Mouse Behavioral Testing

How to Use Mice in Behavioral Neuroscience

Douglas Wahlsten

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9780123756756
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Experimental Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Mouse Behavioral Testing: How to Use Mice in Behavioral Neuroscience provides detailed explanations of how to conduct an experiment on mouse behavior from the initial planning of the research design through every step of the process until the data analysis phase.

The book discusses the practical matters that need to be considered carefully when working with any species of animal, such as how many animals need to be tested. It describes the tests and techniques devised specifically for work with mice. Every step of the research process is illustrated with real situations encountered in previous studies. All examples are based on real experiments, and extensive details of several published experiments are provided. The essential features of a behavioral test protocol are outlined, and several complete protocols are provided. Methods to balance the order of tests and determine throughput are described, then a completely balanced order of tests in a complex experiment is presented.

The book will be useful for those already familiar with the general principles of research but are new to the realm of behavioral testing of live mice. It will also serve as a text for a formal course, most likely at the graduate level.

• A guide to running a behavioral testing lab, including the many aspects of mouse research beyond the confines of the specific test
• Diagrams and photographs are shown for many kinds of apparatus and test situations with sufficient details such as dimensions to enable building of replicas
• Provides step-by-step instructions on planning and executing behavioral experiments in order to run them successfully

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1: Introduction to the Research Process
• Chapter 2: Mice
• Chapter 3: Tests of Mouse Behavior
• Chapter 4: Designs
• Chapter 5: Sample Size
• Chapter 6: Ethics Approval
• Chapter 7: Logistics
• Chapter 8: Getting Ready for Testing
• Chapter 9: Prelude to Data Analysis
• Chapter 10: Domains and Test Batteries
• Chapter 11: Motivating Mice
• Chapter 12: Qualities of Behavioral Tests
• Chapter 13: Task Refinement and Standardization
• Chapter 14: Video Tracking
• Chapter 15: The Laboratory Environment
• Appendix: Utilities in Excel
• Reference List
• Index