Automated analysis of behavior: A computer‐controlled system for drug screening and the investigation of learning

Abstract

Efforts to understand cognition will be greatly facilitated by computerized systems that enable the automated analysis of animal behavior. A number of controversies in the invertebrate learning field have resulted from difficulties inherent in manual experiments. Driven by the necessity to overcome these problems during investigation of neural function in planarian flatworms and frog larvae, we designed and developed a prototype for an inexpensive, flexible system that enables automated control and analysis of behavior and learning. Applicable to a variety of small animals such as flatworms and zebrafish, this system allows automated analysis of innate behavior, as well as of learning and memory in a plethora of conditioning paradigms. We present here the schematics of a basic prototype, which overcomes experimenter effects and operator tedium, enabling a large number of animals to be analyzed with transparent on-line access to primary data. A scaled-up version of this technology represents an efficient methodology to screen pharmacological and genetic libraries for novel neuroactive reagents of basic and biomedical relevance.

A Chemical Genetics Approach Reveals H,K-ATPase-Mediated Membrane Voltage Is Required for Planarian Head Regeneration

“…This contrasts with controls, which even at 24 hours of regeneration still move about the dish. Therefore, we performed quantitative behavioral analyses of H,K-ATPase-inhibited planarians (Figure 3A) using a custom-made computer vision system for tracking behavior (Hicks et al, 2006). When placed in new environments, planarians typically undergo a short exploration period; however, H,K-ATPase-inhibited regenerates completely lost exploratory behavior.…”

Bioelectric signaling regulates head and organ size during planarian regeneration

“…Movements were quantified with a custom-made computer vision system (Hicks et al, 2006;Blackiston et al, 2010). Ten minute trials in the dark were recorded at 5 Hz.…”

Girardia dorotocephala transcriptome sequence, assembly, and validation through characterization of piwi homologs and stem cell progeny markers

“…Planarians have also been the subject of recent work in toxicology, as well as behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary biology research (Alvarez-Presas et al, 2008; Hagstrom et al, 2016, 2015; Hicks et al, 2006; Inoue et al, 2015; Levin et al, 2016; Lombardo et al, 2011; Majdi et al, 2014; Shomrat and Levin, 2013), broadening their use as a model beyond fields related to developmental biology. In the classroom, these charismatic organisms have been an important component in K-12 science education and tools are being developed to modernize their use in college level courses (Accorsi et al, 2017; Eberhardt et al, 2015; Pagan et al, 2009; Valverde, 2015).…”