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Rodents by nature like to explore and seek novel stimuli. The open field test is designed to measure gross behavioral responses such as locomotor activity, hyperactivity, and exploratory behaviors. This task is of particular interest in our lab when we are testing novel compounds. For example, if we are testing a compound that produces cognitive deficits on our operant task measures, we use open field testing to rule out the drug’s effects on motor ability which would be an unwanted confound. Put another way, if a drug produces a motor impairment and not a cognitive impairment, the inability of a rat to lever press (in the operant tasks) would be incorrectly interpreted as a cognitive impairment. Ultimately, we use open field testing to better understand our operant data and make sure that there are no effects on locomotor activity, hyperactivity, and exploratory behaviors.
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In a very simple version of this task, a large pool of water (maintained at room temperature) contains a fixed platform hidden just below the surface of the water. The platform is invisible to the rodents that participate in these experiments. Rats are tested individually by placing the subject in one of four quadrants. The time and/or distance traveled to reach the platform is recorded by the experimenter. Using visual cues in the testing room, rats become progressively more efficient at locating the hidden platform (reflected in shorter time and/or distance traveled), with each subsequent exposure to the water maze. |
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