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O'Leary TP, Brown RE. Age-related changes in species-typical behaviours in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease from 4 to 16 months of age. Behav Brain Res 2024; 465:114970. [PMID: 38531510 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients show age-related decreases in the ability to perform activities of daily living and the decline in these activities is related to the severity of neurobiological deterioration underlying the disease. The 5xFAD mouse model of AD shows age-related impairments in sensory- motor and cognitive function, but little is known about changes in species-typical behaviours that may model activities of daily living in AD patients. Therefore, we examined species-typical behaviours used as indices of exploration (rearing) and compulsivity (grooming) across six tests of anxiety-like behaviour or motor function in female 5xFAD mice from 3 to 16 months of age. Robust decreases in rearing were found in 5xFAD mice across all tests after 9 months of age, although few differences were observed in grooming. A fine-scale analysis of grooming, however, revealed a previously unresolved and spatially restricted pattern of grooming in 5xFAD mice at 13-16 months of age. We then examined changes in species-typical behaviours in the home-cage, and show impaired nest building in 5xFAD mice at all ages tested. Lastly, we examined the relationship between reduced species typical behaviours in 5xFAD mice and the presentation of freezing behaviour, a commonly used measure of memory for conditioned fear. These results showed that along with cognitive and sensory-motor behaviour, 5xFAD mice have robust age-related impairments in species-typical behaviours. Therefore, species typical behaviours in 5xFAD mice may help to model the decline in activities of daily living observed in AD patients, and may provide useful behavioural phenotypes for evaluating the pre-clinical efficacy of novel therapeutics for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P O'Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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2
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Nwokedi EI, Bains RS, Bidaut L, Ye X, Wells S, Brown JM. Dual-Stream Spatiotemporal Networks with Feature Sharing for Monitoring Animals in the Home Cage. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9532. [PMID: 38067907 PMCID: PMC10708582 DOI: 10.3390/s23239532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a spatiotemporal deep learning approach for mouse behavioral classification in the home-cage. Using a series of dual-stream architectures with assorted modifications for optimal performance, we introduce a novel feature sharing approach that jointly processes the streams at regular intervals throughout the network. The dataset in focus is an annotated, publicly available dataset of a singly-housed mouse. We achieved even better classification accuracy by ensembling the best performing models; an Inception-based network and an attention-based network, both of which utilize this feature sharing attribute. Furthermore, we demonstrate through ablation studies that for all models, the feature sharing architectures consistently outperform the conventional dual-stream having standalone streams. In particular, the inception-based architectures showed higher feature sharing gains with their increase in accuracy anywhere between 6.59% and 15.19%. The best-performing models were also further evaluated on other mouse behavioral datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezechukwu Israel Nwokedi
- School of Computer Science, College of Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK (J.M.B.)
| | | | - Luc Bidaut
- Independent Researcher, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Xujiong Ye
- School of Computer Science, College of Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK (J.M.B.)
| | - Sara Wells
- Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - James M. Brown
- School of Computer Science, College of Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK (J.M.B.)
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3
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Maternal P2X7 receptor inhibition prevents autism-like phenotype in male mouse offspring through the NLRP3-IL-1β pathway. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:318-332. [PMID: 35065198 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition caused by interactions of environmental and genetic factors. Recently we showed that activation of the purinergic P2X7 receptors is necessary and sufficient to convert maternal immune activation (MIA) to ASD-like features in male offspring mice. Our aim was to further substantiate these findings and identify downstream signaling pathways coupled to P2X7 upon MIA. Maternal treatment with the NLRP3 antagonist MCC950 and a neutralising IL-1β antibody during pregnancy counteracted the development of autistic characteristics in offspring mice. We also explored time-dependent changes of a widespread cytokine and chemokine profile in maternal blood and fetal brain samples of poly(I:C)/saline-treated dams. MIA-induced increases in plasma IL-1β, RANTES, MCP-1, and fetal brain IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, MCP-1 concentrations are regulated by the P2X7/NLRP3 pathway. Offspring treatment with the selective P2X7 receptor antagonist JNJ47965567 was effective in the prevention of autism-like behavior in mice using a repeated dosing protocol. Our results highlight that in addition to P2X7, NLRP3, as well as inflammatory cytokines, may also be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of social deficits and repetitive behaviors observed in autism spectrum disorder.
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Tran T, Mach J, Gemikonakli G, Wu H, Allore H, Howlett SE, Little CB, Hilmer SN. Diurnal effects of polypharmacy with high drug burden index on physical activities over 23 h differ with age and sex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2168. [PMID: 35140291 PMCID: PMC8828819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06039-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging, polypharmacy (concurrent use of ≥ 5 medications), and functional impairment are global healthcare challenges. However, knowledge of the age/sex-specific effects of polypharmacy is limited, particularly on daily physical activities. Using continuous monitoring, we demonstrated how polypharmacy with high Drug Burden Index (DBI-cumulative anticholinergic/sedative exposure) affected behaviors over 23 h in male/female, young/old mice. For comparison, we also evaluated how different drug regimens (polypharmacy/monotherapy) influenced activities in young mice. We found that after 4 weeks of treatment, high DBI (HDBI) polypharmacy decreased exploration (reduced mean gait speed and climbing) during the habituation period, but increased it during other periods, particularly in old mice during the transition to inactivity. After HDBI polypharmacy, mean gait speed consistently decreased throughout the experiment. Some behavioral declines after HDBI were more marked in females than males, indicating treatment × sex interactions. Metoprolol and simvastatin monotherapies increased activities in young mice, compared to control/polypharmacy. These findings highlight that in mice, some polypharmacy-associated behavioral changes are greater in old age and females. The observed diurnal behavioral changes are analogous to drug-induced delirium and sundowning seen in older adults. Future mechanistic investigations are needed to further inform considerations of age, sex, and polypharmacy to optimize quality use of medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Tran
- Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia.
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia.
| | - John Mach
- Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Gizem Gemikonakli
- Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Harry Wu
- Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Heather Allore
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Susan E Howlett
- Department of Pharmacology and Medicine (Geriatric Medicine), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 2E1, Canada
| | - Christopher B Little
- Raymond Purves Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Institute of Bone and Joint Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Sarah N Hilmer
- Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia
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5
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de Alencar MVOB, Islam MT, dos Reis AC, de Oliveira Santos JV, Nunes AMV, da Silva FCC, da Conceição Machado K, de Castro e Sousa JM, Reiner Ž, Martorell M, Fagoonee S, Sharifi-Rad J, de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante AA. Oxidative stress mediated cytogenotoxicological effects of phytol in wistar albino rats. ADVANCES IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13596-022-00628-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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6
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Favila N, Gurney K, Overton PG. Blocking NK1 receptors disrupts the sequential and temporal organization of chain grooming in rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 196:108716. [PMID: 34273385 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are a group of sub-cortical structures believed to play a critical role in action selection and sequencing. The striatum is the largest input structure of the basal ganglia and contains the neuropeptide substance P in abundance. Recent computational work has suggested that substance P could play a critical role in action sequence performance and acquisition, but this has not been tested experimentally before. The aim of the present study was to test how blocking substance P's main NK1-type receptors affected the sequential and temporal organization of spontaneous behavioral patterns. We did this in rats by focusing on the grooming chain, an innate and highly stereotyped ordered sequence. We performed an open field experiment in which the NK1 receptor antagonist L-733,060 was injected intraperitoneally in rats at two doses (2 and 4 mg/kg/ml), in a within-subject counterbalanced design. We used first order transition probabilities, Variable Length Markov Models, entropy metrics and T-pattern analysis to evaluate the effects of L-733,060 on sequential and temporal aspects of spontaneously ordered behavioral sequences. Our results suggest that blocking NK1 receptors made the transitions between the grooming chain elements significantly more variable, the transition structure of the grooming bouts simpler, and it increased the probability of transitioning from active to inactive states. Overall, this suggest that blocking substance P receptors led to a general break down in the fluency of spontaneous behavioral sequences, suggesting that substance P could be playing a key role in the implementation of sequential patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Favila
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Kevin Gurney
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Paul G Overton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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7
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Geuther BQ, Peer A, He H, Sabnis G, Philip VM, Kumar V. Action detection using a neural network elucidates the genetics of mouse grooming behavior. eLife 2021; 10:e63207. [PMID: 33729153 PMCID: PMC8043749 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Automated detection of complex animal behaviors remains a challenging problem in neuroscience, particularly for behaviors that consist of disparate sequential motions. Grooming is a prototypical stereotyped behavior that is often used as an endophenotype in psychiatric genetics. Here, we used mouse grooming behavior as an example and developed a general purpose neural network architecture capable of dynamic action detection at human observer-level performance and operating across dozens of mouse strains with high visual diversity. We provide insights into the amount of human annotated training data that are needed to achieve such performance. We surveyed grooming behavior in the open field in 2457 mice across 62 strains, determined its heritable components, conducted GWAS to outline its genetic architecture, and performed PheWAS to link human psychiatric traits through shared underlying genetics. Our general machine learning solution that automatically classifies complex behaviors in large datasets will facilitate systematic studies of behavioral mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asaf Peer
- The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborUnited States
| | - Hao He
- The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborUnited States
| | | | | | - Vivek Kumar
- The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborUnited States
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8
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Flea infestation, social contact, and stress in a gregarious rodent species: minimizing the potential parasitic costs of group-living. Parasitology 2019; 147:78-86. [PMID: 31452472 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019001185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Both parasitism and social contact are common sources of stress that many gregarious species encounter in nature. Upon encountering such stressors, individuals secrete glucocorticoids and although short-term elevation of glucocorticoids is adaptive, long-term increases are correlated with higher mortality and deleterious reproductive effects. Here, we used an experimental host-parasite system, social rodents Acomys cahirinus and their characteristic fleas Parapulex chephrenis, in a fully-crossed design to test the effects of social contact and parasitism on stress during pregnancy. By analysing faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, we found that social hierarchy did not have a significant effect on glucocorticoid concentration. Rather, solitary females had significantly higher glucocorticoid levels than females housed in pairs. We found a significant interaction between the stressors of parasitism and social contact with solitary, uninfested females having the highest faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels suggesting that both social contact and infestation mitigate allostatic load in pregnant rodents. Therefore, the increased risk of infestation that accompanies group-living could be outweighed by positive aspects of social contact within A. cahirinus colonies in nature.
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9
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Abbas W, Masip Rodo D. Computer Methods for Automatic Locomotion and Gesture Tracking in Mice and Small Animals for Neuroscience Applications: A Survey. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 19:E3274. [PMID: 31349617 PMCID: PMC6696321 DOI: 10.3390/s19153274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscience has traditionally relied on manually observing laboratory animals in controlled environments. Researchers usually record animals behaving freely or in a restrained manner and then annotate the data manually. The manual annotation is not desirable for three reasons; (i) it is time-consuming, (ii) it is prone to human errors, and (iii) no two human annotators will 100% agree on annotation, therefore, it is not reproducible. Consequently, automated annotation for such data has gained traction because it is efficient and replicable. Usually, the automatic annotation of neuroscience data relies on computer vision and machine learning techniques. In this article, we have covered most of the approaches taken by researchers for locomotion and gesture tracking of specific laboratory animals, i.e. rodents. We have divided these papers into categories based upon the hardware they use and the software approach they take. We have also summarized their strengths and weaknesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Abbas
- Multimedia and Telecommunications Department, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - David Masip Rodo
- Multimedia and Telecommunications Department, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
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10
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P2X7 Receptors Drive Poly(I:C) Induced Autism-like Behavior in Mice. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2542-2561. [PMID: 30683682 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1895-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a principal environmental risk factor contributing to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which compromises fetal brain development at critical periods of pregnancy and might be causally linked to ASD symptoms. We report that endogenous activation of the purinergic ion channel P2X7 (P2rx7) is necessary and sufficient to transduce MIA to autistic phenotype in male offspring. MIA induced by poly(I:C) injections to P2rx7 WT mouse dams elicited an autism-like phenotype in their offspring, and these alterations were not observed in P2rx7-deficient mice, or following maternal treatment with a specific P2rx7 antagonist, JNJ47965567. Genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of maternal P2rx7s also counteracted the induction of IL-6 in the maternal plasma and fetal brain, and disrupted brain development, whereas postnatal P2rx7 inhibition alleviated behavioral and morphological alterations in the offspring. Administration of ATP to P2rx7 WT dams also evoked autistic phenotype, but not in KO dams, implying that P2rx7 activation by ATP is sufficient to induce autism-like features in offspring. Our results point to maternal and offspring P2rx7s as potential therapeutic targets for the early prevention and treatment of ASD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorder caused by genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies highlighted the importance of perinatal risks, in particular, maternal immune activation (MIA), showing strong association with the later emergence of ASD in the affected children. MIA could be mimicked in animal models via injection of a nonpathogenic agent poly(I:C) during pregnancy. This is the first report showing the key role of a ligand gated ion channel, the purinergic P2X7 receptor in MIA-induced autism-like behavioral and biochemical features. We show that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of both maternal and offspring P2X7 receptors could reverse the compromised brain development and autistic phenotype pointing to new possibilities for prevention and treatment of ASD.
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11
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Kalueff AV, Stewart AM, Song C, Berridge KC, Graybiel AM, Fentress JC. Neurobiology of rodent self-grooming and its value for translational neuroscience. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 17:45-59. [PMID: 26675822 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2015.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 482] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Self-grooming is a complex innate behaviour with an evolutionarily conserved sequencing pattern and is one of the most frequently performed behavioural activities in rodents. In this Review, we discuss the neurobiology of rodent self-grooming, and we highlight studies of rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders--including models of autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder--that have assessed self-grooming phenotypes. We suggest that rodent self-grooming may be a useful measure of repetitive behaviour in such models, and therefore of value to translational psychiatry. Assessment of rodent self-grooming may also be useful for understanding the neural circuits that are involved in complex sequential patterns of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan V Kalueff
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.,Neuroscience Research Laboratory, ZENEREI Research Center, Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg 199034, Russia.,Institutes of Chemical Technologies and Natural Sciences, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- Neuroscience Research Laboratory, ZENEREI Research Center, Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada.,Graduate Institute of Neural Cognitive Science, China Medical University, Taichung 000001, Taiwan
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 525E University Str, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - John C Fentress
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada
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12
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Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core, but not shell, increases during signaled food reward and decreases during delayed extinction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 123:125-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Stewart AM, Nguyen M, Poudel MK, Warnick JE, Echevarria DJ, Beaton EA, Song C, Kalueff AV. The failure of anxiolytic therapies in early clinical trials: what needs to be done. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2015; 24:543-56. [PMID: 25727478 DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2015.1019063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anxiety spectrum disorders (ASDs) are highly prevalent psychiatric illnesses that affect millions of people worldwide. Strongly associated with stress, common ASDs include generalized anxiety disorder, panic, social anxiety, phobias and drug-abuse-related anxiety. In addition to ASDs, several other prevalent psychiatric illnesses represent trauma/stressor-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. Anxiolytic drugs, commonly prescribed to treat ASDs and trauma/stressor-related disorders, form a highly heterogenous group, modulating multiple neurotransmitters and physiological mechanisms. However, overt individual differences in efficacy and the potential for serious side-effects (including addiction and drug interaction) indicate a need for further drug development. Yet, over the past 50 years, there has been relatively little progress in the development of novel anxiolytic medications, especially when promising candidate drugs often fail in early clinical trials. AREAS COVERED Herein, the authors present recommendations of the Task Force on Anxiolytic Drugs of the International Stress and Behavior Society on how to improve anxiolytic drug discovery. These recommendations cover a wide spectrum of aspects, ranging from methodological improvements to conceptual insights and innovation. EXPERT OPINION In order to improve the success of anxiolytic drugs in early clinical trials, the goals of preclinical trials may need to be adjusted from a clinical perspective and better synchronized with those of clinical studies. Indeed, it is important to realize that the strategic goals and approaches must be similar if we want to have a smoother transition between phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Michael Stewart
- ZENEREI Institute , 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA , USA +1 240 328 2275 ; +1 240 328 2275 ;
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14
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The power of automated behavioural homecage technologies in characterizing disease progression in laboratory mice: A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Targeted ablation of cholinergic interneurons in the dorsolateral striatum produces behavioral manifestations of Tourette syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:893-8. [PMID: 25561540 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1419533112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by tics, which are transiently worsened by stress, acute administration of dopaminergic drugs, and by subtle deficits in motor coordination and sensorimotor gating. It represents the most severe end of a spectrum of tic disorders that, in aggregate, affect ∼ 5% of the population. Available treatments are frequently inadequate, and the pathophysiology is poorly understood. Postmortem studies have revealed a reduction in specific striatal interneurons, including the large cholinergic interneurons, in severe disease. We tested the hypothesis that this deficit is sufficient to produce aspects of the phenomenology of TS, using a strategy for targeted, specific cell ablation in mice. We achieved ∼ 50% ablation of the cholinergic interneurons of the striatum, recapitulating the deficit observed in patients postmortem, without any effect on GABAergic markers or on parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking interneurons. Interneuron ablation in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), corresponding roughly to the human putamen, led to tic-like stereotypies after either acute stress or d-amphetamine challenge; ablation in the dorsomedial striatum, in contrast, did not. DLS interneuron ablation also led to a deficit in coordination on the rotorod, but not to any abnormalities in prepulse inhibition, a measure of sensorimotor gating. These results support the causal sufficiency of cholinergic interneuron deficits in the DLS to produce some, but not all, of the characteristic symptoms of TS.
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17
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Kalueff AV, Nguyen M. Testing anxiolytic drugs in the C57BL/6J mouse strain. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 2014; 69:205-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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18
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Brodkin J, Frank D, Grippo R, Hausfater M, Gulinello M, Achterholt N, Gutzen C. Validation and implementation of a novel high-throughput behavioral phenotyping instrument for mice. J Neurosci Methods 2013; 224:48-57. [PMID: 24384067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2013.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral assessment of mutant mouse models and novel candidate drugs is a slow and labor intensive process. This limitation produces a significant impediment to CNS drug discovery. NEW METHOD By combining video and vibration analysis we created an automated system that provides the most detailed description of mouse behavior available. Our system (The Behavioral Spectrometer) allowed for the rapid assessment of behavioral abnormalities in the BTBR model of Autism, the restraint model of stress and the irritant model of inflammatory pain. RESULTS We found that each model produced a unique alteration of the spectrum of behavior emitted by the mice. BTBR mice engaged in more grooming and less rearing behaviors. Prior restraint stress produced dramatic increases in grooming activity at the expense of locomotor behavior. Pain produced profound decreases in emitted behavior that were reversible with analgesic treatment. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) We evaluated our system through a direct comparison on the same subjects with the current "gold standard" of human observation of video recordings. Using the same mice evaluated over the same range of behaviors, the Behavioral Spectrometer produced a quantitative categorization of behavior that was highly correlated with the scores produced by trained human observers (r=0.97). CONCLUSIONS Our results show that this new system is a highly valid and sensitive method to characterize behavioral effects in mice. As a fully automated and easily scalable instrument the Behavioral Spectrometer represents a high-throughput behavioral tool that reduces the time and labor involved in behavioral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Brodkin
- Behavioral Instruments, 5 Jill Court Unit 1, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, United States.
| | - Dana Frank
- Behavioral Instruments, 5 Jill Court Unit 1, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, United States
| | - Ryan Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Michal Hausfater
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Maria Gulinello
- Behavioral Core Facility, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, RM 925, 1410 Pelham Pkwy S., Bronx, NY 10461, United States
| | - Nils Achterholt
- BIOBSERVE GmbH, Siegburger Str. 35, 53757 St. Augustin, Germany
| | - Christian Gutzen
- BIOBSERVE GmbH, Siegburger Str. 35, 53757 St. Augustin, Germany.
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19
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Giancardo L, Sona D, Huang H, Sannino S, Managò F, Scheggia D, Papaleo F, Murino V. Automatic visual tracking and social behaviour analysis with multiple mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74557. [PMID: 24066146 PMCID: PMC3774687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are made of complex behavioural actions that might be found in all mammalians, including humans and rodents. Recently, mouse models are increasingly being used in preclinical research to understand the biological basis of social-related pathologies or abnormalities. However, reliable and flexible automatic systems able to precisely quantify social behavioural interactions of multiple mice are still missing. Here, we present a system built on two components. A module able to accurately track the position of multiple interacting mice from videos, regardless of their fur colour or light settings, and a module that automatically characterise social and non-social behaviours. The behavioural analysis is obtained by deriving a new set of specialised spatio-temporal features from the tracker output. These features are further employed by a learning-by-example classifier, which predicts for each frame and for each mouse in the cage one of the behaviours learnt from the examples given by the experimenters. The system is validated on an extensive set of experimental trials involving multiple mice in an open arena. In a first evaluation we compare the classifier output with the independent evaluation of two human graders, obtaining comparable results. Then, we show the applicability of our technique to multiple mice settings, using up to four interacting mice. The system is also compared with a solution recently proposed in the literature that, similarly to us, addresses the problem with a learning-by-examples approach. Finally, we further validated our automatic system to differentiate between C57B/6J (a commonly used reference inbred strain) and BTBR T+tf/J (a mouse model for autism spectrum disorders). Overall, these data demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of this new machine learning system in the detection of social and non-social behaviours in multiple (>2) interacting mice, and its versatility to deal with different experimental settings and scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Giancardo
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- * E-mail: (LC); (FP)
| | - Diego Sona
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Huiping Huang
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Sara Sannino
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesca Managò
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Diego Scheggia
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- * E-mail: (LC); (FP)
| | - Vittorio Murino
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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20
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Roth A, Kyzar E, Cachat J, Stewart AM, Green J, Gaikwad S, O’Leary TP, Tabakoff B, Brown RE, Kalueff AV. Potential translational targets revealed by linking mouse grooming behavioral phenotypes to gene expression using public databases. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2013; 40:312-25. [PMID: 23123364 PMCID: PMC4141078 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Revised: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Rodent self-grooming is an important, evolutionarily conserved behavior, highly sensitive to pharmacological and genetic manipulations. Mice with aberrant grooming phenotypes are currently used to model various human disorders. Therefore, it is critical to understand the biology of grooming behavior, and to assess its translational validity to humans. The present in-silico study used publicly available gene expression and behavioral data obtained from several inbred mouse strains in the open-field, light-dark box, elevated plus- and elevated zero-maze tests. As grooming duration differed between strains, our analysis revealed several candidate genes with significant correlations between gene expression in the brain and grooming duration. The Allen Brain Atlas, STRING, GoMiner and Mouse Genome Informatics databases were used to functionally map and analyze these candidate mouse genes against their human orthologs, assessing the strain ranking of their expression and the regional distribution of expression in the mouse brain. This allowed us to identify an interconnected network of candidate genes (which have expression levels that correlate with grooming behavior), display altered patterns of expression in key brain areas related to grooming, and underlie important functions in the brain. Collectively, our results demonstrate the utility of large-scale, high-throughput data-mining and in-silico modeling for linking genomic and behavioral data, as well as their potential to identify novel neural targets for complex neurobehavioral phenotypes, including grooming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Roth
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Evan Kyzar
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jonathan Cachat
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jeremy Green
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Siddharth Gaikwad
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Timothy P. O’Leary
- Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Boris Tabakoff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Richard E. Brown
- Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Allan V. Kalueff
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
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21
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Topic B, Kröger I, Vildirasova PG, Huston JP. Indices of extinction-induced “depression” after operant learning using a runway vs. a cued free-reward delivery schedule. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2012; 98:329-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2012.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Revised: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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22
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Scruggs BA, Bowles AC, Zhang X, Semon JA, Kyzar EJ, Myers L, Kalueff AV, Bunnell BA. High-throughput screening of stem cell therapy for globoid cell leukodystrophy using automated neurophenotyping of twitcher mice. Behav Brain Res 2012; 236:35-47. [PMID: 22951180 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Revised: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe's disease) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder that results from the deficiency of galactosylceramidase, a lysosomal enzyme involved in active myelination. Due to the progressive, lethal nature of this disease and the limited treatment options available, multiple laboratories are currently exploring novel therapies using the mouse model of globoid cell leukodystrophy. In order to establish a protocol for motor function assessment of the twitcher mouse, this study tested the capability of an automated system to detect phenotypic differences across mouse genotypes and/or treatment groups. The sensitivity of this system as a screening tool for the assessment of therapeutic interventions was determined by the administration of murine bone marrow-derived stem cells into twitcher mice via intraperitoneal injection. Animal behavior was analyzed using the Noldus EthoVision XT7 software. Novel biomarkers, including abnormal locomotion (e.g., velocity, moving duration, distance traveled, turn angle) and observed behaviors (e.g., rearing activity, number of defecation boli), were established for the twitcher mouse. These parameters were monitored across all mouse groups, and the automated system detected improved locomotion in the treated twitcher mice based on the correction of angular velocity, turn angle, moving duration, and exploratory behavior, such as thigmotaxis. Further supporting these findings, the treated mice showed improved lifespan, gait, wire hang ability, twitching severity and frequency, and sciatic nerve histopathology. Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility of computer-based neurophenotyping for motor function assessment of twitcher mice and support its utility for detecting the efficacy of stem cell-based therapy for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittni A Scruggs
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-99, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-83, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Annie C Bowles
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, 2000 Percival Stern Hall, 6400 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Xiujuan Zhang
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-99, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Julie A Semon
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-99, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Evan J Kyzar
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-83, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Leann Myers
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2001, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-83, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Bruce A Bunnell
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-99, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-83, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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23
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Kyzar EJ, Pham M, Roth A, Cachat J, Green J, Gaikwad S, Kalueff AV. Alterations in grooming activity and syntax in heterozygous SERT and BDNF knockout mice: the utility of behavior-recognition tools to characterize mutant mouse phenotypes. Brain Res Bull 2012; 89:168-76. [PMID: 22951260 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Revised: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin transporter (SERT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are key modulators of molecular signaling, cognition and behavior. Although SERT and BDNF mutant mouse phenotypes have been extensively characterized, little is known about their self-grooming behavior. Grooming represents an important behavioral domain sensitive to environmental stimuli and is increasingly used as a model for repetitive behavioral syndromes, such as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The present study used heterozygous ((+/-)) SERT and BDNF male mutant mice on a C57BL/6J background and assessed their spontaneous self-grooming behavior applying both manual and automated techniques. Overall, SERT(+/-) mice displayed a general increase in grooming behavior, as indicated by more grooming bouts and more transitions between specific grooming stages. SERT(+/-) mice also aborted more grooming bouts, but showed generally unaltered activity levels in the observation chamber. In contrast, BDNF(+/-) mice displayed a global reduction in grooming activity, with fewer bouts and transitions between specific grooming stages, altered grooming syntax, as well as hypolocomotion and increased turning behavior. Finally, grooming data collected by manual and automated methods (HomeCageScan) significantly correlated in our experiments, confirming the utility of automated high-throughput quantification of grooming behaviors in various genetic mouse models with increased or decreased grooming phenotypes. Taken together, these findings indicate that mouse self-grooming behavior is a reliable behavioral biomarker of genetic deficits in SERT and BDNF pathways, and can be reliably measured using automated behavior-recognition technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan J Kyzar
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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24
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Strazielle C, Lefevre A, Jacquelin C, Lalonde R. Abnormal grooming activity in Dab1scm (scrambler) mutant mice. Behav Brain Res 2012; 233:24-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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