PhenoTyper: 2.5 days Spontaneous behavior (DarkLight index)

LSID: http://syli.cz/urn:lsid:public.sylics.com:automatedtest:89GE-2EA7-2B67

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 4: DarkLight index
The light/dark cycle has a strong impact on behavior during each day of the experiment. To assess whether a given behavior is more prominent during the dark or light phase, we defined a LightDark index (dark value/(dark value + light value)). This LightDark index lies between 0.5 and 1.0 if a specific behavior is more pronounced during the dark phase and between 0.0 and 0.5 if it is more prominent during the light phase.


Parameter information

Parameter name	Units	Explanation
*Activity duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative activity duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean activity duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean activity duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Activity number - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative activity number between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean short arrest duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean short arrest duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Long arrest duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative long arrest long arrest duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean long arrest duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean long arrest duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Long arrest number - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative long arrest long arrest number between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Feeding zone duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative Feeding zone duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean short shelter visit duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean short shelter visit duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Long shelter visit duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative long shelter visit duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Long shelter visit number - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative long shelter visit number between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean long movement distance - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean long movement distance between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Mean short movement distance - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in mean short movement distance between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
OnShelter zone duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative OnShelter zone duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.
Spout zone duration - darklight index	index	Effect of light regime: Index describing the difference in cumulative Spout zone duration between light and dark phase. If this index is between 0.5 and 1 then parameter values are higher during the dark phase. If this index is between 0 and 0.5 then parameter values are higher during the light phase.