Rodent Behavior
Biobehavioral Measurement Core personnel maintain and staff the Rodent Behavior Facility, which houses an extensive array of behavioral testing equipment in two separate locations on the KUMC campus. Testing can be conducted by RBF staff as a fee-for-service, or investigators can gain direct access to the facilities for a nominal hourly rate following appropriate training and approval. All Investigators wishing to utilize the behavioral facilities or services offered by the RBF or DMA services need to hold an IACUC-approved Animal Care and Use Protocol for the proposed tests. Currently available testing equipment is listed below and can be reserved in advance by approved users at www.Bookkit.org
Please contact Michelle Winter, mwinter2@kumc.edu or Dr. Kenneth McCarson, kmccarso@kumc.edu, to arrange a consultation for RBF use.
Learning and Memory
| Equipment | Quantity | Used to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Radial-Arm Water Maze | 1 mouse | Working, reference, and spatial memory |
| Y-maze | 1 rat ; 1 mouse | Cognitive function |
| Multiple T-Maze | 1 mouse | Cognitive Maps, spatial memory |
| Elevated Plus Maze | 1 rat ; 1 mouse | Anxiety |
| Tru-Scan Arena | 1 rat; 1 mouse | Conditioned fear |
| Barnes Maze | 1 rat; 1 mouse | Spatial memory acquisition and retention |
Social Interactions
| Equipment | Quantity | Used to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Social Arena | 1 mouse | Social Approach Behaviors |
| Marble Burying Arenas | 4 mouse | Abherent Repetitive Behaviors |
Motor Function
| Equipment | Quantity | Used to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Rota-Rod | 1 rat; 1 mouse | Coordination, balance, and muscle fatigue |
| Tru-Scan Arena | 2 rat; 2 mouse | Open-field locomotor activity. Conditioned fear (cognitive ability). |
| Actimeter | 2 rat or mouse | Open-field locomotor activity - software available for anxiety related analyses |
| Grip Strength System | 2 rat or mouse | Forelimb and hind limb grip strength |
| Grid Walk | 1 rat; 1 mouse | Coordination and balance |
| Hanging Screen | 2 rat or mouse | Muscle fatigue-all limbs |
| Hanging Wire | 1 rat or mouse | Muscle fatigue-fore limb only |
| Beam Walk | 2 rat or mouse | Coordination and balance |
| Digigait | 1 rat or mouse | Gait analysis |
| Infrared Web Cam | 2 rat or mouse | Time lapse activity in light or dark |
| Rodent Treadmills | 20 rat lanes or 25 mouse lanes |
The effect of activity on numerous end points |
Sensory Discrimination
| Equipment | Quantity | Used to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Von Frey Graded Monofilaments | 2 rat or mouse | Mechanical allodynia |
| Von Frey - Electronic | 1 rat or mouse | Mechanical allodynia |
| Pin Prick | 2 rat or mouse | Mechanical hyperalgesia |
| Randall Selitto Analgesiometer | 1 rat or mouse | Mechanical hyper- or hypoalgesia |
| Hargreaves Thermal Analgesiometer | 2 rat or mouse | Thermal hyper- or hypoalgesia |
| Hot Plate | 1 rat or mouse | Thermal hyper- or hypoalgesia (Hot stimulus) |
| Cold Plate | 1 rat or mouse | Thermal hyper- or hypoalgesia (Cold stimulus) |
| Orofacial Sensory Apparatus | 2 rat | Orofacial mechanical sensitivity |
| Startle reflex chambers | 4 rat or mouse | Hearing, startle reflex, pre-pulse inhibition |