Source Paper
Age-related changes in behavior in C57BL/6J mice from young adulthood to middle age
Hirotaka Shoji, Keizo Takao, Satoko Hattori, Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
Molecular Brain • 2016
Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning
Objective: Assessment of fear memory formation and recall in response to contextual and cued stimuli
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Equipment2
Materials4
Software1
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Protocol Steps
Animal housing and maintenance
Mice were housed in plastic cages with sterilized PaperClean Bedding under a 12-hour light/dark cycle with lights on at 7:00 a.m. Food (CRF-1) and water were provided ad libitum.
Note: Housing density varied: 1.3% housed with 1 animal per cage, 2.3% with 2, 6.7% with 3, 80.1% with 4, 8.9% with 5, and 0.7% with 6 animals per cage at the beginning of test battery.
View evidence from paper
“housed in plastic cages with sterilized PaperClean Bedding (Japan SLC) under a 12-hr light/dark cycle (lights on at 7:00 a.m.) with access to food (CRF-1, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) and water ad libitum”
Behavioral test battery ordering
Contextual and cued fear conditioning was performed as part of a standardized behavioral test battery. The general order of tests was: general health and neurological screening, light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, hot plate, social interaction, rotarod, startle response/prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, Barnes maze, contextual and cued fear conditioning, and tail suspension tests.
Note: More than 75% of mice were subjected to tests in accordance with the standard order, though some strains had tests omitted or reordered.
View evidence from paper
“The mice were generally tested in the following order; general health and neurological screening, light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, hot plate, social interaction, rotarod, startle response/prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, Barnes maze, contextual and cued fear conditioning, and tail suspension tests. The interval between tests was at least 1 day.”
Behavioral testing timing
All behavioral testing was performed during a specific time window in the active phase of the animals.
Note: Testing occurred during the light phase of the 12-hour light/dark cycle.
View evidence from paper
“Behavioral testing was performed between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.”
Apparatus cleaning and decontamination
After each test, all apparatus were cleaned to prevent bias due to olfactory cues.
Note: Cleaning was performed with super hypochlorous water and 70% ethanol.
View evidence from paper
“After the tests, all apparatus were cleaned with super hypochlorous water and 70% ethanol to prevent a bias due to olfactory cues.”