Marble Burying/Nestlet Shredding in Mice Article Flashcards
Why are rodents used to study OCD behaviour
rodents often engage
in a variety of repetitive behaviors and examples include grooming or digging. One psychiatric condition that involves the exhibition of recurrent and unwanted behaviors in humans is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Why is it a necessity to use animals as a model for OCD or ASD
The intensity and frequency of occurrence of repetitive behaviors in OCD and ASD can become great enough to displace most
other normal behaviors and social interactions in patients with these conditions. In light of the prevalence and debilitating nature of psychiatric conditions characterized by repetitive behaviors, and considering the poor understanding of their causes and limited treatment options, the use of animal models to study these behaviors takes on added urgency.
How do you prepare the cages for the marble test
Add 5cm mouse bedding and level bedding surface. Place marbles in 5 rows of 4 marbles.
How do you prepare the cages for the nestled test
Add 0.5cm mouse bedding and level bedding surface. Weigh a nestlet and place it in the cage.
How much time is needed to preform the experiment
30 minutes
Are the mice allowed food or water during the experiment?
No, withhold it.
How many people are grading the mice who are burying the marbles?
2-3
When is a marble considered buried?
When two-thirds of its surface are is covered by bedding.
Once the nestled is shredded, what do you do?
remove remaining intact nestlet material from cage. allow to dry overnight. weigh remaining unshredded nestlet and divide weight by starting weight to calculate percentage of nestled shredded.
