PhenoTyper: 3 days Spontaneous behavior (Habituation)
LSID: http://syli.cz/urn:lsid:public.sylics.com:automatedtest:437E-GD6E-2A5BMaterials 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:0011620 abnormal habituation to a new environment
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 3: habituation
In general, mice are more active during the first hours of the dark phase on day 1, than during the same period on day 3. To capture these habituation effects, we analyzed the change in activity from day 1 to day 3, i.e., the habituation phase, by taking the ratio of day 3 over day 1.
Parameter information
| Parameter name | Units | Explanation |
| *Activity duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cumulative activity duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean activity duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean activity duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Activity number - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative activity number during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean short arrest duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short arrest duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Long arrest duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long arrest long arrest duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean long arrest duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean long arrest duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Long arrest number - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long arrest long arrest number during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Feeding zone duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative Feeding zone duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean short shelter visit duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short shelter visit duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Long shelter visit duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long shelter visit duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean long movement distance - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean long movement distance during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Mean short movement distance - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short movement distance during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| OnShelter zone duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative OnShelter zone duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| Spout zone duration - habituation ratio dark | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative Spout zone duration during the dark phase of day 3 compared to the dark phase of day 1 |
| *Activity duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative activity duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean activity duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean activity duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Activity number - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative activity number during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean short arrest duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short arrest duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Long arrest duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long arrest long arrest duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean long arrest duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean long arrest duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Long arrest number - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long arrest long arrest number during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Feeding zone duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative Feeding zone duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean short shelter visit duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short shelter visit duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Long shelter visit duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative long shelter visit duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean long movement distance - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean long movement distance during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Mean short movement distance - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in mean short movement distance during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| OnShelter zone duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative OnShelter zone duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |
| Spout zone duration - habituation ratio light | ratio | Habituation effect: Change in cummulative Spout zone duration during the light phase of day 3 compared to the light phase of day 1 |