PhenoTyper: 2.5 days Spontaneous behavior (Activity bouts)

LSID: http://syli.cz/urn:lsid:public.sylics.com:automatedtest:EG57-D33E-DA46

Materials and Methods
Mice were singly housed on sawdust in standard Makrolon type II cages enriched with cardboard nesting material for at least one week prior to experiments, with water and food ad libitum (7:00/19:00 lights on/off; providing an abrupt phase transition).

Activity in the home cage was automatically recorded by video tracking in specially designed cages (PhenoTyper model 3000, Noldus Information Technology, www.noldus.com/phenotyper). Each cage contains a top unit with built-in hardware for video-tracking, that is, an infrared-sensitive video camera. The latter provide constant and even illumination of the cage. An infrared filter placed in front of the camera prevents interference with room illumination. This method allows continuous behavioural recordings in both dark and light periods. EthoVision was used as video tracking and trial control software. PhenoTyper cages were connected in a specially designed computer network. The cages (L =30 × W =30 × H =35 cm) were made of transparent Perspex walls with an opaque Perspex floor covered with bedding based on cellulose. A feeding station and a water bottle were attached on to two adjacent walls outside of the cage. A shelter (height: 10 cm, diameter: 9 cm; non-transparent material) was fixed in one of the corners. The X-Y coordinates of the centre of gravity of mice were acquired and smoothed using EthoVision software and processed to generate behavioural parameters using AHCODA analysis software (Synaptologics BV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://www.sylics.com/bioinformatics/ahcodatm-data-analysis/).

Associated Mammalian Phenotype Ontologies (MGI)
- MP:0001392 abnormal locomotor behaviour
- MP:0001502 abnormal circadian rhythm

Spontaneous behavior
With respect to spontaneous behaviors in the first three days in the PhenoTyper, 6 groups of behavioral parameters are defined as described below. The first two groups describe specific behavioral elements related to kinematics of mice (description of movement characteristics, group1) and sheltering behavior (group 2). These behavioral parameters were analyzed with respect to temporal aspects, in particular over 4 different time scales, i.e., habituation effects across multiple days (group 3), effects of DarkLight phase across 24h (group 4), differences in the pattern of behavior in the few hours before and after phase shifts (group5), and differences in activity bout properties on the sub-minute time scale (group 6).

Group 6: activity
Characteristics and quantity of individual activity bouts.


Parameter information

Parameter name	Units	Explanation
*Activity duration - dark	s	Cumulative duration of activity during the dark phase.
*Mean activity duration - dark	s	Mean duration per activity bout during the dark phase.
Activity number - dark	frequency	Cumulative number of activity bouts during the dark phase.
Feeding zone duration - dark	s	Cumulative duration in feeding zone during the dark phase.
OnShelter zone duration - dark	s	Cumulative duration in OnShelter zone during the dark phase.
*OnShelter zone number - dark	frequency	Cumulative number of visits to OnShelter zone during the dark phase.
Spout zone duration - dark	s	Cumulative duration in Spout zone during the dark phase.
*Activity duration - light	s	Cumulative duration of activity during the light phase.
*Mean activity duration - light	s	Mean duration per activity bout during the light phase.
Activity number - light	frequency	Cumulative number of activity bouts during the light phase.
Feeding zone duration - light	s	Cumulative duration in feeding zone during the light phase.
OnShelter zone duration - light	cm	Cumulative duration in OnShelter zone during the light phase.
OnShelter zone number - light	frequency	Cumulative number of visits to OnShelter zone during the light phase.
Spout zone duration - light	s	Cumulative duration in Spout zone during the light phase.