Behavioural Analysis

Researchers use a range of techniques to assess animal behaviour and cognition. These include:

Cognitive testing

• Morris water maze
• Water plus maze
• Radial arm maze
• Temporal order memory task
• Episodic-like memory tasks
• Object displacement and object recognition tasks
• Operant conditioning tasks (e.g. delay tasks, alternation tasks, response tasks)
• Water working memory T maze

Stress and anxiety tests

• Forced swimming test
• Novelty-suppressed feeding
• Saccharin preference testing
• Elevated plus maze
• Open field testing
• Stress-induced hyperthermia

Additional methodologies

• Rotarod
• Automated Home Cage Monitoring for full behavioural phenotyping
• Bioradiotelemetry (body temperature, heart rate and locomotor activity)