Social Interaction Test
Objective: Assessment of social interaction behavior in mice for post-defeat evaluation and group matching based on social interaction scores
Protocol Steps
Animal Housing and Maintenance
Maintain mice on a 12-hour light-dark cycle with lights on at 0700 hours at temperature of 22-25°C with ad libitum access to food and water
Note: C57BL/6J mice housed 5 per cage except following defeat experiments and after fiber implantation surgery when singly housed
View evidence from paper
“maintained on a 12-h light–dark cycle (lights on at 0700 hours) at 22–25°C with ad libitum access to food and water”
Experimental Blinding and Counterbalancing
Experimenter blinded to experimental group. Order of testing counterbalanced during behavioral experiments and across days for electrophysiology experiments
Note: Critical for reducing bias in behavioral assessment
View evidence from paper
“Experimenter was blinded to experimental group and order of testing was counterbalanced during behavioural experiments”
Conduct Social Interaction Test
Perform social interaction test during the animals' light cycle to assess social behavior post-defeat
Note: All behavioral testing occurred during the light cycle. Specific test parameters not detailed in provided text
View evidence from paper
“All behavioural testing occurred during the animals' light cycle”
Score Social Interaction Behavior
Quantify social interaction scores from the test for use in group matching
Note: Scores used to match groups with equivalent means and variance for acute stimulation experiments
View evidence from paper
“groups were matched on post-defeat social interaction scores to generate two groups with equivalent means and variance”