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
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Protocol Steps
Setup open field apparatus
Construct open field with laminated wood floor and clear acrylic walls, paint 4×4 grid matrix creating 16 squares
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“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
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“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
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“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
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“After 30 s, the tube was lifted”
Free exploration period
Allow mouse to move freely in open field for 5 minutes total
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“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
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“then returned to its home cage”
Clean apparatus between sessions
Wash the open field with Windex between each testing session
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“The open field was washed with Windex between each session”
Video recording and analysis
Videotape sessions and analyze by blinded experimenter
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“Open field sessions were videotaped, and animal performance was analyzed by an experimenter blinded to mouse treatment”