A QUANTITATIVE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS RECORDING OF SPONTANEOUS ACTIVITY IN SMALL ANIMALS

[摘要] References(9)Cited-By(3)As one of the routine screening tests for evaluating drug effects on the central nervous system, the effects on spontaneous movements of mice and rats have often been examined. Various devices have been employed so far for measuring spontaneous activity of small animals by using the jiggle cage (1-4), rotating cage and photoelectric cage methods (5-6). The jiggle cage method records general bodily movements while the rotating cage and photoelectric cage methods measure relatively purposeful motor activity such as walking and running movements. Akiyama (7) developed a kymographic method to record both general bodily movements and walking or running movements simultaneously. In all these methods, various recording devices, e.g. for counting the number of revolution of the rotating cage or the frequency of interrupting the light beam to the photoelectric cell, have also been developed in order to accomplish a more quantitative measurement of motor activity. However, much laborious works are required if frequent counting is needed at shorter intervals of time in order to follow up the temporal pattern of drug effects on spontaneous activity. Movements of the jiggle cage were also integrated and thence recorded quantitatively by the use of work adder (1-2), or an elaborate electronic device (4). The authors have developed a simple device for quantitative as well as continuous recording of the spontaneous activity of mice and rats by using the photoelectric cell method. In the present paper, the authors' method is introduced and the effects of some CNS stimulants on the spontaneous movements of the mouse are demonstrated.

[学科分类] 药理学