A computer-assisted odorized hole-board for testing olfactory perception in mice.
The present paper describes a behavioral setup, designed and built in our laboratory, allowing the systematic and automatic recording of performances in a large number of olfactory behavioral tests. This computerized monitoring system has the capability of measuring different aspects of olfactory function in mice using different paradigms including threshold evaluation, generalization tasks, habituation/dishabituation, olfactory associative learning, short-term olfactory memory with or without a spatial component, and olfactory preferences. In this paper, we first describe the hole-board apparatus and its software and then give the experimental results obtained using this system. We demonstrate that one single, easy-to-run experimental setup is a powerful tool for the study of olfactory behavior in mice that has many advantages and broad applications.
Mandairon
Nathalie
N
Laboratoire deNeurosciences Sensorielles, Comportement, Cognition, Université de Lyon, 50 Avenue Tony Garnier, Lyon F-69007, France. nathalie.mandairon@olfac.univ-lyon1.fr
Sultan
Sébastien
S
Rey
Nolwen
N
Kermen
Florence
F
Moreno
Mélissa
M
Busto
Germain
G
Farget
Vincent
V
Messaoudi
Belkacem
B
Thevenet
Marc
M
Didier
Anne
A
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001525:Behavioral Sciences / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003201:Computers; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009484:Neuropsychology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009812:Odorants; D012107:Research Design; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology