Open-field behavior of C57BL/6J mice: Effect of illumination, age, and number of test days

Nagy, Z. Michael; Glaser, H. Donald

doi:10.3758/bf03335518

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In the present study, activity was lower under the high than in the low illumination level and was also lower when the test environment was familiar than when it was unfamiliar. These data parallel those of Nagy and Glaser (1970), of Middaugh et al (1987) and of Crabbe et al (1988).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

The effects of novelty, isolation, light and ethanol on the social behavior of mice

Lister

Hilakivi

1988

Psychopharmacology

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The social behavior of pairs of male NIH Swiss mice was assessed under a variety of experimental conditions. Increasing periods of isolation increased both the total time spent in social interaction and also increased the incidence of aggressive behavior. Familiarity with the testing arena tended to increase social behavior, but the magnitude of this effect was considerably less than that previously observed in rats. High light levels reduced social interaction. Ethanol (0.8-2.4 g/kg) caused a dose-related decrease in the total time spent in social interaction, a biphasic effect on aggressive behavior and a dose-related increase in locomotor activity. While the social interaction test in this form may not be a suitable model of anxiety in NIH Swiss mice, it should provide a useful method of assessing drug effects and investigating genetic influences on social and aggressive behavior.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

The effects of novelty, isolation, light and ethanol on the social behavior of mice

Lister

Hilakivi

1988

Psychopharmacology

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“…Thus, 50-day-handled subjects were more active than controls on the first day, but their ambulation decreased more rapidly such that it was less than the controls on Days 3 and 4, and this pattern was different at the three ages. Similar examples are available in the study of Nagy and Glaser (1970), who demonstrated a significant (apparently asymptotic) decline across 10 days in CS7BL/6.J mice.…”

Section: Temporal Analysis Of Open-field Behaviorsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…Another commonly studied dependent parameter of illumination has been defecation, and with some exceptions (Blizard, 1971), no significant main effect has been reported (Nagy & Forest, 1970;Nagy & Glaser, 1970;Nagy & Holm, 1970). This result seems unexpected in terms of much current thinking which considers high illumination as "stressful" and defecation as the prime index of emotionality.…”

Section: The Testing Environmentmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…However, considerably more light has been afforded by recent studies which have examined the relationships between scores obtained on individual trials. Nagy and Glaser (1970) divided C57BL/6.J mice into high and low ambulators and studied the cross-trial patterns of defecation under a variety of ages and illuminations. High and low ambulators did not differ in defecation on Day 1, but thereafter the low subjects defecated significantly more; and their defecation continued to rise until declining from Day 6, whereas high ambulators defecated maximally on Day 2.…”

Section: Interrelationships Among Dependent Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The open-field test: A critical review.

Walsh

Cummins²

1976

Psychological Bulletin

2,145

1,055

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Over the past 40 years the open field has evolved as a commonly used tool for the measurement of animal behavior. This review takes a critical look at the use of this instrument, especially with regard to the development of a standard form for its use. The various procedures and their shortcomings are discussed, with particular reference to the seemingly inconsequential details which have been shown to modulate open-field performance per se. Dependent parameters arc considered both with regard to their reliability and their validity for the measurement of such underlying constructs as emotionality.Since its introduction some 40 years ago, the open-field test has attained the status of one of the most widely used instruments in animal psychology. Its popularity probably stems in large part from the simplicity of the apparatus, the easy and rapid measurement of clearly defined behaviors, and a generally accepted interpretation of these behaviors. In addition, certain of the measured behaviors are sensitive to a wide range of genetic, experiential, physiological, and pharmacological manipulations and are sufficiently reliable under standardized conditions to give repeatable measures on an enormous range of independent variables. Simplicity, ease of quantification, and wide applicability are therefore probably the prime determinants of its popularity.However, in spite of its status as one of the most widely used tests of animal behavior, the open-field test has survived for 40 years with only one major review (Archer, 1973), and this was limited to a-consideration of its usefulness for estimating emotionality in rodents. Apparatus, techniques, subjects, parameters, analyses, and interpretations have We would like to express our gratitude to Otto

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“…It is assumed that activity measured in open field tests may be confounded by a number of factors, such as fear and emotionality, depending on testing conditions, e.g. lighting intensity and size of the apparatus (17). Indeed, it is reported that open field activity levels were highly correlated with behavioral responses in other fear-related behavioral test paradigms, such as fear conditioning and dark/light transition tests, rather than with home cage running wheel activity levels (16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estrogen Increases Locomotor Activity in Mice through Estrogen Receptor α: Specificity for the Type of Activity

et al. 2003

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Estrogens are known to increase running wheel activity of rodents primarily by acting on the medial preoptic area (mPOA). The mechanisms of this estrogenic regulation of running wheel activity are not completely understood. In particular, little is known about the separate roles of two types of estrogen receptors, ERalpha and ERbeta, both of which are expressed in mPOA neurons. In the present study the effects of continuous estrogen treatment on running wheel activity were examined in male and female mice specifically lacking either the ERalpha (alphaERKO) or the ERbeta (betaERKO) gene. Mice were gonadectomized and 1 wk later implanted with either a low dose (16 ng/d) or a high dose (160 ng/d) of estradiol benzoate (EB) or with a placebo control pellet. Home cage running wheel activity was recorded for 9 d starting 10 d after EB implants. The same mice were also tested for open field activity before and after EB implants. In both female and male alphaERKO mice, running wheel activity was not different from that in corresponding wild-type (alphaWT) mice in placebo control groups. In both females and males it was increased by EB only in alphaWT, not alphaERKO, mice. In betaERKO mice, on the other hand, both doses of EB equally increased running wheel activity in both sexes just as they did in betaWT mice. Absolute numbers of daily revolutions of EB-treated groups, however, were significantly lower in betaERKO females compared with betaWT females. Before EB treatment, gonadectomized alphaERKO female were significantly less active than alphaWT mice in open field tests, whereas betaERKO females tended to be more active than betaWT mice. In male mice there were no effect of ERalpha or ERbeta gene knockout on open field activity. Unlike its effect on running wheel activity, EB treatment induced only a small increase in open field activity in female, but not male, mice. These findings indicate that 1) in both sexes estrogenic regulation of running wheel activity is primarily mediated through the ERalpha, not the ERbeta; and 2) hormone/genotype effects are specific to the type of locomotor activity (i.e. home cage running wheel activity and open field activity) measured.

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Open-field behavior of C57BL/6J mice: Effect of illumination, age, and number of test days

Cited by 27 publications

References 6 publications

The effects of novelty, isolation, light and ethanol on the social behavior of mice

The effects of novelty, isolation, light and ethanol on the social behavior of mice

The open-field test: A critical review.

Estrogen Increases Locomotor Activity in Mice through Estrogen Receptor α: Specificity for the Type of Activity

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