Integration of LABORAS with Dataquest A.R.T. Telemetry provides simultaneous
collection of behavioral and physiological data in mice and rats
R. Sommer1, M.K. Meijer1, K. Kramer2, R. Bulthuis3, F. Ohl1 and V. Baumans1,4
1Department of Animals, Science and Society, Division of
Laboratory Animal Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2Department of Safety and Environmental Affairs, Free University, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
3Metris B.V., Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
4Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
In the field of laboratory animal research, a growing number of tools
is available for the reliable registration of either behavioral or physiological
parameters. In order to provide simultaneous collection of these parameters,
the LABORAS system for automatic registration of behavior (Metris B.V.,
Hoofddorp, The Netherlands) and the Dataquest A.R.T. telemetry system
for stress-free measurement of physiological parameters (Data Sciences
International (DSI), St. Paul, MN, USA) are currently being integrated.
An important advantage for the user is that both the LABORAS and Dataquest
A.R.T. software packages will reliably run on the same PC at the same
time. The combined results will be presented in the LABORAS result summary,
providing the behavior, tracking and telemetry data together over user
definable time windows and synchronized against the same time axis.
In the integrated system, the DSI telemetry receivers are installed below
the LABORAS measurement platforms. The first extensive integration tests
demonstrated that the telemetry signals were not disturbed by the LABORAS
platforms. Testing is proceeded with four transmitter implanted C57BL/6
mice that will be placed on the integrated systems for a few days. Results
on heart rate and body temperature combined with behavioral data (locomotion,
grooming, eating, drinking, climbing and immobility) and tracking data
(position, speed, traveled distance, etc.) will be presented.
Paper presented
at Measuring Behavior 2005
, 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques
in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
© 2005 Noldus
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