The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
Animals need to switch between motivated behaviours, like drinking, feeding or social interaction, to meet environmental availability, internal needs and more complex ethological needs such as hiding future actions from competitors. Inflexible, repetitive behaviours are a hallmark of many neuropsych...
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2024-04-01
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| author | Hartmann, Clara Mahajan, Ambika Borges, Vinicius Razenberg, Lotte Thönnes, Yves Karnani, Mahesh Miikael |
| author_facet | Hartmann, Clara Mahajan, Ambika Borges, Vinicius Razenberg, Lotte Thönnes, Yves Karnani, Mahesh Miikael |
| author_sort | Hartmann, Clara |
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| description | Animals need to switch between motivated behaviours, like drinking, feeding or social interaction, to meet environmental availability, internal needs and more complex ethological needs such as hiding future actions from competitors. Inflexible, repetitive behaviours are a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric disorders. However, how the brain orchestrates switching between the neural mechanisms controlling motivated behaviours, or drives, is unknown. This is partly due to a lack of appropriate measurement systems. We designed an automated extended home-cage, the Switchmaze, using open-source hardware and software. In this study, we use it to establish a behavioural assay of motivational switching in mice. Individual animals access the Switchmaze from the home-cage and choose between entering one of two chambers containing different goal objects or returning to the home-cage. Motivational switching is measured as a ratio of switching between chambers and continuous exploitation of one chamber. Behavioural transition analysis is used to further dissect altered motivational switching. As proof-of-concept, we show environmental manipulation, and targeted brain manipulation experiments which altered motivational switching without effect on traditional behavioural parameters. Chemogenetic inhibition of the prefrontal-hypothalamic axis increased the rate of motivation switching, highlighting the involvement of this pathway in drive switching. This work demonstrates the utility of open-design in understanding animal behaviour and its neural correlates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b1f63d77c6449fcb0855e4c9a566212 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2804-3871 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Peer Community In |
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| spelling | doaj-art-2b1f63d77c6449fcb0855e4c9a5662122025-02-07T10:17:18ZengPeer Community InPeer Community Journal2804-38712024-04-01410.24072/pcjournal.41610.24072/pcjournal.416The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice Hartmann, Clara0Mahajan, Ambika1Borges, Vinicius2Razenberg, Lotte3Thönnes, Yves4Karnani, Mahesh Miikael5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4810-4146Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UKAnimals need to switch between motivated behaviours, like drinking, feeding or social interaction, to meet environmental availability, internal needs and more complex ethological needs such as hiding future actions from competitors. Inflexible, repetitive behaviours are a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric disorders. However, how the brain orchestrates switching between the neural mechanisms controlling motivated behaviours, or drives, is unknown. This is partly due to a lack of appropriate measurement systems. We designed an automated extended home-cage, the Switchmaze, using open-source hardware and software. In this study, we use it to establish a behavioural assay of motivational switching in mice. Individual animals access the Switchmaze from the home-cage and choose between entering one of two chambers containing different goal objects or returning to the home-cage. Motivational switching is measured as a ratio of switching between chambers and continuous exploitation of one chamber. Behavioural transition analysis is used to further dissect altered motivational switching. As proof-of-concept, we show environmental manipulation, and targeted brain manipulation experiments which altered motivational switching without effect on traditional behavioural parameters. Chemogenetic inhibition of the prefrontal-hypothalamic axis increased the rate of motivation switching, highlighting the involvement of this pathway in drive switching. This work demonstrates the utility of open-design in understanding animal behaviour and its neural correlates.https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.416/innate behaviormouse behavioropen-designautomated behaviorbehavioral switchingmotivationfeedingdrinkingprefrontal cortexhypothalamus |
| spellingShingle | Hartmann, Clara Mahajan, Ambika Borges, Vinicius Razenberg, Lotte Thönnes, Yves Karnani, Mahesh Miikael The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice Peer Community Journal innate behavior mouse behavior open-design automated behavior behavioral switching motivation feeding drinking prefrontal cortex hypothalamus |
| title | The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
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| title_full | The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
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| title_fullStr | The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
|
| title_full_unstemmed | The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
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| title_short | The Switchmaze: an open-design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice
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| title_sort | switchmaze an open design device for measuring motivation and drive switching in mice |
| topic | innate behavior mouse behavior open-design automated behavior behavioral switching motivation feeding drinking prefrontal cortex hypothalamus |
| url | https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.416/ |
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