A new video/computer method to measure the amount of overall movement in experimental animals (two-dimensional object-difference method)

Evaluation of the amount of overall animal movement is important for invest igations of motor control mechanisms in the central nervous system. We desc ribe a new method to quantify overall free movements of an animal without a ny markers using a video camera and a personal computer equipped with a vid eo-capture board. The operating principle is that the amount of overall mov ement of an object can be expressed by the difference in total area occupie d by the object in two consecutive picture frames. The software for this ap plication operates in real-time. Using this method and with proper setting for the cage and recording view, we can estimate three-dimensional movement s of animals. The major advantages are low cost, easy operation and high se nsitivity. The experimental results indicate that this method can be applie d to various fields of motion analysis. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.