Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
J Neurosci Methods. 2018 Jan 1;293:37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.08.027. Epub 2017 Aug 25.
In studies that measure social behavior of a freely interacting pair rats social behavior of one rat is strongly influenced by the behavior of the other. This prevents evaluating social behavior of one single rat.
We assessed the motivation to interact socially in a modified open-field, by measuring the time a rat attempted to interact with a co-specific separated by a grid in a birdcage outside of the apparatus. We propose time in front of the birdcage is an indicator of social behavior.
We showed that the focal rat allocates more time in front of the birdcage, interacting with another rat through the grid. Also, that the presence of the other rat that attracts the focal rat. Habituation to the apparatus, repeated testing and illumination condition did not alter the proximity measures of rats. Finally, treatment with chlordiazepoxide (3.0mg/kg) either increased the time spent in front of the cage by males and females or (5.6mg/kg) increased the proximity measure of females.
Our method prevents partners from influencing the target rat's social behavior; existing methods do not. Also, it is more sensitive to the effect of chlordiazepoxide than the broadly used method proposed by File and Hyde (1978).
Proximity is an advantageous measure: it allows the assessment of only one focal animal without the interference of a partner; it is simple to take; it requires little interpretation skills or training from the experimenter, no special equipment or conditions.
在测量自由互动的一对大鼠的社会行为的研究中，一只大鼠的社会行为会受到另一只大鼠行为的强烈影响。这使得评估一只单独大鼠的社会行为变得不可能。
我们通过测量大鼠试图与被网格隔开的同种大鼠在鸟笼外的装置中互动的时间，在改良的旷场中评估大鼠的社交互动动机。我们提出，大鼠在鸟笼前的时间是社交行为的一个指标。
我们发现，焦点大鼠会分配更多的时间在鸟笼前，通过网格与另一只大鼠互动。此外，另一只大鼠的存在会吸引焦点大鼠。装置的习惯化、重复测试和照明条件都不会改变大鼠的接近度测量。最后，用氯氮卓（3.0mg/kg）处理会增加雄性和雌性大鼠在笼子前的时间，或者（5.6mg/kg）增加雌性大鼠的接近度测量。
我们的方法可以防止同伴影响目标大鼠的社会行为；而现有方法则不能。此外，与 File 和 Hyde（1978）提出的广泛使用的方法相比，它对氯氮卓的效果更为敏感。
接近度是一个有利的测量指标：它允许评估仅一只焦点动物，而不受同伴的干扰；它很容易进行；它不需要实验者具备太多的解释技能或培训，也不需要特殊的设备或条件。
