behaviour screen

Head

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wurst	phone: +49 (089) 3187-4111 e-mail: wurst@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Dr. Sabine Hölter	phone : +49 (089) 3187-3674 e-mail: hoelter@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Mailing adress

Helmholtz Zentrum München- German Research Center for Environmental Health
Institute of Developmental Genetics
Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1
85764 Neuherberg

Scientists

Dr. Lillian Garrett	phone: +49 (089) 3187-2301 e-mail: lillian.garrett@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Lisa Glasl	phone : +49 (089) 3187-2301 e-mail: lisa.glasl@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Annemarie Wolff-Muscate	phone : +49 (089) 3187-2301 e-mail: wolff-muscate@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Technician

Bettina Sperling

phone : +49 (089) 3187-3653
e-mail: bettina.sperling@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Homepage

http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/idg/group-molecular-neurogenetics/research-areas/behavioural-neuroscience/index.html

The behaviour screen of the GMC contributes the phenotyping for exploratory, motivational, emotional, locomotor, sensory gating and learning and memory phenotypes.

The research goal of this screen is the investigation of the molecular and genetic basis of emotional and cognitive dysfunctions that are relevant for human neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease.

Primary screening

In the primary screening we assess emotional, exploratory and spontaneous locomotor behaviour in the "Open Field" Test, and sensorimotor gating by pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex. This renders a first indication of possible anxiety-related, locomotor and schizophrenia-related endophenotypes.

Modified hole board test (parameters are spontaneous locomotor, activity, exploratory behaviour, feeding behaviour, emotionality and object recognition).

Secondary screen (at least 10 experimental and 10 control animals)

The secondary screening is hypothesis-driven and builds on the results of the primary screen. It is meant to verify and further differentiate the primary phenotype as well as to extend it to endophenotypes that are not assessed in the primary screen. The secondary screen follows a flexible workflow adjusted to the hypotheses to be tested. To this end we can apply a variety of methods:
1. Assessment of anxiety- and depression-related emotional behaviour: Modified Hole Board test Light-dark box test Elevated plus-maze test Social interaction test Forced Swim test Tail suspension test
2. Assessment of learning and memory: Social discrimination test Object recognition test Fear-potentiated startle response Spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze Operant learning tasks Five-choice serial reaction time task
3. Assessment of sensory and motor function: Olfactory perception Accelerated Rotarod Acoustic startle reflex
4. Challenge tests: Pharmacological challenges Application of different stressors and stress protocols Running wheel exercise

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