Elevated plus maze test

How 4 papers set up this test.

AI read these papers and code checked every quote. No person has reviewed the records yet. How records are made

Arm size

Length, width and wall height of each maze arm

Paper	Value	Paper’s words
Puech et al. 2025Mice	arm length 35 cm Closed arms wall height for closed arms 20 cm Open arms 0.5 cm height wall	“two open arms and two closed arms (arm length 35 cm, wall height for closed arms 20 cm)” “A 0.5 cm height wall was added to the open arms”
Liu et al. 2024Mice	each 30 cm in length and 5 cm in width Two opposing closed arms 14 cm walls	“with four arms (each 30 cm in length and 5 cm in width), two opposing closed arms with 14 cm walls and two opposing open arms” “two opposing closed arms with 14 cm walls and two opposing open arms”

Not in the Methods of Wen et al. 2024, Rattner et al. 2020.

Maze elevation

Height of the maze above the floor

Paper	Value	Paper’s words
Puech et al. 2025Mice	56 cm	“The device is situated 56 cm above the floor”
Liu et al. 2024Mice	80 cm above the floor	“The EPM apparatus consisted of an elevated platform (80 cm above the floor)”

Not in the Methods of Wen et al. 2024, Rattner et al. 2020.

Session duration

How long one session in the apparatus lasts

Paper	Value	Paper’s words
Puech et al. 2025Mice	5 min	“allowed to explore the maze for 5 min”
Liu et al. 2024Mice	5 min	“The trajectories of the mice were tracked for 5 min”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	5 min	“Each animal was placed in the central area then activity was recorded for 5 min”

Not in the Methods of Rattner et al. 2020.

Illumination

Light level in or over the apparatus during testing

Paper	Value	Paper’s words
Wen et al. 2024Mice	In the open arms 215 lux	“an 18″ ring light (Inkeltech) mounted around overhead camera that generates 215 lux of light in the open arms”

Not in the Methods of Puech et al. 2025, Liu et al. 2024, Rattner et al. 2020.

Other settings the papers report (17)

Settings outside the list above, named as each paper names them.

Paper	Setting and value	Paper’s words
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Cleaned with 70% ethanol	“the experimental set-ups were cleaned with 70% ethanol to prevent odor cues”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Conducted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.	“conducted by three observers between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Considered the open arms as well as the center zone	“we considered the open arms as well as the center zone”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Elevated cross two open arms and two closed arms	“an elevated cross formed by two open arms and two closed arms”
Liu et al. 2024Mice	Environmental habituation at least 30 min	“mice were brought to the testing room for environmental habituation for at least 30 min”
Rattner et al. 2020Mice	Experimenters blind to the genotype	“During all behavioral testing, the experimenters were blind to the genotype”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	Habituated in the testing room at least 30 min	“All animals were habituated in the testing room at least 30 min before testing starts”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Made of blue Plexiglas	“made of blue Plexiglas radiating from a central platform”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Observers three	“conducted by three observers between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Operators blinded to the exposure	“performed by operators who were blinded to the exposure”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	Order of tests Day 5	“Day 5, elevated plus maze”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Placed in the central area facing one open arm	“The animals were placed in the central area facing one open arm”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	Placed in the central area	“Each animal was placed in the central area”
Puech et al. 2025Mice	Recorded from a vertical point of view	“The tests were recorded from a vertical point of view with a video camera suspended above the experimental area”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	Rest in between tests at least a 1-day	“Animals were given at least a 1-day rest in between tests”
Wen et al. 2024Mice	Ring light 18″	“an 18″ ring light (Inkeltech) mounted around overhead camera”
Liu et al. 2024Mice	Start position in the center of the EPM apparatus, towards one of the open arms	“Mice were individually placed in the center of the EPM apparatus, towards one of the open arms.”

Apparatus

What each paper names for this test. Vendors and models appear as the paper prints them.

Paper	Apparatus	Paper’s words
Puech et al. 2025	Mazes Maze Engineers	“All the mazes were purchased from Maze Engineers (Cambridge, MA, USA)”
Puech et al. 2025	Video camera	“The tests were recorded from a vertical point of view with a video camera suspended above the experimental area”
Puech et al. 2025	Noldus Ethovision XT17 Software	“All the experiments were interfaced with a video tracking system (Noldus Ethovision XT17 Software, Leesburg, VA, USA)”
Liu et al. 2024	EPM apparatus	“The EPM apparatus consisted of an elevated platform (80 cm above the floor)”
Liu et al. 2024	Ethovision video tracking system V14 Noldus Information Technology	“the time spent in the open arms was recorded with an Ethovision video tracking system V14 (Noldus Information Technology)”
Wen et al. 2024	EthoVision XT 17 system Noldus Information Technology	“EthoVision XT 17 system (Noldus Information Technology, Wageningen, Netherlands)”
Wen et al. 2024	Elevated plus maze San Diego Instruments	“the elevated plus maze (San Diego Instruments, San Diego, CA)”
Wen et al. 2024	18″ ring light Inkeltech	“an 18″ ring light (Inkeltech) mounted around overhead camera”
Wen et al. 2024	Overhead camera	“an 18″ ring light (Inkeltech) mounted around overhead camera”

No apparatus named in Rattner et al. 2020.