Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice

Abstract

Assessment of behavioural phenotype is crucial for the evaluation of various disease models, particularly in laboratory rodents. Traditionally, this includes performing a variety of conventional tests where animals are removed from their home-cages and placed in behavioural test apparatuses. This approach can be affected by micro-environmental stress (removal from cage, handling, moving to an unfamiliar setting, and the test itself) and other biases, by capturing animals’ responses in a short time-window and potentially missing subtle or circadian effects. Overall, serious concerns have been expressed regarding the validity and reliability of such measurements. To address some of these concerns, researchers are increasingly resorting to automated home-cage monitoring (HCM) technologies, which allow recording behavioural and physiological parameters of undisturbed animals continuously. In 2021, a pan-European network of researchers started the 4-year COST Action “Improving biomedical research by automated behaviour monitoring in the animal home-cage” (CA20135 TEATIME, https://www.cost-teatime.org/), where experts from different fields joined forces to critically assess the potential of available technologies, to develop guidelines and identify where further technological development is needed, including analysis of big data. The opportunities opened by home-cage monitoring for daily health and welfare monitoring of laboratory mice in a contactless, stress-free, and continuous fashion are also being duly explored. We provide a short overview of the progress made by the Action during the first year and a half (presentation available at https://osf.io/5dgz7).