title: Automating ultrasonic vocalization analyses: the WAAVES program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human emotion is a crucial component of drug abuse and addiction. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) elicited by rodents are a highly translational animal model of emotion in drug abuse studies. A major roadblock to comprehensive use of USV data is the overwhelming burden to attain accurate USV assessment in a timely manner. One of the most accurate methods of analyzing USVs, human auditory detection with simultaneous spectrogram inspection, requires USV sound files to be played back 4% normal speed.
  
  
  METHODS
  WAAVES (WAV-file Automated Analysis of Vocalizations Environment Specific) is an automated USV assessment program utilizing MATLAB's Signal and Image Processing Toolboxes in conjunction with a series of customized filters to separate USV calls from background noise, and accurately tabulate and categorize USVs as flat or frequency-modulated (FM) calls. In the current report, WAAVES functionality is demonstrated by USV analyses of cocaine self-administration data collected over 10 daily sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WAAVES counts are significantly correlated with human auditory counts (r(48)=0.9925; p<0.001). Statistical analyses used WAAVES output to examine individual differences in USV responses to cocaine, cocaine-associated cues and relationships between USVs, cocaine intake and locomotor activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WAAVES output is highly accurate and provides tabulated data in approximately 0.3% of the time required when using human auditory detection methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of a customized USV analysis program, such as WAAVES streamlines USV assessment and enhances the ability to utilize USVs as a tool to advance drug abuse research and ultimately develop effective treatments.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, 108 East Dean Keeton Avenue, Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712-1043, USA. jreno@utexas.edu
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reno
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marker
authors.forename: Lawrence K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Cormack
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schallert
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Duvauchelle
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012646:Self Administration; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Addiction; Cocaine; Craving; Rat; Self-administration; USV