Slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG): an innate behavioral task for identification of individual experimental mice possessing functional vision

Abstract

BackgroundThere is significant interest in the generation of improved assays to clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision, a property that could qualify mice for inclusion in behavioral and neuroscience studies. Widely employed current methods rely on mouse responses to visual cues in assays of reflexes, depth perception, or cognitive memory. However, commonly assessed mouse reflexes can sometimes be ambiguous in their expression, while depth perception assays are sometimes confounded by variation in anxiety responses and exploratory conduct. Furthermore, in situations where experimental groups vary in their cognitive memory capacity, memory assays may not be ideal for assessing differences in vision.ResultsWe have optimized a non-invasive behavioral assay that relies on an untrained, innate response to identify individual experimental mice possessing functional vision: slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG). First, we verified that SLAG performance depends on vision and not olfaction. Next, all members of an age-ranged cohort of 158 C57BL/6 mice (57 wild-type, 101 knockout, age range 44–241 days) were assessed for functional vision using the SLAG test without training or conditioning. Subjecting the population to a second innate behavioral test, Dark Chamber preference, corroborated that the functional vision assessment of SLAG was valid.ConclusionsWe propose that the SLAG assay is immediately useful to quickly and clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision. SLAG is based on a behavioral readout with a significant innate component with no requirement for training. This will facilitate the selection of mice of known sighted status in vision-dependent experiments that focus on other types of behavior, neuroscience, and/or cognitive memory.

Critical periods in amblyopia

“…In contrast, manipulations that accelerate plasticity in the cortex, such as heterozygous loss of Mecp2 , prevent the acquisition of matched stimulus selectivity (Krishnan et al, 2015). Recovery of stereopsis in rodents can be assessed through behavioral measures such as visual cliff or SLAG performance (Gil-Pagés et al, 2013). Incorporation of physiological and psychophysical assessments that examine contrast sensitivity, direction selectivity, and stereoscopy would greatly improve assessement of the treatment efficacy across multiple aspects of vision in patients with amblyopia.…”

Rescue of cell death and inflammation of a mouse model of complex 1-mediated vision loss by repurposed drug molecules

“…In contrast, Ndufs4 KO that received vehicle injections were assessed to be blind and typically displayed zero edge detections. The slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG) (18) test was also performed after papaverine treatment to confirm visual function protection (Fig. 2C).…”

“…After visual cliff testing, visual function was confirmed by slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG) test (18). A clean stainlesssteel cage lid was placed on a counter top with one edge placed at an upward angle.…”

Mitochondrial complex IV mutation increases reactive oxygen species production and reduces lifespan in aged mice

“…Only animals in good general condition (generally healthy and free of open wounds) were used for the Morris Water Maze task. As visual ability is essential for spatial learning in the MWM, mice were additionally checked for sight disorders and if so, excluded. For MWM experiments, visible cues (black geometrical symbols; 0.5 × 0.5 m) were attached to each wall.…”