title: Analyzing grooming microstructure in neurobehavioral experiments.
abstract: Grooming is a commonplace, robust behavior in rodent species. It has been shown to be highly sensitive to a number of experimental factors, making it an ideal target for manipulation. The complex patterning of grooming in rodents, which usually proceeds in a cephalo-caudal direction and involves several distinct stages, can be dissected into its constituent parts and microstructures. Several grooming patterning analysis methods are described in the protocol that allow for an assessment of this behavior based on measurements of grooming activity and its sequencing. Additionally, grooming can be evaluated in reference to the regional distribution and syntax in which it occurs. Owing to the ever-increasing number of rodent models that have strong grooming phenotypes, this high-throughput in-depth analysis is becoming crucial for biomedical research.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. kalueva@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Allan V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kalueff
authors.forename: J Wayne
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.forename: Justin L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: LaPorte
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tuohimaa
mesh_terms: D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000064:Acclimatization; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000379:methods*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D019257:Quinpirole / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D019257:Quinpirole; D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine