ShEEP Request for Noldus EthoVision XT System

本提案的主要目标是建立一个功能行为评估/表型核心， 临床相关的疾病大鼠模型，对于转化生物医学的发展非常关键 research.对这一关键核心的需要基于几个因素。首先，在过去的两年里， 涉及行为分析的投资组合和使用大鼠模型的研究人员数量大大增加了 在Ralph H.约翰逊退伍军人医疗中心（RHJ VAMC）。其次，随着近年来 技术，转基因大鼠模型变得可用，这对我们来说非常有吸引力。 使用复杂仪器的调查人员。“鼠”芯的可用性将使我们能够走在最前沿 这方面的研究。第三，在行为研究中越来越需要一种“系统生理学方法”， 被认为是复杂的脑-外周器官轴正在解开许多疾病，包括创伤性 脑损伤（TBI）、脊髓损伤（SCI）、中风、痴呆和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）， 抑郁症和焦虑症，药物和酒精成瘾，慢性疼痛，心脏病，包括心脏 衰竭，高血压和主动脉瘤，以及肌肉骨骼病变（骨折愈合，骨关节炎， 多发性硬化症），所有这些都不成比例地影响我们的退伍军人。因此，我们建议设立一个 核心与行为（为大鼠设计）和遥测硬件的集成系统，由中央驱动 软件控制平台Noldus动物运动轨迹跟踪系统代表了最先进的集成系统 允许对每只动物进行自动、定量、全面的行为和生理评估 作为时间、损伤模型、疾病进展或干预的函数。利用这种集成技术， 主要目标将追求：1）提供一个研究平台，促进基础发现与高转化 潜力; 2）发展一个促进学科交叉培养的研究环境，以确定新的联系 器官系统和疾病之间的关系; 3）测试治疗策略和干预措施的有效性 （c）制定关于职能成果的方法，并确定“可个性化”的目标。4）整合行为， 生理和生化结果，以提供疾病模型的综合分析。功能 行为评估/表型核心是我们当地VAMC的各种研究工作的必要条件 调查TBI/SCI、中风恢复、痴呆、PTSD、慢性疼痛、心血管和 脑血管疾病、免疫学和干细胞开发和治疗。这一核心将大大 加强我们站的研究能力，作为一个优秀的招聘工具，以吸引新的 调查人员的VA研究，并促进基本的科学发现，导致快速实施 为我们的退伍军人提供最先进的个性化医疗服务，这是部长的一项具体指示， 卓越蓝图，是直接相关的VA使命。

The primary goal of this proposal is to establish a Functional Behavior Assessment/Phenotyping Core for clinically relevant rat models of disease that are highly critical for the advancement of translational biomedical research. The need for this critical core is based on several factors. First, in the last two years, the research portfolio that involves behavioral analyses and the number of investigators who use rat models have substantially increased at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (RHJ VAMC). Second, with the recent advances in technology, the genetically modified rat models are becoming available, and this is highly attractive for our investigators who use complex instrumentation. The availability of a “rat” core will enable us to be at the forefront of this line of research. Third, the need for a “systems physiology approach” in behavioral research is increasingly recognized as complex brain-peripheral organ axes are being unraveled in many diseases including traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, dementia, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders, drug and alcohol addiction, chronic pain, cardiac disease including heart failure, hypertension and aortic aneurysms, and musculoskeletal pathologies (fracture healing, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis), all of which disproportionately affect our Veterans. Accordingly, we propose to establish a core with an integrated system of behavior (designed for rats) and telemetry hardware that is driven by a central software control platform. The Noldus EthoVision XT System represents a state-of-the-art integrated system allowing for automated, quantitative, comprehensive behavioral and physiological assessment for each animal as a function of time, injury model, disease progression, or intervention. Using this integrative technology, four primary aims will pursued: 1) Provide a research platform that facilitates basic discovery with high translational potential; 2) Develop a research environment that fosters cross cultivation of disciplines to identify novel links between organ systems and diseases; 3) Test the efficacy of therapeutic strategies and interventional methodologies on functional outcomes and identify “personalizable” targets. and 4) Integrate behavioral, physiological and biochemical outcomes to provide comprehensive analysis of disease models. The Functional Behavior Assessment/Phenotyping Core is a necessity for the diverse research efforts of our local VAMC investigators who investigate TBI/SCI, stroke recovery, dementia, PTSD, chronic pain, cardio and cerebrovascular disease, immunology, and stem cell development and therapies. This Core will greatly strengthen the research capabilities of our station, serve as an excellent recruitment tool to attract new investigators to VA research, and facilitate basic scientific discovery leading to the rapid implementation of cutting-edge personalized medical treatment for our Veterans, a specific directive outlined in the Secretary’s Blueprint for Excellence that is directly relevant to the VA Mission.