Tj. Zarcone et Sc. Fowler, Digital measurement of operant disk press force maintained in CD-1, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mice, BEHAV RE ME, 33(3), 2001, pp. 415-421
Force of disk press responses by inbred (C57BL/6 and BALB/c) and outbred (C
D-1) mice were measured with a PC/DOS-based system, which allowed for conti
nuous measurement of pressing, as well as for control of reinforcer present
ation on the basis of response-force dimensions. Photobeam-based measuremen
t of mouse entry into a hopper where reinforcers were presented provided ad
ditional information about anticipatory and consumatory behavior in relatio
n to environmental stimuli leading up to reinforcer delivery Disk pressing
was generated and measured with the use of an analog-to-digital interface w
ith all three mouse strains. The strains differed in the physical and tempo
ral characteristics of the disk press, as well as in the behavioral chain l
eading to reinforcer presentation. These measurement methods appear well su
ited for quantitating functional behavioral differences occasioned by genet
ic variations in mice.