Equipment

IntelliCage

The IntelliCage system (NewBehaviour) is an automated animal behaviour testing apparatus that allows for the simultaneous testing of a relatively large number of mice in a home-cage setting over an extended period of time. The user can design learning and operant conditioning paradigms with a high amount of control over each individual subject. When designing an experiment using the IntelliCage, the experimenter can delineate specific test schemes for individual subjects (defined by a transponder), with specific actions or behaviours resulting in appropriate consequences (e.g. reward for correct behaviours and negative reinforcement for incorrect behaviours). Information relating to behaviours and activity is automatically recorded. From the stored data, the sequential progress of each subject’s behaviour can be profiled.
Cognitive capabilities and activity patterns can be measured in large numbers of mice simultaneously. Due to the large number of designable testing schedules, a number of measures of cognitive ability may be analysed including different forms of learning and memory (e.g. spatial, procedural, discrimination, avoidance, temporo-spatial etc.), spatial preference and spatial patrolling (including short-term spatial memory tasks). More general measures can also be assessed such as circadian activity, exploration, approach, anxiety, neophobic reactions and habituation.

Two IntelliCages connected in series at the ABF

Major scientific advantages over older, observer-operated systems:

• The mice are housed in a social context, which allows natural behaviours to be observed. Being social animals, single housing and testing of mice may lead to stress-induced, abnormal behaviours.
• Experimental mice are not handled at all by experimenters once testing commences, virtually eliminating the behavioural effects of stress caused by human contact.
• Each mouse is recognised individually via a transponder, which allows for the allocation of particular experimental schedules to individual subjects. This also permits the co-housing of control and test mice.
• Behaviour is precisely quantitated and automatically recorded by the software for further processing.
• Each cage contains four operant conditioning units, allowing simultaneous testing of multiple behaviours and cognitive functions.
• Mouse behaviour can be observed in real time from a remote source, allowing more regular monitoring of their health status. The operator does not need to be present during testing.
• The four cage system allows multiple independent experiments to be performed concurrently by different researchers (totaling 64 mice).
• Analysis of animal behaviour can be extremely difficult to standardise. Studies have shown that the Intellicage generates highly reproducible results between laboratories (Krackow et al. 2010).
• With more reproducible and reliable data, it is likely that the number of animals required to achieve convincing results will be lowered. Hence, the continued use of this system may assist in development of more humane endpoints for scientific studies of mice.

Rotarod

The Rotarod (IITC Inc.) is a very user-friendly device that tests motor performance in rodents by means of forced motor activity. There are various measures of motor performance that can be assessed using the Rotarod including balance, coordination, strength, motor planning, motor learning and endurance. The Rotarod test is a sensitive index of motor dysfunction as a result of drug treatment, injury, procedures, genetic manipulation etc.
The Rotarod at the ABF can test up to 5 rodents at once and we have the necessary parts to accommodate both rats and mice. The software that complements this piece of equipment allows for the easy extraction and storage of data.

Lay Khoon Too preparing the Rotarod at the ABF