Rodent Behavior Core Facility
Overview
The UTSW Rodent Behavior Core is equipped to perform a broad battery of behavioral tests in both rats and mice. Our tests can assess measures of locomotor activity, motor ability, anxiety, depression, learning and memory, reward/addiction related behaviors, and social behaviors. The staff of the Behavior Core will work with individual labs in order to phenotype specific behaviors that are of interest to the investigators. We can assist investigators in all aspects of rodent behavioral testing including design and execution of the experiments, as well as data analysis and interpretation.
Investigators at UTSW can choose to either perform the behavioral tests by themselves (contact Shari Birnbaum to schedule training), or they can request the Core staff to perform the testing. Please contact Shari Birnbaum to discuss the project.
All equipment is located in the NC4 vivarium in space dedicated for behavior testing.
Please note that no behavioral testing experiments can start until the work has been approved on an IACUC protocol.
Behavior Tests Available
Note – other tests may be available as requested, please consult with Shari Birnbaum.
| What you want to test | Available Tests |
|---|---|
| Motor Function | Locomotor Activity * Rotorod Running Wheels Balance Beam Wire Hanging Digigait (Gait Analysis) Jumping Test |
| Anxiety-Related Behaviors | Open Field Activity * Elevated Plus Maze * Light/Dark Preference Marble Burying Test Novelty Suppression of Feeding |
| Depression-Related Behaviors | Forced Swim Test (Porsolt) * Tail Suspension Test Sucrose Preference Test * Learned Helplessness Social Defeat |
| Addiction/Reward-Related Behaviors | Conditioned Place Preference * (for drug or food) Locomotor Sensitization * Progressive Ratio Testing for Food |
| Learning and Memory | Morris Water Maze Task * Fear Conditioning * Passive Avoidance Test Object Recognition Test * Barnes Maze Touchscreen tests |
| Social Interaction | Juvenile Interaction SI w/Caged Adult 3-choice Interaction |
| Schizophrenia-Related Behaviors | Haldol Induced Catalepsy Pre-Pulse Inhibition/Startle |
| Pain/Analgesia | Foot-Shock Sensitivity Hot Plate Sensitivity |
* Available for both rats and mice.