title: Methodological Considerations for Optimizing and Validating Behavioral Assays.
abstract: Preclinical animal models are indispensable tools for translational research for which behavioral characterization and phenotyping are essential to testing hypotheses and for evaluating the potential of novel therapeutic agents to treat diseases. The methods employed for comprehensive behavioral phenotyping and pharmacological experiments are complex and should be conducted exclusively by trained technicians with demonstrated proficiency. The ultimate goal is to identify disease-relevant and translational behavioral endpoints that are robust, reliable, and reproducible, and that can be employed to evaluate potential of novel therapeutic agents to treat disease. The intent of the present article is to provide a pragmatic outline for establishing and optimizing behavioral assays and phenotyping batteries, ensuring that the assays and the data are reliable such that they can be reproduced within and across technicians and laboratories and, more importantly, that the data is translatable to the clinic. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Mouse Neurobehavioral Phenotyping Facility, Center for Biometric Analysis, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine.
authors.forename: Stacey J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sukoff Rizzo
authors.affiliation: MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California.
authors.forename: Jill L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*
keywords: animal models; assay validation; behavior; behavioral testing; mouse; pharmacology; phenotyping; reproducibility