Source Paper
Oral Supplementation With a Bovine Thymus Extract Reduces Neuronal Excitability in Aging Mice
El‐Idrissi A, Surzenko N, El‐Khodor BF
FASEB Bioadv • 2026
Open Field Test
Objective: Measure locomotor activity, exploratory behavior and anxiety levels in mice
This is a Open Field Test protocol using mice as the model organism. The procedure involves 8 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 2 materials. Extracted from a 2026 paper published in FASEB Bioadv.
Model and subjects
mice • C57BL/6 • male • 12 months • 45
Study window
~5 minute study window | ~5 minutes hands-on
Core workflow
Setup open field apparatus • Set lighting conditions • Place mouse in starting position
Primary readouts
- Total number of grid crossings during 5-minute trial (defined as all four paws moving out of one square and into another)
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Setup open field apparatus
Construct open field with laminated wood floor and clear acrylic walls, paint 4 × 4 grid matrix creating 16 squares
View evidence from paper
“A 4 × 4 grid matrix was painted on the floor of the open field, dividing the field into 16 squares”
Set lighting conditions
Maintain light at 200 lx in the behavior testing room
View evidence from paper
“The light in the behavior testing room was maintained at 200 lx”
Place mouse in starting position
Place mouse on the right front corner square and retain inside clear acrylic tube
View evidence from paper
“mice were placed on the right front corner square (relative to the position of the experimenter) and were retained inside a clear acrylic tube”
Initial restraint period
Keep mouse in tube for 30 seconds before releasing
View evidence from paper
“After 30 s, the tube was lifted”
Free exploration period
Allow mouse to move freely in open field for 5 minutes total
View evidence from paper
“the mouse was allowed to move freely about the open field for a total period of 5 min”
Return mouse to home cage
After 5 minutes, return mouse to its home cage
View evidence from paper
“then returned to its home cage”
Clean apparatus between sessions
Wash the open field with Windex between each testing session
View evidence from paper
“The open field was washed with Windex between each session”
Video recording and analysis
Videotape sessions and analyze by blinded experimenter
View evidence from paper
“Open field sessions were videotaped, and animal performance was analyzed by an experimenter blinded to mouse treatment”