Abstract of oral paper presented at Neuroscience 2006 Satellite Symposium
“Back to the future: novel approaches to the study of gene-behavior relationships”
Atlanta, GA, USA, 16 October 2006

Andrew Holmes ¹, Timothy J. Bussey ² and Lisa M. Saksida ²

¹ National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
² Department of Experimental Psychology, and The MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, Cambridge, UK

Over the past decade, rapid advances in the application of molecular genetics techniques to mammalian model systems has led to an explosion in the use of mice in behavioral neuroscience. Transgenic, gene knockout and other methods for interfering with the function of specific molecules expressed in brain provide powerful tools for elucidating the molecular basis of behavior and the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, fully utilizing these tools will necessitate the development of equally sophisticated methods for assessing behavior and modeling disease states in the mouse. Towards this end, the mouse ‘touchscreen’ operant system was developed as a method for evaluating complex cognitive functions using visual stimuli in a manner analogous to systems used to test cognitive functions in rats, non-human primates and human patients. The system displays computer-generated visual stimuli on a LCD monitor screen, and allows the mouse to select stimuli by touching the screen with its nose. We are currently embarked on an effort to develop and validate a battery of assays for multiple facets of ‘executive function’ that include measures of working memory, impulse control, cognitive flexibility, extinction and reinstatement of reward-seeking, and habit learning. This presentation will provide examples of the sensitivity of the system to genetic, molecular, neurochemical, and pharmacological manipulations, with an emphasis on its potential translational power for studying the pathophysiology and treatment of drug addiction.