A virtual library for behavioral performance in standard conditions—rodent spontaneous activity in an open field during repeated testing and after treatment with drugs or brain lesions

Abstract

Background Beyond their specific experiment, video records of behavior have future value—for example, as inputs for new experiments or for yet unknown types of analysis of behavior—similar to tissue or blood sample banks in life sciences where clinically derived or otherwise well-described experimental samples are stored to be available for some unknown potential future purpose. Findings Research using an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder employed a standardized paradigm where the behavior of rats in a large open field was video recorded for 55 minutes on each test. From 43 experiments, there are 19,976 such trials that amount to over 2 years of continuous recording. In addition to videos, there are 2 video-derived raw data objects: XY locomotion coordinates and plots of animal trajectory. To motivate future use, the 3 raw data objects are annotated with a general schema—one that abstracts the data records from their particular experiment while providing, at the same time, a detailed list of independent variables bearing on behavioral performance. The raw data objects are deposited as 43 datasets but constitute, functionally, a library containing 1 large dataset. Conclusions Size and annotation schema give the library high reuse potential: in applications using machine learning techniques, statistical evaluation of subtle factors, simulation of new experiments, or as educational resource. Ultimately, the library can serve both as the seed and as the test bed to create a machine-searchable virtual library of linked open datasets for behavioral performance in defined conditions.

Long-term tracking of social structure in groups of rats

“…Behavioral assays are often used to quantify the behavior of rodents, and many new tools are being developed for both individual social tracking and behavioral scoring [61][62][63][64][65][66]. Tests that have been used to quantify social behavior in rodents include, for example, reciprocal social interaction, social approach partition, social preference, social transmission of food preference, food allocation, and reciprocal cooperation [13,23,67].…”

Metabolically Glycoengineered Neural Stem Cells Boost Neural Repair After Cardiac Arrest

“…NDS was performed serially at 6, 24, 48, 72 h, 7, 14, 21, and Anxiety-related behavior and locomotor activity were evaluated in the open-field tests. [34] The behavior function was monitored in a rectangular chamber (50 × 83 × 56 cm) with the center zone in the middle (30 × 63 cm). Each rat was placed in the center of the chamber and allowed to move freely for 5 min.…”