Object Recognition

The Object Recognition (OR) test is used to investigate a rodent's memory for interactions with unfamiliar objects. Rats and mice have a tendency to interact and show more interest with a novel object than with a familiar object. This tendency has been used to investigate the effects of drugs or genetic knock-outs on learning and memory. For this paradigm, the mouse is initially habituated for a set period of time to one of two enclosures (open fields). After a set time interval, a novel object is then placed in one of the two enclosures and the mouse is allowed to freely explore the object. The time spent exploring the novel object is compared to the time spent whilst in the empty section. The same is later repeated where the time spent with the same object is compared to time spent with a different and newer object. Object recognition is determined by more time spent investigating the novel object. Animals with normal memory will spend more time exploring the novel object than the familiar one, whilst those with a memory deficit will usually show no difference in exploration tendency. In order to determine real object interest, assessment of object recognition requires accurate detection of the distance between the object and animal's nose.

Analysing NOR experiments using Actual products is easy, and ActualTrack: Rodent Edition is designed specifically for analysing rodent behavior. An animal in the NOR set-up is monitored with a video camera mounted above the experimental arena which is connected to a computer to record a video file. ActualTrack: Rodent Edition software analyses the video file and utilises three-point animal tracking (head, centre of mass, and tail base) to identify the animal within the arena and determine its position. Using ActualTrack: Rodent Edition you can define regions for each of the objects, and ActualTrack will identify when the animal is investigating an object using the position of its nose relative to the region. With ActualTrack: Rodent Edition, locomotor activity within an NOR is also easily assessed and quantified in any user-defined region within the arena.

What you need to perform NOR experiments using ActualTrack: Rodent Edition:

- Digital Camera: from standard digital video camera to professional digital High Definition cameras (to enhance resolution of very small animals or large arenas) ActualTrack: Rodent Edition can work with almost any common video format. See our recommended camera list for the most appropriate camera for your set-up.

- ActualCapture Software (optional) - enables easy direct recording of your experiment to a digital video file. This is recommended when you do not already have a camera and recording software. If you would like us to arrange and supply recording set-up, please contact us.

- Lighting: diffuse lighting from directly above or below, or infrared (IR) lighting for recording during the dark.

- Open Field Arena (rat or mouse), and objects of interest.

- A computer with a web browser and web access (see requirements for details).

- ActualTrack: Rodent Edition software

Our tracking, scoring and video capture software can be easily optimised to a broad range of hardware and experimental set-ups to ensure the best possible conditions for your video analysis. If required, please contact us for recommendations and a list of preferred suppliers of hardware.

What you can analyse in an NOR with ActualTrack: Rodent Edition:

- Locomotor results: Distance moved (cm), Average Speed (cm / s), Locomotor results for each zone

- Object Interaction results based on location of the animals Nose in realtion to an object: Time spent investigating each object [s], Time spent investigating each object [%], Latency to first object ivestigation [s], Number of investigations of each object [n], Number of investigations of each object [%], First Object investigated

- Visualisations: Birds nest plot, heat map

- ActualScore functionality allows for integrated manual coding user defined behaviors

- All results are calculated automatically and provided in an easy to use CSV format which can be imported in to most statistical analysis packages for further investigation and graphical representation

- and much more...

For more information, see the product information, or get in touch to find out more about how ActualTrack: Rodent Edition could help you achieve the results you need.