Source Paper
Running is the neurogenic and neurotrophic stimulus in environmental enrichment
Tali Kobilo, Qing-Rong Liu, Kriti Gandhi, Mohammed Mughal, Yavin Shaham et al.
Learning & Memory • 2011
Open Field Locomotor Activity Test
Objective: Measure locomotor activity in an open field to assess exploratory behavior and adaptation across different housing conditions (control, running, enrichment, or enrichment plus running)
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Protocol Steps
Housing assignment
Young female C57Bl/6 mice were assigned to one of four housing conditions: control, running, enrichment, or enrichment plus running
Note: Four distinct housing conditions were used to dissociate effects of physical activity and enrichment
View evidence from paper
“young female C57Bl/6 mice were housed under control, running, enrichment, or enrichment plus running conditions”
BrdU injection
Mice were injected with bromodeoxyuridine to label newly generated cells for subsequent analysis
Note: BrdU serves as a marker for cell proliferation
View evidence from paper
“young female C57Bl/6 mice were housed under control, running, enrichment, or enrichment plus running conditions, and injected with bromodeoxyuridine”
Cell genesis assessment
Cell genesis was assessed after 12 days of housing in assigned conditions
Note: This timepoint measures acute cell proliferation
View evidence from paper
“Cell genesis was assessed after 12 d and differentiation was analyzed 1 mo later”
Differentiation analysis
Cell differentiation was analyzed 1 month after initial housing assignment
Note: This later timepoint measures cell survival and differentiation into neurons
View evidence from paper
“Cell genesis was assessed after 12 d and differentiation was analyzed 1 mo later”
Open field locomotor activity test
Locomotor activity was measured in the open field to assess exploratory behavior and adaptation
Note: Open-field adaptation was improved in all groups compared to controls, but more so with running
View evidence from paper
“locomotor activity in the open field and hippocampal mature BDNF peptide levels were measured”
BDNF measurement
Hippocampal mature BDNF peptide levels were measured
Note: BDNF levels were enhanced only when running was accessible
View evidence from paper
“locomotor activity in the open field and hippocampal mature BDNF peptide levels were measured”