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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

Metabolic Evaluation