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The Mouse Light–Dark Box Test

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Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 42))

Abstract

The light/dark test is based on the innate aversion of rodents to brightly illuminated areas and on the spontaneous exploratory behaviour of the animals, applying mild stressors, i.e. novel environment and light. The test apparatus consists of a small dark secure compartment (one-third) and a large illuminated aversive compartment (two-thirds).

The test was developed with male mice. The strain, weight and age may be crucial factors.

The extent to which an anxiolytic compound can facilitate the exploratory activity depends on the baseline level in the control group. Differences between the type and severity of external stressors might account for variable results reported by different laboratories.

The light–dark test may be useful to predict anxiolytic-like or anxiogenic-like activity in mice. Transitions have been reported to be an index of activity exploration because of habituation over time and the time spent in each compartment to be a reflection of aversion. Classic anxiolytics (benzodiazepines) as well as the newer anxiolytic-like compounds (e.g. serotonergic drugs or drugs acting on neuropeptides receptors) can be detected using this paradigm. It has the advantages of being quick and easy to use, without requiring the prior training of animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté de Médecine, Neurobiologie de l’Anxiété et de la Dépression, Nantes, France

    Martine Hascoët & Michel Bourin

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  1. Martine Hascoët
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  2. Michel Bourin
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  1. School of Medicine, University of Maryland, W. Baltimore Street 685, Baltimore, 21201, U.S.A.

    Todd D. Gould

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© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Hascoët, M., Bourin, M. (2009). The Mouse Light–Dark Box Test. In: Gould, T. (eds) Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice. Neuromethods, vol 42. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-303-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-303-9_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-302-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-303-9

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