A modified light-dark box test for the common marmoset

Abstract

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has attracted extensive attention for use as a non-human primate model in biomedical research, especially in the study of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, behavioral test methods are still limited in the field of marmoset research. The light-dark box is widely used for the evaluation of anxiety in rodents, but little is known about light-dark preference in marmosets. Here, we modified the light-dark test to study this behavior. The modified apparatus consisted of three compartments: one transparent open area and two closed opaque compartments. The closed compartments could be dark or light. We found that both adult and young marmosets liked to explore the open area, but the young animals showed more interest than adults. Furthermore, when one of the closed compartments was light and the other dark, the adult marmosets showed a preference for the dark compartment, but the young animals had no preference. These results suggest that the exploratory behavior and the light-dark preference in marmosets are age-dependent. Our study provides a new method to study exploration, anxiety, and fear in marmosets.

Left Habenula Mediates Light-Preference Behavior in Zebrafish via an Asymmetrical Visual Pathway

“…In the present study, we found that, through receiving visual inputs from an asymmetrical pathway comprising a specific subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and eminentia thalami (EmT), the left dHb (L-dHb) in larval zebrafish mediates light-preference behavior, which is a highly conserved innate behavior throughout the animal kingdom and crucial for animal survival (Crozier and Pincus, 1927;Gong et al, 2010;Steenbergen et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2014;Ward et al, 2008;Yamanaka et al, 2013). Lesion or dysfunction of the L-dHb, but not right dHb (R-dHb), severely impaired retinal input-dependent lightpreference behavior, while optogenetic activation of L-dHb neurons endowed eye-removed zebrafish with preference capability.…”

“…Light/dark preference is an evolutionarily conserved innate behavior that is found throughout the animal kingdom (Crozier and Pincus, 1927;Gong et al, 2010;Steenbergen et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2014;Ward et al, 2008;Yamanaka et al, 2013). Exposure to an environment with favorable illuminance ecologically helps the animal to forage for food, avoid predators, find conspecifics, and perform courtship behaviors (Navara and Nelson, 2007).…”

“…central brain and neuropeptide-releasing neurons were reported to control dark preference in Drosophila larvae (Gong et al, 2010;Yamanaka et al, 2013). Although light/dark-preference paradigms have been widely used to evaluate the anxiety of zebrafish, rodents, and non-human primates (Agetsuma et al, 2010;Steenbergen et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2014;Yamaguchi et al, 2013), the neural circuit underlying light/dark preference in vertebrates is largely unknown except that the involvement of the retina and the minor contribution of deep brain photoreceptors were reported (Fernandes et al, 2012). Our study provides, for the first time, a neural circuit mechanism for vertebrate light-preference behavior.…”

Paeonol at Certain Doses Alleviates Aggressive and Anxiety-Like Behaviours in Two Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Rat Models

“…Normally, rodents tend to stay in the dark, but their exploratory behaviour drives them to the light box. Therefore, the increase in the number and time of activities in the light box can reflect a reduction in animal anxiety (29,30). Using the reliable behavioural evaluation system mentioned previously, we effectively screened 17.5 mg/kg as the optimal anti-anxiety effective intervention dose in mice treated with different doses of paeonol.…”

Neural substrates involved in the cognitive information processing in teleost fish

“…Optogenetic activation of the left-dorsal habenula (see Fig. 4 b, section D) in eye-removed zebrafish larvae triggers innate light-preference behaviour in zebrafish larvae (Zhang et al 2017 )., This behaviour is critical for survival and highly conserved (Crozier and Pincus 1927 ; Gong et al 2010 ; Steenbergen et al 2011 ; Wang et al 2014 ; Ward et al 2008 ; Yamanaka et al 2013 ; Zhang et al 2017 ).…”