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Behavioral testing
Mazes and open fields
Mazes and open fields
There is a wide range of mazes available and described in literature for the behavioral assessment of animal models. We offer any type of maze, standard or custom, and always perfectly suited for video tracking with EthoVision® XT. We also offer package deals!
Open field
The open field test is a straight-forward test to investigate activity, anxiety-related and exploratory behavior of rodents.
Morris water maze
The Morris water maze task is a popular and well-validated test for spatial learning: most-used behavioral test in neuroscience research.
Elevated plus maze
The elevated plus maze is a well-characterized behavioral paradigm, one of the most used tests for anxiety research.
Radial arm maze
The radial arm maze is test for spatial / working / reference learning and memory in rats and mice, for several sophisticated test protocols.
Barnes maze
The Barnes maze is a paradigm to study spatial learning and memory. It consists of a circular table with holes around the circumference.
T-maze
The T-maze task is an investigation of spatial learning and memory. Subsequently, reversal learning or retention can be investigated.
Y-maze
The Y-maze is, similar to the T-maze, a test to investigate spatial learning and memory. Specifically designed for testing rats or mice.
Cross maze
The aquatic cross maze is a multifunctional maze for zebrafish learning and memory testing, but also for social preference.
Zero maze
The elevated zero maze is very similar to the elevated plus maze, but lacks a center square. Gives an indication of anxiety versus exploration.
Light-dark box
The light-dark box is used to test the unconditioned anxiety response, based on the novel environment and the light/open space.
Fear conditioning
Fear conditioning and other learning tasks in rodents are typical in a wide range of neuropharmacological studies, amongst others.
Forced swim test
The (Porsolt) forced swim test, also known as the behavioral despair test, is used to test for depression-like behavior in both mice and rats.
Sociability cage
The sociability cage is designed to test the social behavior or social memory of one individual towards others.
Agora maze
The Agora maze is a new sociability test, also known as the Sociobox method. The Agora maze diagnoses social recognition deficits.
Cincinnati Water Maze
The Cincinnati Water Maze is used for studying egocentric navigation, learning, and memory.
Free e-book
Basic behavioral neuroscience in rodents
The use of these mazes and how we implement them to test neurocognitive domains is explained in our free e-book. We touch upon the theoretical side of why we investigate certain types of behavior and how this is done. Which maze should be used for a specific type of behavior? Read about this and more in the basic behavioral neuroscience ebook.
“What I love about Noldus Information Technology is the personal attention and service. I am not dealing with a website or a call center in a remote country but with people whom I know by name, and who provide advice and on-site support during periodic visits.”
Prof. Dr. D. Pollak |Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Custom mazes
Lab requirements, as your research needs, might be quite unique. That is why we at Noldus offer you a wide range of tools, systems, and labs as customized as you need it to be. Even if you want to incorporate components your already own. Rely on our many years of experience with building setups and labs all over the world.
Examples of custom build setups are the Conditioned place preference testing (image on the left), or a large open field with NIR backlight.
Automate your standard test
There is a wide range of mazes available and described in literature for the behavioral assessment of animal models. For objective data collection, video tracking software is a must. We offer any type of maze, standard or custom, and always perfectly suited for video tracking with EthoVision® XT. We also offer package deals!
EthoVision XT has 25 years of experiences and evolution, is used at more than 2,000 sites worldwide, and is validated in thousands of publications in renowned journals.
Prof. Rimondini: "EthoVision XT is for dummies."
Prof. Roberto Rimondini has been using EthoVision XT video tracking software since its DOS version. His set up consists of the Morris water maze, Porsolt forced swim test, the elevated plus maze, open field, barnes maze... And even more!
Watch the video to learn more about why he chooses Noldus' tools.
Relevant blogs
Environmental enrichment rescues autistic-like behaviors in mice
A recent mice study from The Scripps Research Institute shows that behavioral therapy might still be successful in later diagnosis of ASD with macrocephaly, laying groundwork for successful late interventions.
How to measure emotions in pigs
A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test.In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors are scored.