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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)