behavioural neuroscience methods

Question 1

what are the 3 types of validity

Answer 1

• construct validity
• predictive validity
• face validity

Question 2

what is the criteria for construct validity

Answer 2

similar cause or pathophysiology between the human condition and animal model
- high effectiveness in single gene mutations

Question 3

what is the criteria for predictive validity

Answer 3

treatments are effective in animal models are also effective in human models, and vise versa

Question 4

what is the criteria for face validity

Answer 4

the symptoms of the animal model mimic the symptoms of the human condition

Question 5

what are the 2 types of testing for behavioural tasks

Answer 5

translational or naturalistic

Question 6

what is translational tasks

Answer 6

training an animal to mimic a human test

Question 7

what is naturalistic tasks

Answer 7

use a relevant intrinsic or innate skill or preference of the animal

Question 8

how can we measure fear

Answer 8

cued or contextual fear conditioning

Question 9

how can we measure anxiety

Answer 9

elevated plus maze/eleveted platform/light-dark maze/open field

Question 10

how can we measure attention

Answer 10

attentional set-shifting task (eg wisconsin card sort task)

Question 11

how can we measure depression

Answer 11

learned helplessness/forced swim

Question 12

how can we measure locomotor activity

Answer 12

activity box/open field

Question 13

how can we measure locomotor coordination

Answer 13

rotarod, skilled reaching, balance beam

Question 14

how can we measure sensory perception

Answer 14

von frey test, temperature sensitivity

Question 15

what does heightened amydala activity relay within fear conditioning

Answer 15

cued fear conditioning (danger response)

Question 16

what does heightened amygdala and hippocampus activity relay within fear conditioning

Answer 16

contextual fear conditioning (contextual danger response)

Question 17

what is active place avoidance

Answer 17

uses negative reinforcement for learning and memory
shocks at a certain place in arena, mouse will soon learn to not go to that region

Question 18

how is anxiety measured

Answer 18

measure time spent in open (aversive) vs closed (safe) areas
anti-anxiety drugs hopefully increase exploration of “unsafe” regions

Question 19

what is the hippocampus responsible for wh=ithin attentional set and cognitive flexibiity tasks

Answer 19

learning the rule

Question 20

what is the prefrontal cortext responsible for within attentional set and cognitive flexibiity tasks

Answer 20

flexibility - change memories when the rules change

Question 21

what is anhedonia within the sucrose preference test

Answer 21

blunted reward value (depression)

Question 22

what is the sucrose splash test

Answer 22

mouse is splashed with sticky water
once it becomes apathetic, it will no longer bother cleaning itself - shows a depressive phenotype

Question 23

where is depression located within the brain

Answer 23

the anterior cingulate cortex

Question 24

how are locomoter diseases (parkinsons, MS) tested

Answer 24

activity box/open field
compare WT to parkinsons locomotion (distance travelled etc)

Question 25

how is huntingtons displayed on a rotarod

Answer 25

WT would last longer / be quicker than huntingtons

Question 26

how is pain perception measured

Answer 26

mice on a hotplate - if they lift their paw it is a measure of the mechanical pressure that they can hand;e