title: A "bottom-counting" video system for measuring cocaine-induced behaviors in Drosophila.
abstract: Cocaine exposure elicits a set of stereotypic behaviors in Drosophila that are strikingly similar to the cocaine-induced behaviors observed in vertebrates. This provides a valuable model for the study of cocaine abuse and has led to the discovery of a connection between the cocaine response pathway and the circadian system. This article describes a simplified assessment of cocaine-induced behavior combined with an image acquisition system, which allows the assay to be semiautomated. With this new system, cocaine response can be evaluated in a fraction of the time required by the previous assay, and subjectivity in scoring is reduced dramatically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lease
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burnette
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000172:deficiency; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C539040:PER protein, Drosophila; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D003042:Cocaine