Behavioral Neuroscience Quiz

Behavioral Neuroscience

• Behavioral neuroscience is the study of the underlying neural mechanisms that guide behavior.
• The central nervous system (CNS) optimizes the organism's ability to interact with its environment.
• The brain supports sensorimotor function, emotion, cognition, and more.
• Brain function and behavior are influenced by genetics, drugs, and disease states.

Animal Models in Behavioral Neuroscience

• Rodents, like rats and mice, are frequently used as models.
• Factors to consider when choosing a model include size, goals (e.g., genetic modifications), and specific behaviors (e.g., handling, social behavior, cognitive function).
• Mice are generally preferred over rats for handling and social behavior, but rodents can be used to mimic various human conditions.

Animal Model Validity

• Construct validity assesses if the cause/pathophysiology of the human condition is similar in the animal model.
• Predictive validity ensures that treatments successful in the animal model also work in human patients, and vice-versa.
• Face validity means the symptoms of the animal model match those of the human condition.

General Notes for Behavior Testing

• Calibration increases behavioral assay reliability and reproducibility.
• Maximize inter-group differences using appropriate task difficulty.
• Establish baseline performance to assess treatment effects.
• Consider motivating factors that influence behavior.

Behavioral Tests and Respective Domains

• Motor Function/Activity: Gait test, beam walking test, rotarod, wire suspension test, grip strength, open field, circadian activity.
• Nociception/Pain: Von Frey fiber test, hot-plate test, tail flick.
• Anxiety/Fear: Open field test, light/dark box, elevated mazes.
• Depression/Anhedonia: Forced swim test, sucrose preference test.
• Social Behavior: Three-chamber social interaction, resident-intruder test.
• Learning and Memory: Novel object recognition test, Y-maze/T-maze tasks, radial arm maze, Barnes maze, water maze, fear conditioning.
• Drug Abuse Liability/Addiction: Locomotor sensitization, conditioned place preference, drug self-administration.

Motor Function & Assessment

• Coordination of movements requires the central nervous system (CNS), musculoskeletal system, and sensory system working together.
• General neurological tests assess gait, balance, coordination, dexterity, strength, and locomotion.

Gait Test (Footprint Test)

• A linear track with paper allows animals to walk down the track.
• Pawprints leave an ink/paint mark on the paper to assess gait analysis.

Rotarod

• A rotating cylindrical rod tests balance and motor coordination.
• Physical condition is assessed by measuring latency to fall, or maximum speed sustained.

Beam Walking Test

• Measures balance and motor skills using a balance beam.

Wire Suspension Test (Wire Hang)

• Measures latency to drop from a suspended wire which helps to assess neuromuscular abnormalities of motor strength.

Grip Strength

• Tests neuromuscular abnormalities of motor strength.
• Two versions are available, forelimb grip strength and four-limb hangtime.

The Open Field Test

• A simple test for locomotor activity, temperament (e.g., anxiety, willingness to explore), and speed/distance traveled.
• Helps with habituation to arena, before moving to another task like novel object recognition.
• Square/circular arena useful for this test.

Circadian Activity

• Measures activity levels typically in the home cage.
• Nocturnal activity patterns.
• Circadian rhythms determine sleep and wake cycles.

Pain/Nociception

• Nociceptors transmit pain signals to the CNS.
• Pain is assessed with mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli.

Mechanical Sensitivity: Von Frey Fibers

• Calibrated monofilaments are used to evaluate mechanical sensitivity by applying force to the paw.
• Positive response is monitored as a withdrawl, lick or paw shake.

Thermal Sensitivity: Hot Plate & Tail Flick

• Animals stand on a hot plate or the tail is subjected to heat to measure the latency to remove or lick the paw.
• This test measures heat pain sensitivity.

Tests for "Anxiety-like" Behavior

• Tests involving open field, light/dark box, and elevated mazes to assess anxiety levels.

Tests for "Depressive-like" Behavior

• Forced swim test, and sucrose preference test are used to evaluate depressive-like behavior.

Categories of Tests for Depressive-like Behavior

• Behavioral despair: active attempt to respond to a threat; susceptibility to negative mood.
• Reward-based/Anhedonia: reduced motivation or inability to experience pleasure.
• Forced Swim Test, Sucrose Preference Test.

Forced Swim Test (FST)

• Widely used to test depressive-like behavior in animals.
• Animals are placed in an inescapable cylinder filled with water.
• Immobility time is measured, and is a sign of despair.
• Swimming and climbing are alternative responses and can assess active coping strategies).

Sucrose Preference Test (SPT)

• Assesses anhedonia by measuring the intake of a sweet solution versus plain water.
• This relates to loss of interest in positive and pleasurable experiences.

Direct Social Interaction

• Assesses social interactions, such as play-related behavior (pinning, boxing/wrestling, following/chasing) and unrelated to play (climbing, mutual sniffing).

Behavioral Tests for Aggression/Social Dominance

• Resident-intruder tests involve a resident animal and a new intruder to assess aggression and social dominance.

Behavioral Tests for Learning & Memory

• Fear Conditioning, Novel object recognition, Y/T maze, radial arm maze, Barnes maze, and Water maze tests evaluate learning and memory.

Novel Object Recognition

• Habituated rodents are exposed to a novel object to allow for assessment of memory and learning.
• Time spent exploring the novel object compared with a familiar object is used to quantify memory functions.

Barnes Maze

• Assesses spatial learning and memory by placing food in maze arms that can be located visually.

Morris Water Maze

• Assessing spatial learning and memory using a water maze with a hidden platform.
• Rodents must use visual cues to locate the hidden platform.

Radial Arm Maze

• Assesses reference and working memory using an 8- or more-arm radial maze.

Y-maze

• Assesses spontaneous alternation and spatial working memory using a Y-shaped maze.

T-maze

• Assesses spontaneous alternation, spatial working memory, and use of food as a motivator within a T-maze.

Fear Conditioning

• Measures the association between a conditioned stimulus and an aversive outcome (shock).
• This is based on classical conditioning; the conditioned stimulus is associated with fear.
• Measurements of freezing behavior are used to assess fear response.

Drug Abuse Liability/Addiction

• The tests assess the abuse liability of drugs in animals; these include locomotor sensitization, conditioned place preference, and drug self-administration.

Conditioned Place Preference (CPP)

• Assesses the reinforcing properties of the drug in the absence of the drug itself, which is measured through context.
• Dependent on the association between the drug and the context to determine a preference.

Drug Self-Administration

• Animals are trained to perform a behavioral response (lever press or nose poke) to receive drug infusions in order to measure abuse liability.

Locomotor Sensitization

• Animals are administered drugs over multiple sessions, and increased activity or stereotypy over time is used to measure the drug sensitization.

Types of Learning

• Learning is categorized into associative learning, non-associative learning, and observational learning.
• Associative learning includes classical and operant conditioning.
• Non-associative learning consists of habituation and sensitization.