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Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

ABSTRACT: Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, resembling natural burrows. Eco-HAB allows for assessment of the tendency of mice to voluntarily spend time together in ethologically relevant mouse group sizes. Custom-made software for automated tracking, data extraction, and analysis enables quick evaluation of social impairments. The developed protocols and standardized behavioral measures demonstrate high replicability. Unlike classic three-chambered sociability tests, Eco-HAB provides measurements of spontaneous, ecologically relevant social behaviors in group-housed animals. Results are obtained faster, with less manpower, and without confounding factors.

SUBMITTER: Puscian A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5092044 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

Puścian Alicja A Łęski Szymon S Kasprowicz Grzegorz G Winiarski Maciej M Borowska Joanna J Nikolaev Tomasz T Boguszewski Paweł M PM Lipp Hans-Peter HP Knapska Ewelina E

eLife 20161012

Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, re ...[more]

PMID: 27731798

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Dataset Information

Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

Publications

Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

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