Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2001
Journal
Behavioral neuroscience
Volume
115
Issue
4
First Page
957
Last Page
960
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1037//0735-7044.115.4.957
Abstract
An automated method is described for the behavioral testing of mice in an apparatus that allows computer-graphic stimulus material to be presented. Mice responded to these stimuli by making a nose-poke toward a computer monitor that was equipped with a touchscreen attachment for detecting responses. It was found that C57BL/6 mice were able to solve single-pair visual discriminations as well as 3-pair concurrent visual discriminations. The finding that mice are capable of complex visual discriminations introduces the possibility of testing mice on nonspatial tasks that are similar to those used with rats, monkeys, and humans. Furthermore, the method seems particularly well suited to the comprehensive behavioral assessment of transgenic and gene-knockout models.
