Posts by Steffen van Heijningen

Behavioral neuroscience in the circular economy: the contribution of Zebrafish

What do Zebrafish and sewage sludge have in common? In this blog their use as a screening tool is highlighted to asses the ecotoxicity in soil.

3 high impact papers about measuring anxiety in the Elevated Zero Maze

The elevated zero maze (EZM) is a variation on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and was created to eliminate the center region of the EPM. This blog highlights 3 studies that use the EZM to test for anxiety-like behavior

What is the Barnes maze? A dry-land environment for testing learning and memory

The Barnes maze is a behavioral paradigm for testing learning and memory in rodents models for autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and ageing. How does it compare to the Morris water maze?

Citizen science in research: studying contaminated drinking water with zebrafish

Local residents, students and scientists joined forces to investigate harmful contaminants in drinking water wells in New England. Behavioral effects of these contaminants were studied in zebrafish.

Advancing the novel object test: 3D printing and deep learning

To improve standardisation and consistency in the novel object test, Spry et al designed the 'CapTouch' system: capacative objects that can automatically register interaction. But what about deep learning in EthoVision XT?

Using the Observer XT to measure aggressive behavior in Dolphins

The Observer XT is often used in the field to score complex ethograms. This blog touches upon a study of the 'Wild Dolphin Project' that investigates aggresive behavior between two species of dolphins.

The open field test: A staple in behavioral batteries

The open field test is a locomotor, exploratory and/or anxiety test. Can we measure all these behaviors in a simple enclosed arena? This is exactly what we talk about in this blog, and the discussion surrounding this.

Scientific collaboration at its best: Home cage monitoring reviewed

The latest insights and views on home cage monitoring was reviewed by Grieco et al. A collaborative paper with an expert team on home cage behavior was published last week. This blog touches upon their findings!

A critical view on the Forced swim test

The forced swim test (FST), a staple in depression research, has been under discussion for a while. What is the FST? How is it used? And why is it under discussion? Here we share our view on this topic

What is DanioVision? A brief insight in zebrafish tracking

In this blog we provide a quick refresh on the topic of zebrafish, and how DanioVision contributes to this field.

Altruism in rats, suspiciously human

A recent study by Bartal et al drove our curiousity to write this blog about altruistic behavior in rats. This study shows how this type of behavior is neurally linkend to the social functioning of humans.

5 proven ways to measure spatial learning in rodents

What is spatial learning, why is it important and how do we measure it? Here we dive into 5 different behavioral tests that specifically measure spatial learning and memory in rodents.