Animals are used in scientific research to help us gain a deeper understanding of specific diseases, illnesses, and treatments and the physical and psychological impacts they have. Researchers frequently use rodents because they are biologically similar to humans and often get the same diseases we do, thus offering a way to study how humans develop, age, and interact with diseases.
One of the behaviors often focused on is rotation activity, in which rodents continuously circle or turn around within a designated area, and both clockwise and counterclockwise turns are monitored. But why? Rodents may engage in rotation activity for several reasons, including drug treatments, environmental factors, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Accurately monitoring and recording rotation activity is crucial to understanding how diseases impact the mind and body, which will support the development of suitable treatments. In this blog post, we look at how the rotation activity of unrestrained mice should be recorded to ensure accurate and reliable results.
What Equipment Do I Need for the Recording of Rotation Activity?
There are several instruments available for monitoring rotation activity in unrestrained mice, and the most suitable one for your application will depend on your research aim and experimental design. The most common options include a home cage wheel, an open-source voluntary running activity system, a voluntary wheel running system, and a rotometer. However, for the purpose of this blog, we will focus on how to record the rotation activity of unrestrained mice using a rotometer.
A rotometer system typically includes testing stations (single or multiple), computer software, and a tracking system that all work together to monitor each turn a mouse makes and records the data in real time.
Accurately Recording Rotation Activity
With the right tracking system, the challenges of accurately recording rotation activity can be easily overcome. Depending on the application, common choices include a video-tracking system or a magnetic sensor attached or injected into the rodent model, and both record each turn the animal makes. However, as we explore in the following section, systems have different configurations, and animals can also be monitored by placing them in a harness without the need for implants or video monitoring. The data is then recorded through computer software and saved until the researcher is ready to analyze it.
To ensure the rotation activity is not a result of an external force, it is important to consider the environment of the enclosure. This includes lighting, noise, and temperature, as these factors could impact the mouse’s behavior and lead to inaccurate data.
Where Can I Purchase Rotation Activity Instruments?
If you’re looking for a rotation activity for your research application, San Diego Instruments (SDI) offers a user-friendly, reliable Rotometer Activity System designed for use in Parkinson’s disease research and many other neuroscience studies.
In terms of rotation activity, the Rotometer does not require implants or videos to accurately record this. This system uses an elastic harness and long leash, which is fixed outside the container, to enable accurate monitoring of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations. SDI’s Rotometer offers greater flexibility as up to 16 test stations can be run from one computer, and the compartment is designed to force the animal to turn within its own length. The key features of this instrument are the easy loading of test subjects, the option to measure full or half turns, real-time monitoring, and accurate reporting with our integrated software.
The software offers a high degree of accuracy by automatically recording session data and saving it into one file. It also enables researchers to pre-assign animals to a specific test station and set a pre-programmed protocol for each session. Each turn the mouse makes will be counted, including reverse, quarter, or full turns, and the risk of recording exploratory behavior is significantly reduced. As a result, you have a method of accurately recording the rotation activity of unrestrained mice to support a wide range of research applications.
Contact a member of San Diego Instruments today for a quote or additional information.