An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies
Reaching tasks are frequently employed in studies investigating cognitive functions, motor control, and brain-computer interfaces. The center-out task, a subtype of reaching movement, is widely utilized in research and previous studies have shown that rats can effectively learn to perform this task....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025007820 |
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| author | Alavie Mirfathollahi Mohammad Taghi Ghodrati Vahid Shalchyan Mohammad Reza Zarrindast Mohammad Reza Daliri |
| author_facet | Alavie Mirfathollahi Mohammad Taghi Ghodrati Vahid Shalchyan Mohammad Reza Zarrindast Mohammad Reza Daliri |
| author_sort | Alavie Mirfathollahi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reaching tasks are frequently employed in studies investigating cognitive functions, motor control, and brain-computer interfaces. The center-out task, a subtype of reaching movement, is widely utilized in research and previous studies have shown that rats can effectively learn to perform this task. However, the labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of training rats in such tasks has posed limitations on rodent studies in this domain. This paper introduces an Automated Rodent Center-Out Task (ARCOT) paradigm designed for training rats in the center-out task across all directions, enabling efficient experimentation. The system provides customizability and extensibility, rendering it a suitable and cost-effective solution for diverse experiments related to forelimb movement, executive functions, and learning studies. We explored three training strategies and assessed their effectiveness. Results indicate that a resuming paradigm is effective in training rodents for tasks of varying difficulty. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14a5fb381f1b4bd9aa24a7e61a8e8a1a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-14a5fb381f1b4bd9aa24a7e61a8e8a1a2025-08-20T02:02:24ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-05-011110e4240210.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42402An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studiesAlavie Mirfathollahi0Mohammad Taghi Ghodrati1Vahid Shalchyan2Mohammad Reza Zarrindast3Mohammad Reza Daliri4Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Pardis, 16583- 44575, Tehran, Iran; Neuroscience & Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, 16846-13114, IranNeuroscience & Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, 16846-13114, IranNeuroscience & Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, 16846-13114, IranInstitute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Pardis, 16583- 44575, Tehran, Iran; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14166-34793, IranInstitute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Pardis, 16583- 44575, Tehran, Iran; Neuroscience & Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, 16846-13114, Iran; Corresponding author. Neuroscience & Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, 16846-13114, Iran.Reaching tasks are frequently employed in studies investigating cognitive functions, motor control, and brain-computer interfaces. The center-out task, a subtype of reaching movement, is widely utilized in research and previous studies have shown that rats can effectively learn to perform this task. However, the labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of training rats in such tasks has posed limitations on rodent studies in this domain. This paper introduces an Automated Rodent Center-Out Task (ARCOT) paradigm designed for training rats in the center-out task across all directions, enabling efficient experimentation. The system provides customizability and extensibility, rendering it a suitable and cost-effective solution for diverse experiments related to forelimb movement, executive functions, and learning studies. We explored three training strategies and assessed their effectiveness. Results indicate that a resuming paradigm is effective in training rodents for tasks of varying difficulty.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025007820MovementRodentForelimbSkilled reachingAutomated behaviorMotor-learning |
| spellingShingle | Alavie Mirfathollahi Mohammad Taghi Ghodrati Vahid Shalchyan Mohammad Reza Zarrindast Mohammad Reza Daliri An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies Heliyon Movement Rodent Forelimb Skilled reaching Automated behavior Motor-learning |
| title | An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies |
| title_full | An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies |
| title_fullStr | An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies |
| title_short | An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies |
| title_sort | open source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control executive functions and learning studies |
| topic | Movement Rodent Forelimb Skilled reaching Automated behavior Motor-learning |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025007820 |
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