Blog Posts Tagged: social behavior research

How to measure the social behavior of Fragile X mice

The treatment of Fragile X syndrome is limited to the symptoms. One of the factors currently holding back drug development is the difficulty of finding a reliable behavioral test for neurobiological studies.

How males and females are different: can this explain autism?

Women and Venus, men and Mars, right? In mice, the establishment of social hierarchies is sex-dependent.

How wild cavies and domesticated guinea pigs differ

Domestication has a considerable effect on the behavior of animals. The dramatic change in their environment and provision of food alter the need for behaviors such as exploration. But what exactly is the difference?

How zebrafish are changing neuroscience

Zebrafish. This little fish is a vertebrate, and a relatively complex one. Looking at the major neurotransmitters and hormones that are investigated in neuroscience, they are as good of a model as many mammalian species.

Why wolves cry out for their friends

Why do wolves howl? From research, movies, and even television series, we learn that wolves cry out to each other to facilitate the reassembling of a pack when members have strayed.

How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior

How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior? They may have just found the answer to this at the University of Toronto. Cheung et al. tried out a method using subcutaneous injection with dyes.

Why rats help other rats

As humans, we help each other because it is the right thing to do. We help our friends and our family. And of course we help strangers as well. Right?

How environmental enrichment reduces the effects of stroke

Some research requires animals to be studied in groups. For this it is very useful to have video tracking software that can automatically track the behavior of multiple animals simultaneously.

Using several behavioral tests to investigate the role of the NR1 gene in schizo

Studies of the mental disorder schizophrenia in lab animals often include behavioral tests to investigate social behavior, cognitive abilities, and motor functioning.

Circadian rhythmicity and other behavioral studies

Many labs use video tracking software to increase the efficiency of their research. In fact, EthoVision XT video tracking software has just reached an impressive milestone: 2000 sites worldwide.

Determining the effect of social hierarchy on foraging in coyotes

Whether it’s an older sibling taking the last piece of cake from their younger sibling or a dominant coyote shoving a subordinate out of the way so it can eat the food, nature has its hierarchies.

Drunken mice get aggressive on Alzheimer’s drugs

Will there ever be a cure for alcoholism? Well, some laboratory studies show that certain drugs might stop the cravings. But they might also cause serious side-effects such as aggressive behavior.