The authors have no acknowledgements.

Etik deyimi: Tüm işlemler Sydney Üniversitesi Hayvan Deneyleri Yerel Etik Kurulu tarafından onaylanmış ve Ulusal Sağlık ve Avustralya kurallar Tıbbi Araştırma Konseyi uyduğu bulundu. Prosedürler University of Sydney, Bosch Kemirgen Tesisi&#39;nde yetiştirilen edildi C57 / BL6J fareler üzerinde yapıldı. Tüm fareler kuru gıda ve su ad libitum erişim ayrı ayrı havalandırılan kafeslerde 0600 saatte ışıkları ile 12 saat aydınlık-karanlık döngüsü 21 ° C ortam sıcaklığında tek yeterince havalandırılmış bir odada muhafaza edildi. Geç gebelik kadın rastgele standart veya çevre zenginleştirilmiş konut koşulları ayrıldı. 1. Konut (Zenginleştirme Düzeyleri): <ol><li> 4 geç gebelik yetişkin dişi fareler elde. Rasgele standart duruma 2. atamak ve bir kırmızı fare Eskimo içeren bir temiz standart fare kafes (genel boyutları 391 x 199 x 160 mm) içine bunların her yer. Zenginleştirilmiş durum için, Rema yerleştirinining tek temiz sıçan büyüklüğünde kafesin içine 2 fareler (genel boyutları x 404 mm x 462 403). </li><li> Zenginleştirme kafesin içine, bir duyusal ve motor uyarımı artırmak için tasarlanan nesnelerin çeşitli (örneğin çalışan tekerlekleri, görsel uyaranlara, kokulu pamuk topları, Velcro şeritler) yerleştirin. </li><li> Her 2 ila 3 gün kafesin içinde yaklaşık bu nesneleri hareket; tahrip edilmiş herhangi bir yenileyin. </li><li> Onlar yetiştirildik çevre koşulu ile uyumlu erkek-dişi ayrılmış yuvaya 21 gün postnatal, seks hayvanlar ve yerde sütten sonra. Zenginleştirilmiş durum için 2 ile kafes başına 3 ve 10 fare ve standart 5 fareler arasında bulunmadığından emin olun. Hayvanlar yetişkinlik (12-14 hafta) ulaştıktan sonra davranışsal test başlar. </li></ol> Bulmaca Box 2. İnşaatı <ol><li> 6 Beyaz akrilik parçaları (veya diğer non-gözenekli malzeme) edinin: bir 750 x 280 mm, iki 280 x 250 mm, iki 750 x 250 mm ve 150 x 280 bir mm (Şekil 1). </li><li> 40 x 40 mm kare açılması bu parçanın bir tarafında oyulmuş ile, siyah akrilik tek parça 280 x 250 mm edinin (Şekil 1). </li><li> Aşağıdaki gibi Puzzle Kutusu birleştirin: kutusunun alt olarak 750 x 280 mm parça kullanın, kutunun uçları ve kutunun kenarlarına olarak 750 x 250 mm adet olarak 280 x 250 mm parçalarını kullanın. </li><li> Kutunun alt ile açılış floş (büyük bir, bir küçük) bir ucundan kutuya 150 mm ölçün, ve iki bölmeleri böler, böylece kutunun üzerinde akrilik siyah parça yerleştirin. </li><li> Beyaz akrilik 150 x 280 mm parça alır ve karanlık bir &quot;amaç-box&quot; odasını sağlayan, emin tamamen bu alanı kaplamaktadır yapma kutusunun küçük bölmesine tepesinde yerleştirin. Menteşe ile ana kutu gövdesine akrilik bu parça yapıştırmayın veya tamamen davranışsal test sırasında kaldırılacak ücretsiz bırakın. </li><li> Akrilik (üç 4 x 120 mm) 3 adet alın ve bir &quot;U-Shap yapmak katılmaked &quot;kanalı. </li></ol><img alt="Şekil 1," fo:content-width="5in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225fig1highres.jpg" width="500" /> Şekil 1: Bulmaca Kutusu görevin şematik. Bulmaca Kutusu açık alan bölgede (600 x 280 mm) ve tüm 750 x 280 mm ölçülerinde bir korunaklı gol kutu alanı (150 x 280 mm), oluşan bir akrilik kutu. Bu iki bölgeyi ayıran bölme (gri) içinde bir 40 x 40 mm açılış hayvanlar açık alanda karşılanır gol kutusu alanına erişmenizi sağlar. Bu açılış testi ilerledikçe kaldırmak için giderek daha zor olan engeller ile bloke edilir. Hayvanlar Her durum için üç denemeler dört tıkanıklığı koşulları oluşan, beş günlük protokolü tabi. Bulmaca Kutusu Görev 3. Koşu <ol><li> İyice% 70 alkol ile Bulmaca Kutusu temizleyin. Test edilen her hayvan arasındaki bu adımı tekrarlayın. </li><li> Amaç-box ar içinde temiz bir kırmızı fare Eskimo yerleştirinBulmaca Box adet ve amaç-box kapağı değiştirin. </li><li> Test edilen bir engel durum varsa, hedefe kutunun kapı içinde tıkanıklığı yerleştirin (Şekil 2). </li><li> Fare amacı-box yönelik Bulmaca Box açık alan bölümünde, içine test ve amaç-box uzak ucundan olmak yerleştirin. </li><li> Bulmaca Box amacı kutusu bölümüne girmek için hayvanın dört pençeleri için geçen süreyi kaydedin. </li><li> Bir hayvan hedef kutusu girmezse ayarlanan süre sınırı (Tablo 1) ulaşıldığında, deneme sonlandırmak. </li><li> Bir deneme bittikten sonra, Bulmaca Kutusu hayvan kaldırmak ve bir sonraki duruşma başlayana kadar ayrı tutma kafes içine yerleştirin. Her hayvan için denemeler arasında 60-180 sn boşluk bırakın. </li><li> Her bir hayvan için, dört tıkanıklığı koşulları ve her bir durumda üç denemeler ile test beş ardışık gün için, günde üç denemeler gerçekleştirmek. Üçüncü triBelirli bir tıkanma durumunun ark, her zaman bir sonraki gün uygulanır gerekmektedir (Tablo 1 e bakınız). </li></ol><img alt="Tablo 1" fo:content-width="5in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225table1.jpg" width="500" /> Tablo 1: Bulmaca Kutusu görev şeması. Bulmaca Kutusu görev beş gün boyunca koşmak ve dört tıkanıklığı koşulları oluşur. Üç ila dört gün her bir ilgili çalışmalar ve beşinci günde bir vardır. Her engel durumu üç denemeler vardır; bir gün ilk iki ve üçüncü gün hemen ardından. Bir engel durumun ilk deneme yerli problem çözme yeteneğini test etmeyi amaçlamaktadır, ikinci deneme görev edinimi ve takviye inceler ve üçüncü deneme çözümü tutma ve hatırlama için bir tahlil olarak kullanılır. <img alt="Şekil 2," fo:content-width="6in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52225/52225fig2highres.jpg" width="600" /> Şekil 2: Engelbulmaca Kutu görev içinde iyon koşulları. Bulmaca Kutusu arena ve bu çalışma kapsamında kullanılan tıkanıklığı koşulları şematik diyagramlar. (A) Durum 0 (C0), açık alan ve hedef kutusu alanları arasındaki kapı içinde herhangi bir engel varken. (B) Durum 1 (C1 ), açık alan ve amaç-box alanlar arasındaki kapı içinde bir &quot;u şeklindeki&quot; kanal varken. (C) kanal temiz yatak malzemesi ile doldurulmuştur Durum 2 (C2),. (D) Durum 3 (C3 ), açık alan ve hedef kutusu alanları arasındaki kapı içinde bulunan bir &quot;doku fişi&quot; ile. (E) açık alan ve hedef kutusu arasında kapı içinde bulunan bir &quot;köpük fişi&quot; ile Koşul 4 (C4) alanlar. Yöntem ve Şekil 1&#39;de göre arena boyutları. Verilerin 4. Yorumlama <ol><li> Zaman ya com alınan verileri Temsilveya null çalışmaların sayısı olarak (null hayvanlar belirlenen süre içinde görevi tamamlamak vermedi çalışmalarda dahil) deneme tamamlar. </li><li> Arası konular faktör olarak tıkanıklık tipi / durumu (C) ve görev numarası (T) içinde-konular faktörler ve (zenginleştirilmiş karşı standart) zenginleştirme seviyesi ile, bulmaca Box içinde performans üzerine konut durumun etkisini değerlendirmek için tekrarlayan ölçümler ANOVA kullanın . </li></ol>

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

sunulan veriler Bulmaca Kutusu etkin olarak kullanılabilir EE etkisini değerlendirmek için ortaya koymaktadır. Zenginleştirilmiş ortamlarda yetiştirilen Fareler sürekli standart laboratuar koşullarında içinde yükseltilmiş hayvanlar yaptım daha bu davranış tahlilinde içinde tıkanma bulmacaları çözmek için önemli ölçüde daha az zaman aldı. Üstelik, bu fark EE görev tarafından sunulan problemlere çözüm güçlendirmek veya korumak için kendi kapasitesine göre bir hayvanın doğal sorun ç?...

Çevre zenginleştirme (EE) sürekli hakkında getirerek, hayvanların davranışlarını etkilediği gösterilmiştir sosyal etkileşim, motor aktivite ve genellikle standart bir laboratuar environment.EE deneyimli daha fazla duyusal stimülasyon için artan fırsat hayvanları sağlayan çevresi olarak tanımlanabilir Böyle öğrenme ve bellek görevleri stres ve anksiyete ile ilgili faaliyet 8-10 azaltılması, geliştirilmiş performans gibi değişiklikler 8,11, motor koordinasyon ve keşif faaliyeti 11, bağımlılık yapan maddeler anne bakımı 8 yanı sıra direnç değişikliklerin erken başlangıçlı 12- 15. Bundan başka, EE başlangıcının geciktirilmesi ve Huntington 1-4,16, Parkinson 17 ve Alzheimer hastalığı 18 hayvan modellerinde belirtilerin şiddetinin azaltılması, nörodejeneratif bozuklukların etkisini iyileştirmek için ortaya konmuştur. Bu değişiklikler, korEE beyne boyunca uyardığı bilinmektedir anatomik ve moleküler değişikliklerle birlikte ilgilidir. Gelişiminin erken aşamalarında zenginleştirilmiş ortamlarda yetiştirilen hayvanlar 9,2-22 ve sinaptik yoğunluğu 23 dallanma dendritik artan beyin ağırlığı ve kortikal kalınlık dahil nöral değişikliklerin sayısız, göstermektedir. EE düzeyi ve hızlandırılmış duyusal 25,26,28,29 gelişimi, hafıza 30, hem de motor devrelerinde 31,32 katkı gösterilmiştir büyüme faktörü 9,24-30, zamanlama ikisini değiştirebilmektedir. Dikkate bireysel çalışmalar 9,24,27,30 içinde kullanılan hayvanların ve ortamlarda farklı almadan, EE etkisini araştıran bir önceki iş süreleri çelişkili bulgular ortaya koymuştur. Şu anda, farklı suşları ve spec çeşitli EV paradigmaların etkinliğini ölçmek için kullanılabilecek hiçbir tutarlı ve basit davranışsal bir görev olduğunuHayvanların ler. Bulmaca Kutusu görevi bir hayvanın doğal problem çözme yeteneğini 7 belirlemek için basit bir test olarak tasarlanmıştır. Açık alanda yerleştirilen hayvanlar kapalı bölge / barınak erişmek için küçük bir açılış içinde yer malzemelerin engel çıkarmak için gereklidir. Her konu üç farklı bilişsel özelliklerini değerlendirmek için aynı tıkanıklığı üç deneme verilir. İlk deneme doğasında ya da yerli problem çözme yeteneği temel gösterge verir. Aynı gün çalışacak, ikinci deneme, üzerine geliştirmek ve böylece belirli tıkanıklığı kaldırmak için stratejiler güçlendirmek için hayvanın yeteneğini bazı gösterge verir. ertesi gün yapılan üçüncü deneme, görev öğrendim çözüm korumak ve hatırlamak için konunun yeteneği içgörü sağlar. hayvanlar tarafından bu &quot;engel bulmaca&quot; çözmek için motivasyon potansiyel, değiştirilebilirAçık alanlar önlemek ve çevrelerini 6,7 keşfetmek için barınak, hem de içsel bir sürücü aramak için doğuştan gelen bir istek çağrıştıran. Bulmaca Kutusu çözmek arzusu altında yatan potansiyel davranış sürücülerin çokluğu beynin çeşitli alanlarda görev performansını aracılık yer aldığını göstermektedir. Önceki çalışma şizofreni kemirgen modellerinde, prefrontal korteks gibi hipokampus bu görevin 5 edinme yer olduğunu göstermiştir. Sıçanlarda bir lezyon çalışma, çeşitli talamik çekirdekler, hipotalamus, beyincik ve limbik yapılar içeren bulmaca Kutu performans dahil beyin bölgelerinin çok sayıda ortaya çıkarmıştır. Birlikte, bu bulgular görevi çözme bu sorunun yapan bilişsel işlev ile ilişkili sinir yapıların bir dizi içerdiğini göstermektedir. Bulmaca Kutusu m tarafından sergilenen farelerin problem çözme yeteneğini, yanı sıra bilişsel açıkları değerlendirmek için başarıyla kullanılmaktadırŞizofreni 5-7 idrar modelleri. Görev Performans derece tutarlı olması ve diğer bilişsel davranış testleri 6 sonuçları ile iyi bir korelasyon olduğu gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı EE etkinliğini belirleyen basit ve güvenilir bir aracı haline Puzzle Kutu görevi adapte böylece oldu.

<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.

Burada anlatılan sonuçlar farklı litre oluşan çeşitli gruplarda alınan verilerle, temsili bir örnek vardır. Tüm davranışsal testler kohort içinde hayvanların randomize test düzeni ile, 0700 ve 1100 saat arasında icra edilmiştir. (15, 7 kadın ve 8 erkek n =) (bkz zenginleştirilmiş bir ortamda büyüdü Hayvanlar (n = 14, 7 kadın ve 7 erkek) standart ortam içinde yükseltilmiş daha Bulmaca Kutusu içinde tıkanma görevleri çözmek için daha az zaman aldı Şekil 3) (Tekrarlanan ?...

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.

Çevre Etkilerinin Değerlendirilmesi Zenginleştirme Aracı Olarak Bulmaca Box Kullanımı

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

11.6K Görüntüleme.  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.

Kauçuk El Illusion Paradigma bir Amaç Davranış Tedbir Alınması Aracı Olarak Crossmodal Congruency Görev

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

Davranış

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.

Roman Görevleri kullanılarak tek taraflı Servikal SKY sonra ön ayakları Fonksiyon değerlendirilmesi: Ekstremite Adım münavebe, postural İstikrarsızlık ve Pasta Taşıma

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.

Depresif gibi Davranış Modeli olarak Zorla Swim Testi

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 ...

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning

Extinction describes the process of attenuating behavioral responses to neutral stimuli when they no longer provide the reinforcement that has been maintaining the behavior. There is close correspondence between fear and human anxiety, and therefore studies of extinction learning might provide insight into the biological nature of anxiety-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and they might help to develop strategies to treat them. Preclinical research aims to aid extinction learning and to induce targeted plasticity in extinction circuits to consolidate the newly formed memory. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a powerful approach that provides tight temporal and circuit-specific release of neurotransmitters, resulting in modulation of neuronal networks engaged in an ongoing task. VNS enhances memory consolidation in both rats and humans, and pairing VNS with exposure to conditioned cues enhances the consolidation of extinction learning in rats. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for the preparation of custom-made parts and the surgical procedures required for VNS in rats. Using this protocol we show how VNS can facilitate the extinction of conditioned fear responses in an auditory fear conditioning task. In addition, we provide evidence that VNS modulates synaptic plasticity in the pathway between the infralimbic (IL) medial prefrontal cortex and the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), which is involved in the expression and modulation of extinction memory.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has emerged as a tool to induce targeted synaptic plasticity in the forebrain to modify a range of behaviors. This protocol describes how to implement VNS to facilitate the consolidation of fear extinction memory.

Aracı Olarak vagus sinir stimülasyonu Extinction Öğrenme İlgili Pathways Plastisitesi tetikleyebilecek

Extinction describes the process of attenuating behavioral responses to neutral stimuli when they no longer provide the reinforcement that has been ...

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.

Impulsive Gıda Seçim Azaltma Aracı Olarak Hatalar

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.

Çevresel İpuçlarının Eklem Davranışı Üzerine Etkisini Test Etmek İçin Bir Yöntem<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.

Topuzu supinasyon görev: Forelimb işlevi Sıçanlarda değerlendirmek için yarı otomatik bir yöntem

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.

Eşleştirme yöntemleri ve tavşan beyaz çift bakım Yeni Zelanda (dikkatli European) üzerinden izleme, davranış Ethogram ve müdahaleler

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.

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.

Beş Dakikalık Konuşma Örnek Prosedürü Kullanarak Ebeveynlerin ÇocuklarıYla İlgili Kısa Anlatımlarının Tutarlılığının Değerlendirilmesi

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.

Slatted Döşeme de Housed Domuzlarda Anlamlı Çevresel Zenginleştirme ve Ölçüm Tükürük Kortizol Sağlanması

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 ...