Gonny Smit

Gonny Smit

As a Marketing Communication Specialist, I get to read, write, and learn a lot about behavioral neuroscience. I spend my days creating anything from videos and blog posts to website and leaflet content. Outside of the office, I love spending time with my horse, working out, and traveling.

footprint-parameters

What a print can tell

So what can one footprint tell you? Well, it could tell you a lot. Simply putting the paw in ink and studying the print left behind is one way to go about it, but there are far more sophisticated ways of footprint analysis.
zebrafish-t-maze

What we can learn from zebrafish in a T-maze

Scrolling through our recent blogs, you can tell how important zebrafish have become in behavioral research. So we thought it was time to tell you a little more about some popular paradigms. Starting with the T-maze.
horse-training-methods

Horse training methods: The importance of behavioral analysis

In equitation sciences, there are at least two training strategies: the ‘natural’ way of horsemanship that allows the horse to evaluate action and reaction and horsemanship that is based on ‘overruling’ of the animal.
what-gait-can-tell

What gait can tell: 3 blogs that will help you understand

The usefulness of gait is well established in research on spinal cord injury, ataxia, and arthritis. But in fact, research on all disorders that influence gait in any way, can benefit from gait and footfall analysis.
brain-waves-behavior-sleep

Brain waves and behavior: sleep to learn

To find out more about human and animal learning and memory, we might just have to go to sleep. Ahem – research on sleep, I mean.
animal-model-obsessive-compulsive-disorder

How to find an animal model for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

We all show some form of compulsive behavior. I triple check to make sure I locked my car, knowing that it’s locked but still feeling the need. But what if compulsions, rituals, and repetition rule your everyday live?
food-preservative-increase-symptoms-of-autism

Can a food preservative increase symptoms of autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a strong genetic component – a well-known fact. However, recent studies suggest that environmental factors, such as dietary ingredients, can cause exacerbation of the symptoms.
know-if-an-animal-nauseated

How to know if an animal is nauseated

Nausea is a prominent factor influencing the quality of life for patients undergoing chemotherapy. That is why it is useful to study the nauseating side effects of therapies or the anti-nauseating potential of drugs.
test-hallucinogens-on-zebrafish

Three ways to test hallucinogens on zebrafish

Hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelics) have a growing significance in biopsychiatric research. Zebrafish are a popular animal model and seem highly sensitive to various drugs of abuse.
traumatic-brain-injury-research

Three examples of swimming rats in traumatic brain injury research (TBI)

The Morris water maze and EthoVision, a validated solution to investigate learning and memory in rats and mice.