AN ECOLOGICALLY RELEVANT SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR TESTING SPONTANEOUS SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN GROUP-HOUSED MICE

摘要

A system for testing spontaneous social interactions of group-housed mice placed in an experimental apparatus comprising a plurality of compartments (101-104) bridged by corridors (105). At least one compartment (101-104) has a perforated partition wall (106,107) separating the compartment into a territory available for mice (106b, 107b) and a territory to be explored by olfaction (106a, 107a). In the territory available for mice (106b, 107b), above the partition wall (106, 107), there is an infrared laser curtain (201), wherein the system comprises a photographic device (202) for acquiring the intersection of a mouse in the light of the infrared curtain. In the territory to be explored by olfaction (106a, 107a), there is a source of olfactory stimuli (203).