#Any maze latency to esacpe free
For example, in rats, a trapped cage mate can induce a state of prosocial motivation, where rats will work to free the trapped animal. 2) The Damsel-in-Distress model also provides a way to assess prosocial and empathetic behavior in response to the trapped mouse, which has not been frequently explored in mice.Īnimal empathy is definitely observable and measurable, though not many paradigms exist for this purpose.
#Any maze latency to esacpe how to
Similar to Crawley's three-chamber sociability test, the Damsel-in-Distress assay also measures free choice regarding how to spend time in the presence of another mouse, but it also provides measurements for deeper aspects of social functioning: 1) In the Damsel-in-Distress assay, the trapped female mouse is held in the center of an open field, so the male's potential aversion to an open field is pitted against his drive to socially explore or investigate a distressed female conspecific. A commonly used method to assess sociability (as well as preference for social novelty) is the use of Crawley's three-chamber sociability test, which assesses the free choice of a mouse to spend time near or away from other mice 5. The Damsel-in-Distress assay is designed to assess exploratory behaviors and social responsiveness of a male rodent in response to an entrapped female rodent. The Damsel-in-Distress assay is a simple two-part experiment that can assess locomotor activity followed by prosocial behavior. In addition, it is much simpler to assemble and requires less dedicated space during the testing procedure and storage. It is less stressful than the Morris water maze, causing less elevated levels of corticosterone in mice 4. The Barnes maze also has advantages over the Morris water maze. It can be used without conflict by researchers who are investigating behaviors or molecules associated with eating, hormonal regulation, or hypothalamic pathways. The Barnes maze does not require food deprivation, so the amount of animal preparation is less than in the radial arm maze. Weak aversive stimulation (light or sound) is then applied to increase the likelihood that mice will escape from the platform. The Barnes maze is an alternative spatial awareness task that requires rodents to learn the position of a hole in order to escape the bright, open maze surface 3. In the Morris water maze, the effects of stress induced by a forced swim may alter results in the mice 2. The radial arm maze uses food deprivation to ensure that rodents are properly motivated to find a food reward. Both mazes use deprivation or strong aversive stimuli as reinforcement 1. Typically, training for these paradigms spans multiple trials and allows the measuring of both learning acquisition rates and retention through short term and long-term memory trials.Īlthough the radial-arm maze and Morris water maze are reliable ways to test memory in rodents, they present complications for some researchers. Commonly used spatial learning and memory tests for rodents include the radial arm maze, which measures a mouse's ability to find hidden food in one arm of a multi-spoked apparatus, and the Morris water maze, which places a mouse in a large tub or pool of water and assesses how long it takes to find a hidden underwater platform. The purpose of this protocol is to measure spatial learning and memory in mice using the Barnes maze as well as social responsiveness and locomotion using the Damsel-in-Distress paradigm.
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These flexible and accessible tools can also be used to detect behavioral changes over the course of development. Both the Barnes Maze and the Damsel-in-Distress protocols require minimal financial investment and most aspects of the tests can be constructed from common lab supplies. The Damsel-in-Distress paradigm can also be used to examine mouse behavior in a novel arena and measure locomotor activity.
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It provides an opportunity for the mouse to socially respond to the trapped female and exhibit prosocial behavior. The newly described Damsel-in-Distress paradigm exposes a male mouse to a female mouse trapped in a chamber in the open center field of the arena.
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Here we use the Barnes maze to detect a memory deficit in adult mice following a single developmental ethanol exposure event. The Barnes maze can measure whether a genetic mutation or environmental variable can impact the acquisition and retention of spatial memories, as well as provide information about the search strategy employed by the mice. The Barnes maze can also assess other mouse behaviors, such as general motivation to escape from the maze platform and exploratory behavior. The Barnes maze is a reliable measure of spatial learning and memory that does not require food restriction or exposure to extremely stressful stimuli.