Mouse Behavioral Testing

Mouse Behavioral Testing: How to Use Mice in Behavioral Neuroscience provides detailed explanations of how to conduct an experiment on mouse behavior from the initial planning of the research design through every step of the process until the data analysis phase. The book discusses the practical matters that need to be considered carefully when working with any species of animal, such as how many animals need to be tested. It describes the tests and techniques devised specifically for work with mice. Every step of the research process is illustrated with real situations encountered in previous studies. All examples are based on real experiments, and extensive details of several published experiments are provided. The essential features of a behavioral test protocol are outlined, and several complete protocols are provided. Methods to balance the order of tests and determine throughput are described, then a completely balanced order of tests in a complex experiment is presented. The book will be useful for those already familiar with the general principles of research but are new to the realm of behavioral testing of live mice. It will also serve as a text for a formal course, most likely at the graduate level. A guide to running a behavioral testing lab, including the many aspects of mouse research beyond the confines of the specific test Diagrams and photographs are shown for many kinds of apparatus and test situations with sufficient details such as dimensions to enable building of replicas Provides step-by-step instructions on planning and executing behavioral experiments in order to run them successfully

Using the most well-studied behavioral analyses of animal subjects to promote a better understanding of the effects of disease and the effects of new therapeutic treatments on human cognition, Methods of Behavior Analysis in Neuroscience provides a reference manual for molecular and cellular research scientists in both academia and the pharmaceutic

The costs associated with a drug’s clinical trials are so significant that it has become necessary to validate both its safety and efficacy in animal models prior to the continued study of the drug in humans. Featuring contributions from distinguished researchers in the field of cognitive therapy research, Animal Models of Cognitive Impairment examines some of the most popular and successful animal archetypes used in the context of drug discovery. It provides integrated coverage of the latest research concerning neuronal systems relevant to cognitive function and dysfunction, assimilating reviews of this research within the context of each chapter. This approach is unique in that it brings together molecular and neurochemical methodologies, behavioral applications in translational models, and clinical applications. The book comprehensively discusses a wide variety of animal models of cognitive impairment, including genetic, lesion, pharmacological, and aging related impairments. It also explores the significance of this research in regards to the treatment of various addictions and disorders such as stroke, autism, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Edited by two renowned authorities in the field, Animal Models of Cognitive Impairment is a timely book that provides integrated coverage of cutting-edge research that concerns neuronal systems relevant to cognitive function and dysfunction.

Dr. Jacqueline N. Crawley, author of the First and Second Editions of What’s Wrong with My Mouse? Behavioral Phenotyping of Transgenic and Knockout Mice,continues to field calls and e-mails from molecular geneticists who ask: how do I run behavioral assays to find out what’s wrong with my mouse? Turn to What’s Wrong with My Mouse? to discover the wealth of mouse behavioral tasks and to get the guidance you need to select the best methods and necessary controls. Chapters are organized by behavioral domain, including measurements of general health, motor functions, sensory abilities, learning and memory, feeding and drinking, reproductive, social, emotional, and reward behaviors in mutant mice. Throughout the chapters, new behavioral tasks and new research discoveries have been added, bringing the Second Edition up to date with the latest science. In addition, the Second Edition includes two new chapters: "Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration" discusses mouse behavioral tasks relevant to neurodevelopmental diseases, such as mental retardation and autism, and to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Huntingtons, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. "Putting It All Together" recommends strategies for optimizing a battery of behavioral phenotyping tests to address your specific hypotheses about gene functions. The final chapter, "The Next Generation," examines new and emerging technologies. Throughout the book, the use of behavioral testing equipment is illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and representative data. Examples of behavioral tasks successfully applied to transgenic and knockout mouse models are provided, as well as references to the primary literature and step-by-step methods protocols. These features, along with a comprehensive index, listings of database and vendor websites, and an extensive list of references, make this book a valuable and practical resource for students and researchers.

Preclinical research related to mood and anxiety disorders relies extensively upon mouse behavioral tests and models, the use of which continues to increase as a greater number of underlying susceptibility genes are discovered, new targets for medications are identified, and clinical studies reveal novel neurobiological risk factors. Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice: Characterization Using Behavioral Tests, Volume II serves as a complement to the previous volume in order to offer a comprehensive resource for the behavioral approaches that are valuable for the characterization of mood and anxiety disorder-related behaviors in mice and the techniques that are utilized in the development of effective medications. As a collection presented in the Neuromethods series, each chapter provides a brief background and review of the test or model as well as a complete and up-to-date protocol narrative. Authoritative and comprehensive, Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice: Characterization Using Behavioral Tests, Volume II is an ideal resource for scientists actively pursuing or interested in establishing vital behavioral protocols in their laboratories.

Affecting approximately twenty percent of the world population, mood and anxiety disorders have been the subject of ever-increasing research. This increased research parallels a remarkable growth in the use of the laboratory mouse as a tool to understand the biological and genetic basis of mood and anxiety disorders as well as to develop improved treatments. In Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice: Characterization Using Behavioral Tests, world-renowned researchers provide an overview of behavioral approaches utilized in the characterization of mood and anxiety related behaviors in mice as well as commonly used behavioral assays to assess the potential antidepressant and anxiolytic efficacy of novel compounds. As a volume in the successful NeuromethodsTM series, the chapters provide authoritative reviews including up-to-date detailed protocols of the most commonly used approaches in the field. Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice: Characterization Using Behavioral Tests is an ideal resource for scientists actively pursuing or interested in establishing behavioral protocols in their laboratories, while also serving as a reference for those students, scientists, and practitioners who have an interest in better understanding the preclinical behavioral methods used in mood and anxiety research.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2011 in the subject Biology - Behaviour, grade: 1,7, University of Münster (Department of Behavioural Biology), language: English, abstract: It is generally assumed that human beings have personalities, while animals do not. This assumption is not only derived from common sense, but also a basic principle of western philosophy and social theory (Mead, 1934). Still, dog owners will not stop mumbling about their cute puppy's unique personality. And they find support from unexpected source: Biologists argue that humans are nothing more, nothing less than animals. So they, too, begin to take into consideration that animals – including humans – might have a personality. What seems like a solely philosophical question at first glance, has important practical impacts, because the existence of animal personality contradicts the assumption that animals used in biological experiments can be standardized, and have uniform properties. If despite all efforts of standardization a residual variation cannot be eliminated, pharmaceutical and medical experiments might lose part of their validity. Therefore the hypothesis that laboratory mice possess a personality was tested in an empirical study. In this study a set of standard behavior tests was performed with 40 female mice of the strain C57BL/6N. The data was then analyzed for correlations over time and across contexts, since this is a requirement for animal personality.