A Behavioral Test Battery for the Repeated Assessment of Motor Skills, Mood, and Cognition in Mice

J Vis Exp. 2019 Mar 2:(145). doi: 10.3791/58973.

Abstract

Pharmacological and toxicological studies in neurodegeneration require comprehensive behavioral analysis in mice because motor dysfunctions and dysfunctions in mood and cognition are common and often shared symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases. Shown here is a behavioral test battery for motor, mood, and cognition, which can be repeatedly tested in a longitudinal study. This battery assesses the overall behavioral phenotype in mice by examining each domain of behavior with at least two independent well-accepted tests (i.e., open-field test and rotarod test for motor function, social interaction test, elevated plus maze test, and forced swim test for emotional function, and Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test for cognitive function). Therefore, this sensitive and comprehensive test battery is a powerful tool for the study of behavioral alternation in neurodegeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior Rating Scale
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology*
  • Cognition / drug effects
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Emotions / drug effects
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Motor Skills / drug effects
  • Motor Skills / physiology*
  • Nanoparticles / toxicity
  • Rotarod Performance Test
  • Silicon Dioxide / toxicity
  • Swimming

Substances

  • Silicon Dioxide