Locomotor Activity Monitors for Rats

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，以更换我们目前的运动活动监测器，这些监测器已有30多年的历史，由过时的硬件和软件运行，技术规格已不再适用。此次升级将包括六个新的红外发射器探测器活动监控室，每个监控室都安装在一个隔离单元中。对动物运动活动的监测是行为神经科学最基本的要素之一，通常需要用来评估大脑操作可能产生的无条件影响，而不依赖于对学习、记忆、冲动、对威胁的反应等行为测试。例如，可以在学习实验中使用小剂量的苯丙胺等兴奋剂；评估苯丙胺对运动活动影响的平行实验将提供有关药物可能产生的无条件影响的宝贵信息，这些影响可能会影响对学习实验结果的解释。运动活动也可以作为学习实验的主要因变量。例如，用氟哌啶醇这样的药物治疗可能会与活动监测器中的位置配对，然后可能会评估活动监测器刺激物在未服药状态下影响同一只大鼠行为的能力。我们的研究结果将更好地理解早期的经历和大脑系统的变化如何影响行为。通过了解大脑可塑性的机制，即经验对行为的影响，科学家和政策制定者将能够更好地选择环境和社会系统，使学习和有效应对最大化。申请者开展的工作有助于更广泛的大脑研究领域，试图了解大脑和思维的工作原理，以及它是如何受到经验的影响的。这项工作将创造可用于最大限度地开展有效工作、应对和合作的可靠知识，从而使所有加拿大人受益。

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at Queen’s is seeking funds to replace our current locomotor activity monitors that are over 30 years old and run by out-of-date hardware and software for which technical specifications are no longer available.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.