Locomotor Activity Monitors for Rats

大鼠运动活动监测仪

• 批准号: RTI-2017-00072
• 负责人: Beninger, Richard
• 金额: $ 3.84万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=616540
• 关键词: Locomotor; Activity; Monitors; Rats

The Behavioural Neuroscience research group in the Department of Psychology at Queen’s is seeking funds to replace our current locomotor activity monitors that are over 30 years old and run by out-of-date hardware and software for which technical specifications are no longer available. The upgrade will include six new infrared emitter-detector activity-monitoring chambers each housed in an isolation unit. The monitoring of locomotor activity in animals is one of the most basic elements of behavioral neuroscience and often is needed to evaluate the possible unconditioned effects of brain manipulations independent of behavioral tests of learning, memory, impulsivity, reactivity to threat, etc. For example, a low dose of a stimulant drug such as amphetamine might be used in learning experiments; parallel experiments evaluating the effects of that does of amphetamine on locomotor activity would provide valuable information about possible unconditioned effects of the drug that may affect interpretation of the results of the learning experiments. Locomotor activity can also be used as the main dependent variable in learning experiments. For example, treatment with a drug such as haloperidol might be paired with placement in the activity monitor and then the ability of the activity monitor stimuli to affect behavior in the same rats while in an un-drugged state might be assessed. The results of our studies will provide a better understanding of how early experience and alterations in brain systems can affect behavior. By understanding the mechanisms of brain plasticity that underlie the effects of experience on behavior, scientists and policy makers will be better able to make choices of environments and social systems that maximize learning and effective coping. The work carried out by the applicants contributes to a larger field of brain research that seeks to understand the workings of the brain and mind and how it is influenced by experience. This work will benefit all Canadians by creating reliable knowledge that can be used to maximize effective work, coping and cooperation.

女王大学心理学系的行为神经科学研究小组正在寻求资金来更换我们现有的运动活动监视器，这些监视器已有 30 多年的历史，并且由过时的硬件和软件运行，其技术规格已不再可用。升级将包括六个新的红外发射器探测器活动监测室，每个室都安装在一个隔离单元中。动物运动活动的监测是行为神经科学最基本的要素之一，通常需要评估大脑操作可能产生的无条件影响，独立于学习、记忆、冲动、威胁反应等行为测试。例如，低剂量的兴奋剂药物（如安非他命）可能用于学习实验；评估安非他明对运动活动的影响的平行实验将提供有关药物可能的无条件影响的有价值的信息，这些影响可能会影响学习实验结果的解释。运动活动也可以用作学习实验中的主要因变量。例如，用氟哌啶醇等药物治疗可能与放置在活动监视器中配对，然后可以评估活动监视器刺激在未用药状态下影响相同大鼠行为的能力。我们的研究结果将有助于更好地理解早期经历和大脑系统的改变如何影响行为。通过了解经验对行为影响的大脑可塑性机制，科学家和政策制定者将能够更好地选择环境和社会系统，从而最大限度地学习和有效应对。申请人所做的工作有助于更大的大脑研究领域，旨在了解大脑和思维的运作方式以及它如何受到经验的影响。这项工作将创造可靠的知识，使所有加拿大人受益，这些知识可用于最大限度地提高工作、应对和合作的效率。