influence on observer diet preference: Effects of simple exposure and the presence of a demonstrator.</a> Anim Learn Behav. 13, 25-30 (1985).</li><li>Galef, B. G., Kennett, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Different+mechanisms+for+social+transmission+of+diet+preference+in+rat+pups+of+different+ages.">Different mechanisms for social transmission of diet preference in rat pups of different ages.</a> Dev Psychobiol. 20 (2), 209-215 (1987).</li><li>Galef, B. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enduring+social+enhancement+of+rats'+preferences+for+the+palatable+and+the+piquant.">Enduring social enhancement of rats' preferences for the palatable and the piquant.</a> Appetite. 13, 81-92 (1989).</li><li>Bunsey, M., Eichenbaum, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Selective+damage+to+the+hippocampal+region+blocks+long-term+retention+of+a+natural+and+nonspatial+stimulus-stimulus+association.">Selective damage to the hippocampal region blocks long-term retention of a natural and nonspatial stimulus-stimulus association.</a> Hippocampus. 5 (6), 546-556 (1995).</li><li>Mayeux-Portas, V., File, S. E., Stewart, C. L., Morris, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mice+lacking+the+cell+adhesion+molecule+Thy-1+fail+to+use+socially+transmitted+cues+to+direct+their+choice+of+food.">Mice lacking the cell adhesion molecule Thy-1 fail to use socially transmitted cues to direct their choice of food.</a> Curr Biol. 10 (2), 68-75 (2000).</li><li>McFarlane, H. G., Kusek, G. K., Yang, M., Phoenix, J. L., Bolivar, V. J., Crawley, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Autism-like+behavioral+phenotypes+in+BTBR+T+tf/J+mice.">Autism-like behavioral phenotypes in BTBR T+tf/J mice.</a> Genes Brain Behav. 7 (2), 152-163 (2008).</li><li>Van der Jeugd, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hippocampal+tauopathy+in+tau+transgenic+mice+coincides+with+impaired+hippocampus-dependent+learning+and+memory,+and+attenuated+late-phase+long-term+depression+of+synaptic+transmission.">Hippocampal tauopathy in tau transgenic mice coincides with impaired hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, and attenuated late-phase long-term depression of synaptic transmission.</a> Neurobiol Learn Mem. 95 (3), 296-304 (2011).</li><li>Koss, D. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mutant+Tau+knock-in+mice+display+frontotemporal+dementia+relevant+behaviour+and+histopathology.">Mutant Tau knock-in mice display frontotemporal dementia relevant behaviour and histopathology.</a> Neurobiol Dis. 91, 105-123 (2016).</li><li>Vale-Mart&#237;nez, A., Baxter, M. G., Eichenbaum, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Selective+lesions+of+basal+forebrain+cholinergic+neurons+produce+anterograde+and+retrograde+deficits+in+a+social+transmission+of+food+preference+task+in+rats.">Selective lesions of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons produce anterograde and retrograde deficits in a social transmission of food preference task in rats.</a> Eur J Neurosci. 16 (6), 983-998 (2002).</li><li>Ross, R. S., McGaughy, J., Eichenbaum, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Acetylcholine+in+the+orbitofrontal+cortex+is+necessary+for+the+acquisition+of+a+socially+transmittedfood+preference.">Acetylcholine in the orbitofrontal cortex is necessary for the acquisition of a socially transmittedfood preference.</a> Learn Memory. 12 (3), 302-306 (2005).</li><li>Mu, Y., Crawley, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Simple+Behavioral+Assessment+of+Mouse+Olfaction.">Simple Behavioral Assessment of Mouse Olfaction.</a> Curr Protoc Neurosci. 8, 24-34 (2009).</li><li>Hardy, J. A., Higgins, G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Alzheimer's+disease:+the+amyloid+cascade+hypothesis.">Alzheimer's disease: the amyloid cascade hypothesis.</a> Science. 256 (5054), 184-185 (1992).</li><li>Radde, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=ABeta42+driven+cerebral+amyloidosis+in+transgenic+mice+reveals+early+and+robust+pathology.">ABeta42 driven cerebral amyloidosis in transgenic mice reveals early and robust pathology.</a> EMBO Rep. 7 (9), 940-946 (2006).</li><li>Nadler, J. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+apparatus+for+quantification+of+social+behaviors+in+mice.">Automated apparatus for quantification of social behaviors in mice.</a> Genes Brain Behav. 3 (5), 303-314 (2004).</li><li>Galef, B. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imitation+in+animals:+history,+definition,+and+interpretation+of+data+from+the+psychological+laboratory.">Imitation in animals: history, definition, and interpretation of data from the psychological laboratory.</a> Social learning: psychological and biological perspectives. , (1988).</li><li>Pulliam, H. R., Melgren, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=On+the+theory+of+gene-culture+co-evolution+in+a+variable+environment.">On the theory of gene-culture co-evolution in a variable environment.</a> Animal cognition and behavior. , 427-443 (1983).</li><li>Wrenn, C. C., Harris, A. P., Saavedra, M. C., Crawley, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Social+transmission+of+food+preference+in+mice:+Methodology+and+application+to+galanin-overexpressing+transgenic+mice.">Social transmission of food preference in mice: Methodology and application to galanin-overexpressing transgenic mice.</a> Behav Neurosci. 117 (1), 21-31 (2003).</li><li>Singh, A., Kumar, S., Singh, V. P., Das, A., Balaji, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flavor+Dependent+Retention+of+Remote+Food+Preference+Memory.">Flavor Dependent Retention of Remote Food Preference Memory.</a> Front Behav Neurosci. 2 (11), 7-17 (2017).</li><li>Kazdoba, T. M., Leach, P. T., Crawley, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Behavioral+phenotypes+of+genetic+mouse+models+of+autism.">Behavioral phenotypes of genetic mouse models of autism.</a> Genes Brain Behav. 15 (1), 7-26 (2006).</li><li>Riedel, G., Kang, S. H., Choi, D. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

An animal behavioral repertoire can be broadly tracked back to four basic reasons, locating food and water, avoiding predators, socially interacting, and reproducing. Implementation of a behavioral pattern produced by one individual of a social group that directly promotes adoption and exhibition by another is coined social transmission24. This kind of behavior can profoundly impact a species&#39; ecology because behavior initiated by (some) individual(s) may quickly extend out to others in the so...

Olfactory recognition deficits are suggested to serve as clinical marker to differentiate Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) subjects from normal aging groups1,2,3,4. A range of neuropsychiatric disorders are characterized by disturbances in olfactory recognition and memory, including AD and Parkinson&#39;s5,6. Several behavioral tests and protocols have been established to assess olfactory recognition and discrimination in animal models7. As such, translational research using appropriate and validated animal models and tests for olfactory memory may advance better diagnosis and treatment for neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, the social transmission of food preference (STFP) test that was originally invented in the early 80&#39;s8 was adapted. In this task, animals are evaluated on their innate ability to learn about food safety from their conspecifics. Underlying select-reject decision, processes involve assessment of the sensory characteristics of the food and an animal must be able to review and ingrate different features (i.e., taste and odor).
The STFP test consists of a rather simple phenomenon: after interaction of the naive &#39;observer&#39; rodent with a &#39;demonstrator&#39; that previously consumed a food, the observer normally demonstrates a greater preference for this food8,9,10. Analyzing necessary conditions resulting in this preference, showed that direct subject &#8211; demonstrator exposure (eaten or dusted with a food) is enough to boost the observer&#39;s preference. However, purely smelling nor eating a food are not sufficient to induce this type of preference11,12.
The STFP protocol consists of four steps over five days. The first step consists of increasing the motivation of the animals to make them eat a novel food. To do so, all rodents are put on a 23-h, food-deprivation schedule, receiving regular chow for 1 h/day for two consecutive days. In the second step, the priming phase, each demonstrator is provided for 1 h with food containing a novel flavor (chow mixed with either cocoa or cinnamon in the original experiments). In the third step, the social interaction phase, each demonstrator is placed into the cage of a subject observer rodent for 30 min. In the fourth step, 24 h after the social interaction, each subject is offered the choice of both flavored diets. The observer&#39;s intake of both foods and preference percentages of both diets eaten by the subject are assessed.
Selective neurotoxic lesions of hippocampus-subiculum are shown to impair performance on this task13. Also, mutations affecting hippocampal function in mice have been reported to prevent food preferences14,15,16,17. Importantly, STFP performance does not exclusively rely on proper hippocampal functioning. It was reported in several pharmacological, genetic manipulations, and lesion studies that other brain structures beside hippocampus may play a role in mediating different aspects of socially-induced diet choice learning and memory. For instance, cholinergic neurons of the medial septum/vertical limb of the diagonal band or nucleus basalis magnocellularis/substantia innominata are suggested to possess different roles in acquiring and retrieving non-spatial social memory of olfactory cues18. Furthermore, orbitofrontal cortex has been implicated in odor-guided learning, and cholinergic depletion of the entire neocortex resulted in STFP deficits, indicating that these brain regions are essential for this type of associative learning19.
Possible confounding factors were avoided as much as possible, such as spreading of the odors or dragging of the food outside the cups. An additional habituation step to the apparatus and a supplementary test before the actual STFP task were added, to assess if the rodents can actually smell and are willing to eat novel foods, the buried cookie test20. Also, by including automated video-tracking, the time spent exploring both the demonstrator during the social interaction as well as the food during the test phase could also be measured. The exploration of the path for each subject is recorded using a camera connected to a video tracking-software equipped computer. As such, different aspects of exploration performance, such as time in each zone, and number of zone visits can be calculated. This gives more detailed information about the animals&#39; activity during the test phase, besides the amount of consumed food as in the original STFP protocol.
In previous experiments with an AD mouse model, the THY-Tau22 model, it was found that impairment in this STFP memory from the age of 9-10 months could be picked up, and these co-occurred with deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and tau pathology in the hippocampus16. Since tau pathology occurs late in disease progression, according to the amyloid cascade hypothesis after the disposition of amyloidal plaques21, it was hypothesized that STFP deficits could be detected at an earlier age in amyloid transgenic mice. Therefore, the STFP test was applied in 3 months old APP/PS1 mice22, the most common used model of AD. This type of socially-induced food choice was indeed found to be impaired in the APP/PS1 mice. It is important that these mice, at least at this age, were devoid of general olfactory, locomotor, or social exploration impairments. To conclude, olfactory recognition dysfunction could be an important early screening method for AD in humans and mice alike. This reliable, cheap and easy screening for early AD could be useful for therapeutic research. If we could screen for early AD more effectively, we could interfere earlier on in the disease process.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>3-chamber apparatus</td>
			<td>custom made</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>19 x 45 cm, height 30 cm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>wire cages to hold mouse</td>
			<td>custom made</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>diameter of 12 cm, height 10 cm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ramp to hold food cup</td>
			<td>custom made</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>10 x 10 cm, height 7 cm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>food cups</td>
			<td>sunlessbody via ebay</td>
			<td>http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Plastic-Sample-Jars-Pots-Cups-Containers-with-Hinged-Lid-x-200-Small-25ml-/251708415240</td>
			<td>diameter of 3.8 cm, height 3.2 cm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>lux meter</td>
			<td>Volcraft</td>
			<td>BL-10 L 0 - 40000 lx</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>paprika herb</td>
			<td>Delhaize</td>
			<td>ID:716703</td>
			<td>Gemalen paprika,| 40 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>celery herb</td>
			<td>Delhaize</td>
			<td>ID:716301</td>
			<td>Selderzout, 57 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>vide-tracking software</td>
			<td>Ethovision (Noldus)</td>
			<td>http://www.noldus.com/animal-behavior-research/products/ethovision-xt</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td>ANYmaze (Stoelting)</td>
			<td>https://www.stoeltingco.com/any-maze-video-tracking-software-1218.html</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

assessment of social transmission of food preferences behaviors

Olfactory recognition deficits are suggested to be able to serve as clinical marker to differentiate Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) subjects from healthy aging groups. For example, olfactory dysfunction in AD can present as impairment in olfactory recognition, emerging during early stages of the disease and worsening while the disease progresses. The social transmission of food preferences (STFP) task is based on a rudimentary form of communication between rodents concerning distant foods dependent on the transmission of olfactory cues. Healthy wild-type mice would prefer to eat a novel, flavored food that was previously cued by a conspecific, and this food preference would be hampered in transgenic AD mice, such as the APP/PS1 model. Indeed, a strong preference for the cued food in C57Bl6/J mice of 3 months of age was found, and this was reduced in 3 months old transgenic APP/PS1 mice. In summary, STFP task could be a powerful measure to be integrated in present subclinical detection assays of AD.

An example of the social exploration phase is shown in Figure 1A-B. This phase allows estimation of social exploration of the subject mouse with the demonstrator mouse that just consumed a flavored food. In the original protocol, mice were allowed to explore each other freely. In the protocol described in this paper, the demonstrator mouse was contained in a wire cup allowing nose and ano-genital contact. Also, the arena where the mice encoun...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors at JoVE.com

Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors

This paper presents a protocol for the investigation of social transmission of food preference in mice. The advantages and possible applications for this procedure, for instance, in detecting early changes in AD mouse models, are highlighted. To conclude, interpretation of the results in light of critical details are discussed.

Olfactory recognition deficits are suggested to be able to serve as clinical marker to differentiate Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) subjects from healthy ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to assess the power of the social transmission of food preferences for the study of socially induced olfactory memory, and the detection of Alzheimer's disease. These methods can help answer key questions in the behavioral neuroscience field, such as how do rodents communicate to others or transmit olfactory cues. This technique has the potential for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease as olfactory cognition dysfunction during early stages of the disease, may be useful for the detection of Alzheimer's.Before beginning the social transmission of food preferences, or STFP procedure, bury a chocolate chip cookie in a random corner of a clean individual housing cage approximately one centimeter beneath the bedding surface and place the observer mouse into the cage. Record the latency to find the cookie with a 15 minute cutoff to rule out olfaction detection deficits and to prevent time consuming, unnecessary STFP testing. Next, lower the walls to separate the right and left compartments and place one container filled with regular food chow pellets in each of two corners of the three chamber apparatus.Gently place the observer mouse in the center chamber and let the subject mouse habituate to the apparatus for 10 minutes. Then, open the sliding doors and let the subject mouse freely explore the whole apparatus for another 10 minutes. The next day, lower the walls to separate the right and left compartments again, and place a demonstrator mouse inside a wire containment cup.Place the cup in the center chamber and write the abbreviation of the food with which the demonstrator has been cued on the lid of the wire cup facing the mounted camera. Gently place the subject mouse in the center chamber and let the subject mouse freely explore the demonstrator mouse for 30 minutes. At the end of the exploration period, weigh each mouse and label each animal with an observed ID and flavor.Then, remove the wall divides and place one food container of the cued food into one corner of the three chamber apparatus and one food container of a novel, uncued food into another corner of the apparatus. Gently place the subject mouse in the middle chamber and let the mouse freely explore the whole arena for 120 minutes. Then, measure the food preference by weighing the remaining food.In the representative social exploration phase analysis, wild type mice did not demonstrate any differences in the total distance moved or time spent with the demonstrator mouse compared to the transgenic, Alzheimer's disease mice. During the food preference test phase, the wild type animal remembered its previous contact with the odor and preferred to eat more, and to spend more time with the matching flavored food, indicating an intact, socially induced food memory. The mutant animals, however, did not show a preference for the cued food over the novel, uncued food, indicative of a decreased, socially induced food memory.Once mastered, this technique can be completed in three hours per subject mouse over three consecutive days, if performed properly. Before and after attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to thoroughly clean the equipment and the inside of the arena to prevent olfactory cue biases between mice. This technique is based on the phenomenon of a naive observer rodent exhibiting an enhanced preference for a specific food after interaction with the demonstrate rodents that ate the same food.Though this methods can provide insights into olfactory learning and memory in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse models, it can also be used in other mouse models of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by olfactory recondition and memory deficits. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to assess social enhancements of diet preference in mice.

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7.8K vues.  KU Leuven. The overall goal of this procedure is to assess the power of the social transmission of food preferences for the study of socially induced olfactory memory, and the detection of Alzheimer's disease. These methods can help answer key questions in the behavioral neuroscience field, such as how do rodents communicate to others or transmit olfactory cues. This technique has the potential for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease as olfactory cognition dysfunction during early stages of the disease...