Introduction to Behavioural Techniques Flashcards

1
Q

Why is there a need to measure the behaviour of a whole organism?

A

To see the result of new drugs on behaviour when treating CNS diseases to see therapeutic value and side-effects

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2
Q

What type of behaviours do we measure?

A

Fear, Anxiety, Attention, Depression, Locomotor activity, locomotor co-ordination, memory, learning, sensory perception

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3
Q

How might we test for Fear and what is it useful for?

A

PTSD and Phobias
Cued Fear Conditioning - buzzer then shock
Contextual Shock - more complex but only shock in certain environments

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4
Q

How do we test for anxiety and what is it useful for?

A

Anxiety is a product of all other behaviours
Elevated plus maze - 2 light/2dark - mice like the dark - more anxious mice will stay there
Anxiolytic drugs might cause mice to spend more time in the light areas

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5
Q

How might we test for attention and what is it useful for?

A

Schizophrenia and ADHD
Linked to memory - if you can’t pay attention you are less likely to remember
Attentional Set-Shifting Task - rats learn rules along the way - have to pay attention to bowl type, food scent, digging medium
first rule is bowl smell of lavender and so on

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6
Q

How might we create a depressed phenotype and why i this useful?

A

Bipolar disorder
Can’t KO genes for depression so have to create depression
Learned helplessness through forced swim or tail suspension

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7
Q

How do you test locomotor activity and how might this be useful?

A

Can be used to test effectiveness of a drug or to see if there are side-effects
Good for PD and spinal-cord regeneration where rats may be able to move but don’t want to because of pain
Activity box - measures movement through light beams and movement onto hind legs to explore environment

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8
Q

How do you test locomotor co-ordination and how might this be useful?

A

Rotarod - can it stay on top for regular length of time

balance beam with food - how often do feet slip off

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9
Q

How do you test learning and how might this be useful?

A

Morris Water Maze - relavent for AD
Radial Arm Maze - does it go back to original empty food bowl - working memory
does it forget that 2 don’t have food? - long term memory
Paired Associate Learning - not good for developmental disorders

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10
Q

How do you test memory and how might this be useful?

A

Spontaneous Y maze - chooses one arm and then when turned around will choose the new arm
Novel Object Reconition - should look at new things more
what, where, what where, what context, what where context
good for children and mice as they like new things

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11
Q

How do you test sensory perception and how might this be useful?

A

Von Frey Test - sticks that bend at different pressures, if hurts will lift paws sooner
Temperature latency for paw lick

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12
Q

What parameters are there for measuring behaviour?

A

EC/IC electrophysiology
Microdialysis - cannula to feed in drugs, sample CSF or replace CSF
Optogenetics - light to activate different neurons via activating rhodopsins - turn off PFC, does the animal still learn

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