Sc. Fowler et al., A force-plate actometer for quantitating rodent behaviors: illustrative data on locomotion, rotation, spatial patterning, stereotypies, and tremor, J NEUROSC M, 107(1-2), 2001, pp. 107-124
This report describes a new kind of actometer for recording the behavior of
rodents or other small animals. The instrument, a force-plate actometer, u
ses a stiff, low-mass horizontal plate coupled to four supporting force tra
nsducers positioned at the corners of the plate. When an animal moves on th
e plate, its movements are sensed by the transducers whose signals are proc
essed by computer to yield measurements of a wide range of behaviors or beh
avioral attributes, such as locomotor activity, rotation around the center,
whole-body tremor, and amphetamine-induced stereotypies. Spatial resolutio
n is less than 1 mm, and temporal resolution is 0.02 s. Sample data were pr
esented comparing the locomotor activity of CD-1, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mice
before and after treatment with D-amphetamine sulfate. Rotational behavior
was recorded in an amphetamine-treated rat that had sustained a unilateral
6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal system. In the C57BL/
6 mouse, harmaline-induced tremor was quantified. With rats as subjects, th
e force-plate actometer was used to quantify amphetamine-induced stereotypi
es, to demonstrate the development of sensitization to amphetamine's effect
s, and to quantitate the consistent 11-12 Hz rhythmicities that underlie th
e sterotypies. The performance of the force-plate actometer was compared wi
th that of a variety of instruments reported in the literature on behaviora
l instrumentation. Finally, potential applications in neuroscience research
other than those illustrated in this report were discussed. (C) 2001 Elsev
ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.