URL: https://noldus.com/global-accounts Title: Noldus | Global Accounts Description: Every project has unique needs, and Noldus offers customized services to meet yours. Our flexible approach ensures you get exactly what you need to succeed. Content: Seamless Solutions for Global Growth Global Accounts Noldus Global Account Management is a specialized program for prime teams. We empower you with dedicated expertise, custom solutions, and priority support so you can focus on breakthrough discoveries. Accelerated workflows for efficiency, so you can achieve faster results Dedicated team including comprehensive support, ensuring peace of mind Personalized solutions that are tailored to your needs Your dedicated team for maximum efficiency Noldus Global Accounts is an ongoing partnership that drives your efficiency to new heights. An extension of your team – The dedicated team can schedule regular check-ins, maintenance, and updates to keep everything running smoothly. With their guidance, you avoid common pitfalls and reduce delays, thereby keeping your team on schedule. Expert advice – The dedicated team can schedule regular check-ins, maintenance, and updates to keep your lab running smoothly. With their guidance, you avoid common p... URL: https://noldus.com/ultravox-xt/licensing Title: UltraVox XT | Contact Description: Connect with us to learn how to our tools can help with your ultrasonic vocalization research. Content: Ready to analyze your animals' ultrasonic vocalizations? UltraVox XT UltraVox XT offers many ways to try the software for yourself. Choose below and get started today! Unregistered trial license (limited functionality, no need to leave your name) Registered trial license (fully functional, valid for 14 days) Full license (perpetual or subscription) Classroom license (includes 50 student seats) Tell me more UltraVox XT 4: Options for everyone Unregistered trial license No registration required Free to use Unlimited license duration Open sample experiment only Sample experiment included Import sample audio files only Call detection available Export results to .csv file Download now! Registered trial license Register in the app Free to use 14 day trial license Can record audio Can create new experiments Can open existing experiments Sample experiment included Can import audio files Call detection available Export results to .csv file Export calls to EthoVision XTor The Observer XT Downloa... URL: https://noldus.com/behavioral-core-labs Title: Behavioral core labs Description: Learn how to design, equip, and optimize a behavioral core lab for animal research to enhance data quality and accelerate discoveries. Content: Enhance your research Behavioral core labs Get precise, high-quality data with a well-equipped behavioral core lab. Noldus provides the tools and expertise to make your research more efficient and of a higher quality. Centralize your testing location Expand your research capacity Provide expertise to your institution Trusted by researchers around the world Behavioral core applications: Supporting academic and industry research Anxiety & fear Many psychiatric illnesses are depression- or anxiety-related disorders. Behavioral tests with rodents are crucial to get insights on the underlying mechanisms and eventually find new treatments. Imaging & optogenetics Optogenetics is a method to specifically activate or even inhibit small groups of neurons with light. By assessing the effect of this stimulation on animal behavior, one can gain insight into neuronal functioning. General locomotor activity The assessment of gait and locomotion is an important part of research into conditions that af... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader-online/contact Title: FaceReader Online | Contact Description: Want to explore the possibilities of FaceReader Online for your research? Feel free to contact us, we're happy to help! Content: Let's get in contact about FaceReader Online! FaceReader Online allows you to quickly test a large group of participants—from any location. Perfect for when you want to study participants in their natural environment. Are you wondering how FaceReader Online can benefit your project? We're here to help! Get in touch to discuss how FaceReader Online works for you. A personalized discussion about your project and goals Expert advice on overcoming your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will protect your personal data and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/workshop-leipzig-decode-the-face Title: Noldus Workshops Description: This workshop explores how innovative methods transform our understanding of the interplay between cognition and emotion in both lab and real-world settings. Content: Workshop Leipzig Decode the face Eye-tracking and face-reading technologies are invaluable tools for advancing research on human behavior and emotions across disciplines like psychology, education, and neuroscience. Traditionally focused on cognition, the study of social behavior increasingly highlights the central role of emotions. This workshop explores how these innovative methods transform our understanding of the interplay between cognition and emotion in both lab and real-world settings. Furthermore, it will also address the challenges of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Register here! By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, the workshop offers a unique platform for researchers, educators, and practitioners to exchange insights and address practical and theoretical hurdles in the use of these emerging technologies. Whether you are new to these tools or an experienced user, this workshop aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills to unlock their full potential... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/zoology Title: Zoölogy and Ethology | Application Description: Learn all about how modern tools and systems can help you easily collect more valuable behavioral data. Noldus products have been used for many different species of animals. Content: Modern systems in Ethology Studying animal behavior has come a long way from manual pen-and-paper methods. Advances in technology now provide faster and more accurate ways to record and analyze behaviors. Here’s how these innovations are making research more efficient. Want to know which tools can help you in your research? Then, contact us to assist you in setting up your experiment. Talk to our experts Animal welfare research Studying the behavior of livestock helps improve their health and living conditions. By tracking activities like feeding, resting, and social interactions, researchers can identify and address welfare concerns. Changes in resting and feeding behavior can indicate impaired health or stress Social behavior and activity are important to consider when designing and evaluating housing systems Observing play and foraging behaviors evaluates the success of enrichment efforts Automated systems for zoology Understanding the behavior of animals in their natural environmen... URL: https://noldus.com/noldus-newsline Title: Noldus Newsline | Subscribe now Description: Stay ahead in behavioral research! Subscribe to Noldus Newsline to discover innovations, see real research in action, and access exclusive perks. Content: Stay ahead in behavioral research! Expert insights and the latest innovations, straight into your inbox. First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Your email Please enter a valid email address. Your research area Make a choice Animal behavior Human behavior Please select your request option. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will protect your personal data and you are always in control of your data). KEEP ME UP TO DATE Don't worry, you can unsubscribe at any time Monthly newsletter Research blog updates Early access to promotions First in line for releases Unsubscribe anytime Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/licensing Title: Software licensing options - fixed - floating Description: Noldus offers two types of licenses, a floating license for flexible use on multiple computers and a fixed license for use on one computer. Content: Choose the software licensing that fits your needs Whether you prefer to own your software forever with a perpetual license or opt for the flexibility of a subscription—with Noldus, you control the way you work. If you’re based in one location, a fixed/computer-locked license is ideal. But if you work at multiple locations or need to share access with your team, a floating license gives everyone the freedom to work. Try it out first with a free trial to make sure it’s the right fit. Software licensing that fits your research needs Hassle-free installation and activation Professional support and online training TELL ME MORE Work together from any location A floating license offers the flexibility to use your software on any internet-connected computer. This means you can easily switch the license between devices, enabling you to work from any location without the need for physical hardware keys. It's also easier to share software access with your team. Convenient and cost-effective. Wor... URL: https://noldus.com/noldus-academy Title: Noldus Academy Description: Noldus Academy is the online learning environment where you can quickly increase and test your knowledge of the various Noldus software tools. Content: A trained team, always and anywhere, with Noldus Academy Feel assured everyone on your team knows how to use your Noldus product best. With NoldusCare you'll get access to Noldus Academy, our online learning platform, packed with resources to boost your research. Show me Noldus Academy Mastering Noldus tools made easy Onboarding training courses New researchers on your team? Everyone gets onboarded easily with our training courses on EthoVision® XT and The Observer® XT. Gain a certficate upon completion! Video series Get off to a flying start with our CatWalk™ XT startup video series. We'll guide you through everything you need to know. Webinars and online Q&As Advance your behavioral research knowledge and skills with direct access to our webinars, technical briefings and online Q&A sessions. The clear, step by step guidance for The Observer XT in Noldus Academy helped tremendously when I first started using the tool. I now feel confident in using it and troubleshooting issues. The qu... URL: https://noldus.com/labs Title: Labs | Complete integrated labs Description: From portable and stationary labs for observation and analysis of human behavior to high-tech turn-key usability labs: Noldus can deliver it. Content: High-tech and customizable Labs From compact portable labs for on-site studies to fully integrated, customized research labs, we deliver exactly what you need. Designed with you, built by us. Turn-key labs tailored to your research goals Cutting-edge tools for behavior recording and analysis Portable or stationary solutions for any environment Custom labs built for your research needs We collaborate with world-class suppliers to provide flexible tools designed to adapt to your unique research demands. From cameras and computers to eye trackers and physiological measurement systems, every piece of equipment is seamlessly integrated for optimal performance. Need a custom solution? With years of experience building labs worldwide, we’ll create the perfect setup for you. Let us help you build the lab that fits your research goals perfectly. What kind of lab do I need? Multimodal research lab A multimodal human behavior research lab integrates eye tracking, facial expression analysis, galva... URL: https://noldus.com/tracklab-human Title: TrackLab | Precision tracking for human movement Description: The integrated solution for the recognition and analysis of spatial behavior. Monitor location and movement with high accuracy. Content: Precise tracking of human movement TrackLab The integrated solution for the recognition and analysis of spatial behavior. Monitor location and movement with high accuracy. Real-time movement tracking Versatile data insights Flexible and scalable Request a demo What is TrackLab? TrackLab is your all-in-one solution for tracking and analyzing movement in people, delivering real-time insights on behavior, physiology, and biomechanics. Perfect for consumer science, TrackLab gives you the data you need to drive discoveries forward. Designed to adapt to your specific needs, TrackLab’s flexible setup works just as well in controlled environments as it does in natural settings. With seamless integration across a range of sensors and hardware, TrackLab captures detailed, reliable insights without the hassle. Trusted by researchers around the world How does TrackLab work? TrackLab works by capturing and analyzing real-time movement data using a variety of sensors and tracking devices. With custo... URL: https://noldus.com/nolduscare/contact Title: NoldusCare | Contact Description: Do you want to know how NoldusCare helps you reach your research goals? Send us a message and we'll reach out to you! Content: Questions about NoldusCare? Are you wondering how NoldusCare and/or software upgrades can make your work easier? Get in touch, and let’s explore the advantages for your setup. Our team can help you with questions such as: How does NoldusCare help you get high quality results, faster? What if you want to renew your (older) contract? Everything you want to know about upgrades, upgrade deals and pricing. Fill out the contact form and we'll reach out to you! First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/perfect-runs Title: White paper | CatWalk XT | Getting perfect runs Description: How do you familiarize and motivate your rats? Kristina Ängeby Möller has a lot of experience and shares some tips and tricks! Content: CatWalk XT - white paper Five tips for the perfect runs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE How to motivate your rats Generally, animals quickly learn to cross the CatWalk in a consistent manner, especially rats. However, familiarizing them with the system before you start your experiment makes your job a lot easier. Download this white paper to learn: Five tips to help you and your animals How some reinforcers work better than others Low stress and low light are vital for the best data CatWalk XT - white paper Five tips for the perfect runs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus pri... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/versions Title: Viso | Versions Description: Description of the features and version history of Viso. Content: How Viso has evolved Curious about how Viso has transformed to become the robust platform it is today? This page highlights the major updates and improvements we've made to enhance your experience. From new features to performance upgrades, every change is designed to make your work with Viso more efficient and effective. Get your free demo Explore video highlights in Viso 12 How can you streamline your debriefing session for maximum efficiency without compromising quality? Opting for short and impactful sessions proves to be more effective. The innovative video highlights feature provides the perfect solution. Make it easy to watch | Highlighting key moments in the videos allows you to focus on standout points during debriefing without the need to rewatch the entire session. Make it easy to analyze | A video highlight enhances the debriefing process by replaying segments as they occurred, reducing recall bias. Make it easy to train skills | Viso® automatically assigns the correspondin... URL: https://noldus.com/user-meeting-antwerp-social-lab Title: Noldus User Meetings Description: Join us at one of our user meetings and learn more about customer work with Noldus tools and how we help you advance your research! Content: User Meeting Antwerp Social Lab Tobii and Noldus IT warmly welcome you to an inspiring event where we delve into the vast possibilities of human behavioral research. Join us as distinguished speakers share their work and the innovative approaches they used to conduct their research. The Antwerp Social Lab is a a core facility of the University of Antwerp, bringing together expertise and research infrastructure in an overarching unit. The lab's focus is on psychophysiological and behavioural methods that capture human interactions in interpersonal and technology-mediated contexts. Register here! Details and Program Join us at our user meeting in Antwerp! Date | December 12th, 2024 Time | 9:30 - 13:30 CET Location | Antwerpen Social Lab: Our lab can be found within the Meerminne building at Sint-Jacobstraat 2-4 in the city centre of Antwerp. Upon entering through the main entrance, turn left and follow the signage to the Antwerp Social Lab. Head upstairs to the first floor to reach the l... URL: https://noldus.com/zebrafish-learning-paradigms Title: White paper | Zebrafish learning paradigms Description: Zebrafish have become an important animal model. Many standardized paradigms have been translated from rodent models to zebrafish. Content: Zebrafish learning paradigms First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why use zebrafish in learning and memory paradigms? Zebrafish have become an important animal model for studying neurodegenerative diseases. In validation of these models, many standardized paradigms have been translated from rodent models to zebrafish. Download this white paper to learn: How to use the t-maze or cross maze What are some research examples and applications What are the most important behaviors of interest Common questions Can zebrafish perform the tasks? Yes! Like rodents, zebrafish are quite good at learning tasks. What kinds of tasks work well? The T-maze and cross maze are great multifunctional mazes. Can I automate my experiment... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/versions Title: The Observer XT | Versions Description: Description of the features and version history of The Observer XT Content: 35 years of The Observer XT The Observer XT has been around for 35 years. It has evolved from a behavior coding tool into a comprehensive software platform that powers full-scale behavioral research. The Observer XT is now known as the GOLD standard for behavioral coding. At its core, The Observer XT is designed to efficiently monitor, code, and analyze behavior. Try The Observer XT for free Unlock the power of the innovations in The Observer XT 17 Experience the upgraded GOLD standard for behavioral coding, with exciting new features to explore. Dynamic visualization behavioral coding | To make coding visually more attractive and transparent, now the encoded behaviors are updated as you score with The Observer® XT. Syncing with wearable EEG headset | You can synchronize behavioral observations with neural data by integrating data from Bitbrain's EEG diadem. Explore new horizons for conducting real-world experiments! Improved permission process | When starting a new project, a dialog b... URL: https://noldus.com/coding-scheme-setup Title: White paper | How to set up a coding scheme Description: In this free white paper, we will explain the basics of behavioral coding and how to set up a coding scheme. Get the most out of your research data Content: How to set up a coding scheme First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why optimizing your coding scheme matters The coding scheme determines what data you collect and is an essential part of your behavioral study. The coding scheme is the actual measuring instrument. But setting up a coding scheme is not as straightforward as it may see. Download this white paper to learn: How to organize your data into groups The effect of time on your coding scheme Examples of others' coding schemes Common questions Can I use any coding scheme? Yes! The Observer® XT is flexible enough to handle any coding scheme. What if I don't know what to annotate? No problem! We will work with you to create exactly what you need. How is The Ob... URL: https://noldus.com/data-integration-the-observer-xt Title: White paper | Data integration & visualization Description: Data synchronization is vital in multimodal research. The Observer XT uses robust standard technologies to interface with other systems. Content: Data integration and visualization First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why data integration matters The benefit of combining different types of data is that you get a more complete picture of the phenomena that you study. The Observer® XT can synchronize external data with behavioral observations and visualize the combined data for power insights. Download this white paper to learn: What kinds of data can be synchronized and integrated How to synchronize data How to visualize and analyze synchronized data Common questions Is there a limit to what I can integrate? The Observer XT works with a wide range of systems and even with multiple systems simultaneously. What if I'm not technical? It is imperative to work w... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader-and-eye-tracking Title: White paper | FaceReader and eye-tracking Description: Both eye tracking and facial expression analysis add substantial power to your research Content: FaceReader and eye tracking First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why combine FaceReader with eye-tracking? By using eye-tracking technology and facial expression analysis, researchers can uncover subconscious processes, gaining valuable insights into user experience, consumer preferences, and emotional responses across fields like cognitive psychology, neuromarketing, and behavioral research. Download this white paper to learn: How to combine FaceReader and eye-tracking technologies How to use custom expressions with eye-tracking How to visualize and analyze synchronized data Common Questions Is FaceReader based on Facial Action Coding System (FACS)? Yes! Unlike open source tools, FaceReader has been validated ag... URL: https://noldus.com/how-to-build-labs Title: White paper | Human behavior research labs Description: Stationary and portable labs for observation and analysis of human behavior: Complete integrated lab designed with you and built by us. Content: How to build a research lab 3 free how-to guides First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). GET ALL THREE GUIDES FOR FREE Your blueprint to building a high-impact lab Creating an effective research lab is crucial for enhancing product design and understanding human behavior. These three white papers provide a comprehensive guide to planning, building, and optimizing a lab tailored to your unique needs. These resources are your go-to manuals for turning insights into a powerful advantage. What are the essential components needed? How do I determine the best layout and equipment? What are the best tools for capturing and analyzing data? How can I ensure that my setup encourages collaboration? How can I maximize the return on investment? T... URL: https://noldus.com/legal/privacy-policy Title: Privacy policy Description: This privacy policy describes how Noldus Information Technology (NIT) uses and protects any personal data that you might provide to us when you use this website. Content: Legal Privacy policy This privacy policy describes how Noldus Information Technology (NIT) uses and protects any personal data that you might provide to us when you use this website. You are able to visit and access most of the information and material on our website without having to submit any personal data unless you choose to. If you require more information and you would like to receive this personally by phone, e-mail or a visit, we will ask you to provide us with some or all of the following personal data: Contact details: first name, last name, phone number, e-mail address and physical address. Employer information: name and contact details of where you work. Other data that you intentionally and voluntarily share with us in free text fields/web forms. We will use this personal data for one or more of the following actions: To contact you to discuss your requirements and questions, using e-mail, phone or in person. To send you the requested detailed information on our products... URL: https://noldus.com/legal/cookies Title: How we use cookies Description: Learn how we use cookies to enhance your website experience, improve site functionality, and analyze traffic. Read our cookie policy to understand your privacy options. Content: Cookie policy What are cookies? A cookie is a small file that asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyze web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by collecting and remembering information about your preferences. How we use cookies We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyze data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to better meet customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes, after which the data is removed from the system. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other tha... URL: https://noldus.com/legal/terms-use Title: Website terms of use Description: Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website you're agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use. Content: Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Noldus Information Technology's relationship with you in relation to this website. The term "Noldus Information Technology" or "us" or "we" refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Noldus Information Technology BV, Nieuwe Kanaal 5, 6709 PA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. The term "you" refers to the user or viewer of our website. The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge... URL: https://noldus.com/legal/general-terms-conditions Title: General terms and conditions Description: All our transactions are subject to our General Terms and Conditions . Furthermore, the following conditions apply for specific products and service. Content: General terms and conditions All our transactions are subject to our General Terms and Conditions. Furthermore, the following conditions apply for specific products and services: NoldusCare Conditions, which cover additional services such as maintenance, support and repairs (not including services provided under the Consultancy Conditions). These can be found in the General Terms and Conditions document under the section “NoldusCare Conditions”. Consultancy Conditions, which cover our consultancy services. These can be found in the General Terms and Conditions document under the section “Consultancy Conditions”. End-User License Agreement (EULA), for customers who purchase and/or make use of the Noldus software products. In the event of conflict, the specific provisions in the EULA and/or the NoldusCare Conditions and/or the Consultancy Conditions take precedence over the General Terms and Conditions. The General Terms and Conditions, End-User License Agreement, NoldusCare Conditions a... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader-facs Title: White paper | FaceReader - FACS Description: Coding facial actions enables a greater awareness to subtle facial behaviors. Automate FACS coding using FaceReader Content: Facial Action Coding System (FACS) - white paper First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE What is the Facial Action Coding System (FACS)? The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is based on Action Units (AUs), roughly to be interpreted as the smallest visible units of muscular activity in the face, which produce changes in the facial appearance. The FACS is one of the most widely used and comprehensive coding systems for facial expression analysis. Roughly, there are three ways to score facial action units: Manually With use of facial expression recognition software, like FaceReader With use of coding software for observational data, like The Observer XT Common questions Is FaceReader based on Facial Action Coding Sys... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader-methodology Title: White paper | FaceReader methodology Description: Free white paper on FaceReader Methodology. Learn more about to use FaceReader to your advantage. Content: FaceReader methodology First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE How does FaceReader work? FaceReader was trained to classify the six basic or universal emotions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, and disgusted. Additionally, FaceReader can recognize a ‘neutral’ state and analyze ‘contempt’. Moreover, the network was trained to classify twenty Facial Action Units. Use the custom expression tool to create your own advanced expression analyses. Find: The position of the face is found using a deep learning Model: FaceReader models the face based on deep neural networks Classify: Expressions are classified by a trained deep artificial neural network Common questions Is FaceReader based on Facial Action Coding System (... URL: https://noldus.com/labs/observation-lab Title: Observation lab | Human behavior research labs Description: An observation lab allows you to observe test participants unobtrusively, in an environment similar to their natural surroundings. Content: Monitor and analyze behavior Observation lab When you intend to perform observations for your study or research, or if you need to capture a participant’s behavior while navigating on a website, you must be able to perform these actions in a certain room or space. Sometimes, people act differently if they know they’re being observed. Observation labs help you capture natural, unbiased behavior. What can you do in an observation lab? Study human behavior Whether you're observing how children play or how a team communicates and solves problems, an observation lab helps you capture authentic reactions, such as interactions. Educational research When you want to understand how people learn, or how they interact in a classroom setting, an observation lab gives you the control and tools to watch their progress in real time. Market research Are you testing how people engage with a new product or marketing campaign? Watch as participants naturally interact with what you’re testing, and get dat... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/blackrock-collaboration Title: Newsroom | Noldus and Blackrock Neurotech sign agreement at SfN for official collaboration! Description: Noldus Information Technology partners with Blackrock Neurotech, a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and advanced tools for neuroscience and neuroprosthetics research. Content: October 16, 2022 Noldus and Blackrock Neurotech sign agreement at SfN for official collaboration! Chicago, United States, October 8, 2024 — Noldus Information Technology is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Blackrock Neurotech, a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and advanced tools for neuroscience and neuroprosthetics research. This collaboration integrates Noldus’ EthoVision XT behavioral tracking software with Blackrock’s cutting-edge electrophysiology systems, creating a powerful, unified platform for behavioral and neural research. The integration enables synchronization of EthoVision XT’s behavioral tracking data, real-time, with Blackrock’s EEG recordings for mice and rats. The result? Researchers can now link real-time neural activity to behavioral outcomes with greater precision and efficiency—opening up new avenues for neurobehavioral research. This partnership makes it easier for researchers to gain a holistic understanding of behavior and... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/contact Title: FaceReader | Contact Description: Want to explore the possibilities of FaceReader for your research? Feel free to contact us, we're happy to help! Content: Let's get in contact about FaceReader! FaceReaderTM is used worldwide at more than 1,000 universities, research institutes, and companies—from consumer and psychology research to usability studies. Are you wondering how FaceReader can benefit your project? We're here to help! Get in touch to discuss how FaceReader works for you. A personalized discussion about your project and goals Expert advice on overcoming your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Request Make a choice Receive information Request pricing Free trial Free demo Book an online meeting Other Please select your request option. Institute/company/department name Please enter the name of the institute/company/department. How can we help you? Please enter your message We appreciate any extra details you can provide (optional). Phone number Please enter... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/zhejiang-institute-lab-opening Title: Newsroom | Noldus partners with Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing Description: September 2024, the Medical Device Usability Engineering Laboratory of Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing (MDST) in Hangzhou was officially opened. Content: September 26, 2024 Noldus partners with Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing This month, the Medical Device Usability Engineering Laboratory of Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing (MDST) in Hangzhou was officially opened. The opening ceremony and seminar were held at the Linping Economic and Technological Development Zone in Hangzhou. Noldus is proud to contribute to this initiative. Image source : MDST Medical technology in China China is keen to boost its production of medical technology to reduce its reliance on imports. In 2015, the Chinese government launched its "Made in China 2025" policy to increase the proportion of domestically made mid- to high-end medical devices used in Chinese hospitals to 70% by 2025, and to 95% by 2030 (Ong, 2024). In order to safeguard the quality and safety of novel medical equipment, medical device inspection laboratories are being established across the country. Among the aspects of medical devices being tested are human factors des... URL: https://noldus.com/contact/human-behavior-research Title: Human behavior research | contact Description: Do you want to contact us about human behavior research? Then, this page can help you along the way. Content: Get in contact about human behavior research Work smarter, gain better insights from your behavioral analysis, and experience seamless data integration. Using automated systems and software for human behavior research makes your research more efficient, validated, and refined. We love to help you find the right tool for your particular project or research. Expert advice on overcoming your unique research challenges A personalized talk about your project and goals Recommendations on the best tools for your research needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/applications/fear-anxiety Title: Fear, Anxiety, and Depression | Application Description: Anxiety, fear, and depression in rodents and fish are typical in a wide range of studies, including neuropharmacological studies. Content: Fear, anxiety, and stress Many psychiatric illnesses are depression- or anxiety-related disorders. Behavioral tests with rodents are crucial to get insights on the underlying mechanisms and eventually find new treatments. Rodents and zebrafish are potentially great models to study fear, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Common behavioral tasks are: Elevated plus maze or zero maze Open field Novel tank diving test Learn more with a free E-book -> Fear and anxiety in rodents Rodents prefer dark and enclosed areas, as it is perceived a saver environment against predators. This innate aversion to light is used in test set-ups to investigate anxiety and fear-related behaviors such as staying in the dark, freezing, and hyperactivity. The open field, elevated plus maze, zero maze, and light-dark box are well-validated tests that offering a saver, darker environment and an open (often well-lit) area. More anxious animals tend to hug the walls in an open field, a behavior known as thigmota... URL: https://noldus.com/zebrafish/contact Title: Zebrafish research | contact Description: Connect with us to learn how to our tools can help with your zebrafish research Content: Get in contact about your zebrafish research Researchers worldwide rely on Noldus for a wide range of zebrafish studies. Help with your hardware and software needs Select the ideal solution for you Discuss the benefits and advantages of NoldusCare First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will not share your personal data with 3rd parties and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/applications/ai-deep-learning Title: AI and deep learning | Application Description: Noldus has integrated deep learning into EthoVision XT and FaceReader to enhance accuracy, flexibility, and robustness in behavioral research. Content: AI & deep learning Noldus integrates deep learning into the software tools of EthoVision XT and FaceReader. The result is a robustness and accuracy in behavioral research. But what is deep learning? Read more below to learn: The differences among AI, machine learning, and deep learning How Noldus incorporates deep learning What this means for your research Contact us Understanding AI, machine learning, and deep learning Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the broad discipline of creating systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include problem-solving, understanding language, and visual perception. AI includes various approaches such as rule-based systems, statistical models, and machine learning to build systems that can mimic or enhance human cognitive abilities. Machine learning (ML) is a subset of AI that focuses on developing algorithms that enable systems to learn from data and make decisions without being explicitly programmed. ML... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/social-interaction Title: Social interaction | Application Description: The study of social interaction can be done in a variety of set-ups, all having one thing in common: the study of behaviors between two or more animals. Content: Social interaction Socials behaviors are an important part of many animals behavioral spectrum. Social behaviors encompass any behavior that is produced to or in response to another animal. Many laboratory animals like rodents and zebrafish naturally live in groups. Therefore, it is very important to consider not only what social behaviors an animal produces, but also how a social context influences all behaviors. What is social interaction? Even though some animals are more social than others, every animal experiences social interaction. Many different types of behaviors are categorized as social behaviors. For example: Grooming Aggression Mating Observering these interactions gives insight into the way animals respond to social cues and how these are influenced by genetics, environment and other developmental factors. Why should I measure social interaction? Social interaction is essential for gaining a complete understanding of your animal models' behavior, especially for researcher... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/zebrafish-research Title: Zebrafish research | Application Description: Zebrafish as a model for biomedical research. Noldus offers a wide array of solutions for research with zebrafish, both larvae and adult fish Content: Zebrafish as a model for biomedical research The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a popular model organism due to its size, reproduction and growth rate, cost effectiveness, and also its genetic homology with humans (~70%). Noldus offers a wide array of solutions for research in zebrafish. As experts in behavioral neuroscience, we're here to support and elevate your research. Contact us Video tracking for zebrafish Video tracking means that the software is able to detect the zebrafish in a video file or from a live video feed, distinguish it from its background, and track its whereabouts and movements. It tracks and analyzes the behavior, movement, and activity of zebrafish. Video tracking technology is versatile and enough to be very useful in many different behavioral tests. EthoVision XT is the industry leader in video tracking. Use as a standalone solution for video tracking, or pair with the DanioVision observation chamber , a complete system designed for high-throughput tracking of zeb... URL: https://noldus.com/trackLab/resources Title: TrackLab | Resources Description: Find resources about TrackLab: recent blog posts, product overviews, user stories, videos, technical specifications, and more. Content: All I need to know about TrackLab TrackLab can be used for a variety of applications. To help you along the way we have some reading materials, publications and videos to inform you. Ask us a question Behavioral patterns in sheep How TrackLab helps scientists uncover behavioral patterns in sheep Discover how TrackLab tracks and analyzes sheep behavior, which helps researchers improve livestock health and welfare. Download this case study to explore real-world results and learn how sensor-based tracking can transform your research. Download the free case study Stay ahead in behavioral research! Subscribe to Noldus Newsline Discover innovations – Be the first to know about new tools and software to advance your research and get insights that help you stay ahead. See real research in action – Get inspired by real-world studies from our community, discovering fresh approaches for your work. Access exclusive perks – Receive early updates on promotions, product releases, and events crafted f... URL: https://noldus.com/tracklab/applications Title: TrackLab | Applications Description: TrackLab offers 24/7 monitoring of animal & human behavior in indoor environments or controlled outdoor spaces. Content: Research applications of Tracklab Easily collect spatial data and behavioral statistics, and learn more about wayfinding and space utilization Livestock research Zoo animals Consumer behavior Request pricing Applications of TrackLab Livestock research Precise tracking of animal movement and behavior in real-time is invaluable for livestock research. Sensor-based tracking can monitor health, welfare, and other behavioral patterns in farm environments. Zoo animals Zoo researchers need to monitor and analyze movement and behavior within enclosures. Sensor-based tracking is ideal for studying a wide range of species, which can help improve care and conservation. Consumer behavior TrackLab enables precision tracking of movement, which can be combined with eye-tracking and behavioral coding as consumers interact with real products or environments, leading to deep insights. Social interactions TrackLab is a powerful tool for tracking individuals' movements within group settings. By capturing... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/radboud-university Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Radboud University Description: Dr. Ruud van den Bos is taking you on a tour of the zebrafish lab. He is explains why good research tools are important for reliability and reproducibility in zebrafish experiments. Content: Zebrafish research with EthoVision XT and DanioVision Radboud University Dr. Ruud van den Bos talks about his work in neurobiology and experimental psychology, and how zebrafish studies contribute to his field of research. He is experienced with DanioVision and EthoVision XT, and explains why good tools are important for reliability and reproducibility in zebrafish experiments. DanioVision and EthoVision XT The team at Radboud University used DanioVision and EthoVision to understand adult behavior, and larval behavior. EthoVision XT software is suitable for sophisticated test-protocols. It is the most widely applied video tracking software that tracks and analyzes the behavior, movement, and activity of any animal. DanioVision is a complete system designed for experiments with zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae, and is often used in studies related to drug development, behavioral genetics, toxicology and circadian rhythmicity. Interested? more info about ethovision xt "I definitely would r... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-bologna Title: Customer Stories | Animal | University of Bologna Description: Prof. Roberto Rimondini explains why he chose EthoVision XT for tests such as the open field, water maze, elevated plus maze, barnes test, object recognition, and much much more. Content: Neuropsychopharmacological Lab University of Bologna Prof. Roberto Rimondini is a neuropsychopharmacologist at the Department of Medical and Clinical Sciences DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna (University of Bologna, Italy). He has been using EthoVision XT video tracking software since its DOS version! In this video Prof. Roberto Rimondini explains why he is still using the software and his view on research in general: “research is not a short track. It’s a marathon. So the only thing that can drive you is passion, is curiosity.” Watch the video to learn more! EthoVision XT Prof. Roberto Rimondini explains that EthoVision is a system that he can trust. He is using EthoVision XT for tests such as the open field, water maze, elevated plus maze, barnes test, object recognition, and much much more. He is still setting up all the equipment for the system. Would you like to learn more about the versatility of EthoVision XT software? more info about ethovision xt "Now, the new version, what... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-rouen Title: Customer Stories | Animal | University of Rouen Description: Dr. Jean-Luc and Jean-Claude do Rego take you on a tour in their facility. Take a look at how they designed their rooms and why they chose equipment and software from Noldus. Content: Behavioral Analysis Facility University of Rouen Dr. Jean-Claude do Rego and Dr. Jean-Luc do Rego of the Behavioral Analysis Facility of the University of Rouen (Service Commun d’Analyse Comportementale, SCAC), are evaluating the behavioral and functional activities of new pharmacological drugs. The Behavioral Analysis Facility of the University of Rouen, used three or four devices for different tests. After discussions with Noldus, they chose the PhenoTyper cages because this type of device enabled them to perform multiple tests in one environment. Would you like to learn more? Contact our scientific sales consultants to discuss your research. Watch the video to learn more about why they choose Noldus' tools. More info about Phenotyper "Because of automatic measurement, this limits the influence of the user and also limits the number of animals that are used, and also limits the stress that you give to the animal. So that we gain in quality." Dr. J. do Rego Behavioral Analysis Facilit... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/contact Title: The Observer XT | Contact Description: Do you want to contact us about The Observer XT? The information on this page can help you along. Content: Let's get in contact about The Observer XT! Are you wondering if The Observer® XT can meet your specific needs? Not sure which features will benefit your team the most, or whether it will work with your current setup? We're here to help! Get in touch, and let’s explore how The Observer XT can work for you. A personalized talk about your project and goals Expert advice on overcoming your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-windsor Title: Customer Stories | Animal | University of Windsor Description: Dr. Christina Semeniuk is taking you on a tour in their lab. Watch the video to learn more about the importance of their research and how EthoVision XT helps them achieve their goals. Content: Predictive ecology: Studying behavior in the Great Lakes University of Windsor Fish species in the Great Lakes are facing human-induced rapid ecological change. Dr. Semeniuk’s lab studies animal behavior in great detail in order to learn how the animals are behaving, but also whether or not they have the capability to persist. Dr. Christina Seminiuk is an associate professor at the University of Windsor, Canada and Dr. Semeniuk's lab is using EthoVision XT, which helps them to quantify behavior. Dr. K. Janisse: "When you are studying behavior, there is so much variation among individuals, that it requires a very large sample size to tease apart what are actually behavioral phenotypes or differences, and because of those large sample sizes, using an automated software is really the only way to realistically analyze and quantify that data." EthoVision XT is the most widely applied video tracking software that tracks and analyzes the behavior, movement, and activity of any animal. More in... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-toronto Title: Customer Stories | Animal | University of Toronto Description: Dr. Prévôt studies anxiety and depression to transform mental health care. He takes you on a lab tour and discusses why he chose PhenoTyper for his research. Content: Assessing anxiety and depression in rodents University of Toronto Dr. Thomas Prévôt from the University of Toronto is developing a new tool to assess anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior in rodents, in order to understand the underlying mechanisms of chronic stress exposure and how it changes either behavior but also molecular and cellular pathology, to mimic the human depression. Why PhenoTyper PhenoTyper is an instrumented observation cage to measure and test the behavior of laboratory rodents. The team at the University of Toronto, Canada want to assess anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior in a very reliable way. That is why they chose PhenoTyper. It enables them to repeat the assessment in mice models. PhenoTypers helps them to understand how chronic stress can induce depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors and how these behaviors are related to the cellular and molecular pathology. If you like to learn more about PhenoTyper, click the button! More info about PhenoType... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/neuropore-therapies Title: Customer Stories | Animal | NeuroPore Therapies Description: The team at NeuroPore Therapies are taking you on a tour of their lab. Learn why they chose CatWalk XT for their research and what kind of research questions they're investigating. Content: Neurodegenerative disease studies NeuroPore Therapies NeuroPore Therapies, San Diego, USA does important research in the field of neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Diana Price, Dr. Asma Khan and Robert Johnson are currently using CatWalk XT to study Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Diana Price, Dr. Asma Khan and Robert Johnson, NeuroPore Therapies, San Diego, USA, are currently using CatWalk XT to study Parkinson’s disease. The assessment of gait and locomotion is important in conditions that affect the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS) and skeletal structures or muscles. In research with rodent models, CatWalk XT is perfect for automatic and sensitive testing. CatWalk XT is used in over 1,700 publications. More info about CatWalk XT "I think the CatWalk is probably one of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment that I have seen." Dr. D. Price NeuroPore Therapies, USA LEAFLET: Why free walking is the superior method When performing gait analysis, it is important t... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/heinrich-heine-university Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Heinrich Heine University Description: Dr. Marijn van Wingerden is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their experiments, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Social learning task in rats Heinrich Heine University At the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, PI Dr. Marijn van Wingerden and his PhD student Sander van Gurp study social learning behavior in rats. Their Social Rodent Lab uses EthoVision XT and UltraVox XT for their behavioral studies. Dr. M. van Wingerden: "It would be really beneficial to have an adequate animal model that captures this social behavior." The team, in there Social Rodent Lab, is trying to figure out whether something good happening to the partner rat, will affect learning processes in the observer rat. In other words, they are trying to figure out whether the rats can learn from each other. They hope to contribute to the development of potential interventions. Are you looking for a video tracking tool for your research? Request the free trial of EthoVision XT to get to know the software and experience yourself how this tool adds value to your research. More info about EthoVision XT "The combination o... URL: https://noldus.com/tracklab/setup Title: TrackLab | Setup Description: Rely on highly accurate tracking data for your research, and gain insights into social behavior, place-preference, and many more parameters. Content: TrackLab setup: Movement data with precision and ease Getting started with TrackLab is quick and efficient, ensuring that you can begin collecting accurate, real-time data with minimal effort. Indoor and outdoor tracking Live monitoring Central data storage TrackLab technical specifications TrackLab tech specs Gathering data A fully integrated solution TrackLab integrates with the sophisticated hardware tracking devices of renowned manufacturers, making it a fully turnkey solution. The resulting combination is a solution that offers accurate tracking and versatile software for analysis and feedback. Indoor and outdoor tracking TrackLab comes with a highly accurate Ultra-Wideband (UWB) tracking system for indoor tracking and short-range outdoor tracking. Indoors, the system can be applied in settings ranging from a controlled laboratory to a real-life barn environment. Live monitoring TrackLab allows for the real-time location monitoring of your animals. The software visualizes the beha... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-groningen Title: Customer Stories | Animal | University of Groningen Description: Dr. Jocelien Olivier is taking you on a tour during a practical. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Using EthoVision XT as an educational tool University of Groningen As a professor in developmental behavioral neuroscience, Jocelien Olivier works at the University of Groningen, at the GELIFES Institute. In the minor Neuroscience, which is a university broad minor, she and her colleagues show students what neuroscience is all about. For example, she wants students to get in touch with 'how do we score behavior'. Practical 'Tracking behavior' with EthoVision The study of Jocelien Olivier is about the effects of antidepressant use during pregnancy. In the experiment, her research team used healthy female rats. From day one of pregnancy, the rats were treated with fluoxetine for 6 weeks. Control rats were treated with water. The offspring of these pregnant females was tested during adulthood (12 weeks of age) for their anxiety-like behavior in an open field test. During the practical, the students run the movies of the experiment in EthoVision XT and investigated whether treatment with f... URL: https://noldus.com/tracklab/benefits Title: TrackLab | Benefits Description: TrackLab benefits researchers in retail environments, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and many more. Find out why. Content: Why should I use TrackLab? Get the precision you need for tracking and analyzing human or animal movement. With real-time data collection, visualization, and analysis, TrackLab helps you quickly gain insights into behavior, performance, and interaction. Easy-to-use interface: Collect and analyze data effortlessly, focusing more on insights and less on setup Flexible, adaptable setup: Works seamlessly in various environments, from labs to natural settings Sensor compatibility: Connects with a range of sensors for accurate, reliable data, streamlining your research Contact our sales team Enhanced data collection and analysis TrackLab allows for precise real-time data collection and visualization, integrating easily with various sensors and devices. This ensures researchers can gather accurate movement data and analyze it efficiently, saving time and boosting the reliability of their studies. Collect precise movement data in real-time, ensuring accurate and reliable results for your resea... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/lbi-trauma Title: Customer Stories | Animal | LBI Trauma Description: Take a look at what key factors researchers at LBI Trauma found to be of high importance when evaluating functional recovery in several rodent models. Content: Evaluation of functional recovery in rodent models LBI Trauma At the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology (LBI Trauma), researchers use CatWalk XT gait analysis system to evaluate functional recovery in rat models of peripheral nerve injury and spinal cord contusion injury. Reference: JoVE (Automated Gait Analysis to Assess Functional Recovery in Rodents with Peripheral Nerve or Spinal Cord Contusion Injury) In the video, they explain what they found to be the most important factors to pay attention to when planning to use CatWalk XT for your research - from training the animals, to software and hardware adjustments. If you are interested in knowing more about different models of peripheral nerve injury that can be studied with CatWalk XT and essential prerequisites for adequate data acquisition, you can take a look at a recording of a free webinar, where Dr. Johannes Heinzel explains all about it. You can also request for more information or a free dem... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/bipolar-disorder-research-ethovision-xt Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Donders institute Description: Mina Sadighi Alvandi, Donders Institute, is doing research with EthoVision XT into the neuroscience of bipolar disorder and the mechanism that is associated with this disease. Content: Research into behavior and brain mechanisms of Bipolar disorder Donders institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Dr. Mina Sadighi Alvandi, who works in the lab of Prof. Dr. Judith Homberg, shows us their lab at Donders institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior in Nijmegen (the Netherlands). Their aim is to develop a new animal model for bipolar disorder. Dr. M. Sadighi Alvandi: "What motivates me is that I am eager to learn about neuroscience and the brain" The research team at the Radboud UMC uses Noldus’ PhenoTyper, to house their animals while measuring depression and mania-like behavior in rats. With the help of EthoVision XT, locomotor activity, circadian rhythm and other home cage behaviors are also measured for 6 continuous days while being analyzed at the same time. Watch the video to learn more about why they choose Noldus' tools. "PhenoTyper and EthoVision are very helpful because I can assess the behavior of rats for a long time, which is not possible with other behavi... URL: https://noldus.com/tracklab Title: TrackLab | Precision tracking for animal movement Description: The integrated solution for the recognition and analysis of spatial behavior. Monitor location and movement with high accuracy. Content: Precise tracking of animal movement TrackLab The integrated solution for the recognition and analysis of spatial behavior. Monitor location and movement with high accuracy. Real-time movement tracking Versatile data insights Flexible and scalable Request a demo What is TrackLab? TrackLab is your all-in-one solution for tracking and analyzing movement in animals, delivering real-time insights on behavior, physiology, and biomechanics. Perfect for livestock tracking, TrackLab gives you the data you need to drive discoveries forward. Designed to adapt to your specific needs, TrackLab’s flexible setup works just as well in controlled environments as it does in natural settings. With seamless integration across a range of sensors and hardware, TrackLab captures detailed, reliable insights without the hassle. Trusted by researchers around the world How does TrackLab work? TrackLab works by capturing and analyzing real-time movement data using a variety of sensors and tracking devices. With c... URL: https://noldus.com/contact/animal-research Title: Animal Research | contact Description: Do you want to contact us about animal research? Then, this page can help you along the way. Content: Get expert advice on your behavioral research Automate your animal behavior research with professional software. Make your research more efficient, better validated, and refined. Many of us come from research. Let us help you find the perfect solution for your research needs. Expert advice on your software and hardware needs Solutions for your current and future research Free online meeting First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will protect your personal data and you are always in control of your personal data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/brown-university-plavicki-zebrafish Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Plavicki Lab | Brown University Description: We visited Dr. Jess Plavicki at Brown University in Rhode Island. She runs a lab aimed at investigating the development of brain and heart health in zebrafish using imaging techniques and optogenetics. Content: Using optogenetics with DanioVision in zebrafish research Plavicki Lab | Brown University We visited Dr. Jessica Plavicki, of the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She runs her own lab where they are studying developing zebrafish, aimed at assessing the impact of chemical and/or environmental exposure, and genetic mutations on brain and heart health. The Plavicki Lab is an imaging-focused lab that uses a number of tools, such as DanioVision, in combination with transgenic reporter lines to gain insight into (cerebral) vascular development. Jess Plavicki: "People don’t think of environmental health as a driver of human disease the same way they think of genetics" We often underestimate the complex exposures to environmental chemical or toxins we have during our lifetime. Dr. Plavicki aims at investigating these effects from an early stage of development. She looks at developing zebrafish with multiple levels of analysis, wit... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/columbia-university-behavioral-core-lab Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Columbia University Description: Noldus visited Columbia University in New York city to take a look at their behavioral core lab in which they serve many labs that want to measure behavior Content: Neurobehavioral Core Lab Columbia University Explore how this leading behavioral core lab in New York City uses CatWalk XT to study mouse models of Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's, and more in advanced testing environments. They provide the infrastructure and expertise for many labs across Columbia to measure behavior in mice. Anything from Alzheimer's to ALS and Parkinson's disease models are tested in the core lab, where the CatWalk XT stands as its centerpiece. CatWalk XT is a complete and highly sensitive tool to assess gait and locomotion. Footprints are captured while a rat or mouse voluntarily traverses a glass plate towards a goal box. Dr. Yang and Paul show us how they use this innovative behavioral system. Mu Yang: "My analogy is that behavioral science is like chicken stock." "Everybody needs chicken stock, but too often people don't take behavior science seriously and think that is just some kind of trivial component. Whether it's therapeutic development, mechanistic discover... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/loma-linda-university-measuring-long-term-behavior Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Loma Linda University Description: Measuring changes in the brain and changes in behavior can help predict obesity in subjects that have been exposed to stress. Content: Neurobiological Mechanisms Linking Stress and Obesity Loma Linda University We talked with Dr. Johnny Figueroa, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. He specializes in nutritional neuroscience, but foremost how (adverse) childhood events can have long term neurobiological consequences. The yearly Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference is by extent the place to meet your fellow reseachers and talk about the latest developments in the field. Last November it took place in San Diego, USA, where we talked with Dr. Johnny Figueroa, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. At the conference, he presented the evaluation of a model that explains why certain individuals that are exposed to early adversities can develop obesity and obesity-like phenotypes. The new data his research team obtained in their lab was produced using recently acquired Noldus Phenotyper cages. More i... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/optical-imaging Title: Optical brain imaging | Applications Description: Optogenetics is important for Neurobehavioral research to gain insights in brain behavior. With EthoVision XT, you can control stimulation or inhibition easily. Content: Optical brain imaging Optical imaging has revolutionized the way researchers investigate biological processes, offering non-invasive, real-time insights into the inner workings of living organisms. Whether you're tracking cell movement, analyzing neural activity, or studying molecular interactions, optical imaging tools provide the precision and flexibility needed to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. connect with us What is in vivo optical brain imaging? In vivo optical brain imaging refers to a collection of techniques that enable the real-time visualization of neural activity within the living brain. This approach relies on the interaction of light with brain tissue to either measure intrinsic signals, like changes in blood oxygenation, or to visualize exogenous markers, such as fluorescent dyes or genetically encoded indicators. Some key advantages of in vivo optical imaging include: Non-invasive or minimally invasive High spatial and temporal resolution Can be combined w... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/gerlai-lab Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Gerlai Lab Description: Dr. Gerlai and his students are at the forefront of zebrafish research. Learn more about their work in our customer story on the Gerlai Lab in Toronto, Canada. Content: Zebrafish Research with EthoVision XT and The Observer XT Gerlai Lab | University of Toronto Meet Dr. Robert Gerlai, a distinguished researcher at the Gerlai Lab in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Gerlai is a leading expert in the field of zebrafish research, specializing in their social behaviors and cognitive processes. Join us in this customer success video to explore the intriguing world of zebrafish research. Find out how products like EthoVision® XT and The Observer® XT help Robert Gerlai and most of all his students learn and perform scientific experiments. Dr. Gerlai: "Here behavioral analysis is relatively intuitive and easy to learn." Zebrafish have been an ever growing part of behavioral research for quite some time now. However, not many labs are solely focussed on expanding the field of zebrafish research. At the Gerlai lab not only do the researchers and students perform conventional behavioral tests, they also research new applications of zebrafish and other fish species, like ram... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/aleksandra-badura-noldus-tools-sfn-2023 Title: Customer Stories | Animal | Erasmus MC Description: At Society for Neuroscience 2023 in Washington DC, Aleksandra Badura of the Erasmus MC tells her story about why working with Noldus advances her research. Content: Measuring Autism in mice with Noldus tools Erasmus MC Dr. Aleksandra Badura is an Associate Professor at the department of Neuroscience, and head of the lab 'Neural Networks Underlying Behavioral Flexibility' at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her current work focuses on understanding the cerebello-cerebral networks underlying shared autistic traits. We spoke to Aleksandra at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in Washington DC about how she uses EthoVision XT to accomplish her goals in behavioral research. Dr. Aleksandra Badura: "People who work at Noldus are not just trying to sell us the product, but help us to reach our goal in research." "People who work at Noldus often come from an ethology or neuroscience background, but also those that don't have that behavioral background, they really come to the lab to try and understand what we need." Watch the video to hear what Dr. Badura head of the lab 'Neural Networks Underlying Behavioral Flexibility' had to say about Nold... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/contact Title: PhenoTyper | contact Description: Do you want to contact us about PhenoTyper? On this page you can request a pricing, demo or ask any question you have about PhenoTyper. Content: Get in contact about PhenoTyper Many researchers already have PhenoTyper installed in their lab. You can start using PhenoTyper today for a variety of applications. Help you with the hardware and software you need Advice you on your current or future research with PhenoTyper Discover the benefits of NoldusCare First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will not share your personal data with 3rd parties and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/eye-tracking Title: Eye tracking | Capture participants' focus Description: Eye trackers add substantial power to your lab set-up. They produce gaze path video and large quantities of rich data, all related to attention and emotion. Content: Capture participants' focus Eye tracking Eye tracking is particularly useful for understanding the cognitive processes that drive attention and decision-making. With eye trackers you can: Observe where participants focus their attention on Understand how users interact with a system or interface Retrieve objective data on visual engagement Tell me more What is eye tracking? Eye tracking is a technique which records what you are looking at. At its simplest, it records if you looked at a given object or not. With more complex analysis, it can give all sorts of information about mental state and the performed tasks. Eye trackers add substantial power to your lab set-up. They provide precise, real-time data on visual attention and cognitive processes, enabling you to understand how individuals interact with (visual) stimuli. This technology allows for deeper insights into decision-making, learning, and perception. BLOG: What can you use eye tracking for? Integrating eye tracking with Noldu... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/contact Title: CatWalk XT | contact Description: Do you want to contact us about CatWalk XT? Then, this page can help you along the way. Content: Get in contact about CatWalk XT Many researchers use CatWalk XT all over the world for a great variety of disease models. Starting out with gait analysis can be overwhelming. Therefore, we are here to help you. Contact us to: Help you with the hardware and software needed Advice you on your current or future research with CatWalk XT Discover the benefits of NoldusCare First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will not share your personal data with 3rd parties and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/labs/human-factors-ux-lab Title: Human Factors Usability Labs | Human behavior research labs Description: Explore Human Factors and Usability Labs that enhance user experiences and optimize product interactions through innovative research and design methodologies. Content: Enhanced observations Human Factors and Usability lab Are you looking for enhanced observation capabilities? Discover how human factors (HF) and usability (UX) labs empower researchers to create safer, more user-friendly designs. From tracking eye movements to analyzing ergonomic postures, these labs provide advanced tools to understand human behavior and optimize interactions with real-world insights. What types of studies can I conduct in a HF and UX lab? In a Human Factors and Usability Research lab, you can conduct studies to understand user interactions, ergonomics, and cognitive load, aiming to improve product design, safety, and efficiency. Common study types include: Usability testing to evaluate ease of use and identify design issues Ergonomic assessments to examine physical strain and posture during product use Cognitive load testing to measure mental effort required to complete tasks Human error analysis to analyze mistakes to identify and mitigate risk factors Essential lab... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/contact Title: NoldusHub | Contact us Description: Do you want to contact us about NoldusHub? The information on this page can help you along. Content: Let's get in touch! Are you wondering if NoldusHub can meet your specific needs? Not sure which features will benefit your team the most, or whether it will work with your current setup? We're here to help! Fill in the request form and we will contact you to explore how NoldusHub can work for you. Expert advice on overcoming your unique research challenges A personalized discussion about your project and goals Recommendations on the best tools for your research needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). CONTACT ME ABOUT NOLDUSHUB Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/dorc-cerios Title: Customer Stories | Human | Cerios Lab Description: In the CERIOS lab, surgeons can be observed while they perform tasks on the newest prototypes in a realistic surgery setup. Content: Advanced tools for usability testing at the CERIOS lab DORC (Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center) For DORC (Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center), the vision of restoring sight is not just a mission but a relentless pursuit. As a supplier of cutting-edge technologies, instruments, and equipment for ophthalmic surgery, they actively contribute to high-quality innovations that helps people see again. To keep these innovations on a high level, they’ve joined forces with Noldus IT to set up CERIOS (Center of Expertise, Research and Innovation in Ophthalmic Surgery). In this lab, they are able to test their new products, equipment, and prototypes to make sure surgeons are able to use them in the best possible way. Importance of usability tests Usability studies are essential to get a good understanding of what aspects elevate or hinder the performance, whether a new instrument or piece of equipment is easy to use or not, and what features are the most helpful or might cause discomfort. In the lab,... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-british-columbia Title: Customer Stories | Human | Univ. of British Columbia Description: Centre for Infant Cognition is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Centre for Infant Cognition University of British Columbia The Centre for Infant Cognition (CIC), at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada, uses analysis tools provided by Noldus for detailed behavioral coding. Noldus’ MediaRecorder is used to record study sessions and is installed on multiple online coding stations. Image provided by CIC The cameras used in their studies are controlled by MediaRecorder software, which contains adjustable camera angles offering optimal viewing points. This allows the researchers to fully capture an infant’s eye gaze and body behavior during a study. Analyzing infants behavior in detail Additionally, the CIC uses The Observer XT to record study events, and further analyze this data. It allows them to analyze behavior processes at a very detailed level that could not be obtained manually. More specifically, it is used to look at minute (small/precise) eye gaze changes, hand gestures, and emotions of infants while they are observing a m... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/contact Title: Viso | Contact Description: Do you want to contact us about Viso? The information on this page can help you along. Content: Let's get in contact about Viso! Are you wondering if Viso can meet your specific needs? Not sure which features will benefit your team the most, or whether it will work with your current setup? We're here to help! Get in touch, and let’s explore how Viso can work for you. A personalized talk about your project and goals Expert advice on overcoming your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/labs/multimodal-lab Title: Multimodal Lab | Human behavior research labs Description: Explore multimodal research labs that integrate diverse data types for comprehensive insights, enhancing your understanding of human behavior and decision-making. Content: Unlock deeper insights Multimodal research lab Unlock deeper insights into human behavior with a multimodal research lab. By integrating diverse data types—such as physiological measures, eye tracking, and behavioral observations—you can capture a comprehensive understanding of decision-making and interactions. Explore multimodal research labs that integrate diverse data types for comprehensive insights, enhancing your understanding of human behavior and decision-making. What types of studies can I conduct in a multimodal research lab? In a multimodal research lab, you can conduct a variety of studies that integrate different data types to gain comprehensive insights into behavior and decision-making. This approach allows for a richer understanding of complex human interactions and cognitive processes: Measure physiological responses to assess how cognitive load affects performance and decision-making Emotional response studies to see how reactions impact decision-making in high-stress... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/b-com Title: Customer Stories | Human | B<>com Description: b-com, is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Data integration facilitates the study of emotions b<>com, France Jean-Marc Diverrez, from b<>com Institute of Research and Technology, France talks about data integration and measuring emotions. He hopes that the projects will go out of the lab and into the real world. He looks into all kinds of new technologies and sensors to better measure and thus understand emotions. Watch the video to learn more about how Jean-Marc Diverrez synchronizes data in order to measure emotions in lab environments and in the field. About b<>com With its innovations, the Institute of Research and Technology (IRT) b<>com is taking part in the European digital transformation. Its 230 researchers develop tools, products, and services that make everyday life easier. They focus on two fields of research: Hypermedia (ultra-high definition images, 3D sound, smart content, virtual and augmented reality) and more agile ultra-high speed networks (cloud, cybersecurity, ultra-high speed mobile, network resilience, In... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/delaware-valley-university Title: Customer Stories | Human | Delaware Description: Delaware Valley University - A dedicated counseling psychology lab, is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: A dedicated counseling psychology lab Delaware Valley University At Delaware Valley University the counseling psychology team created a state-of-the-art training facility for their Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program. In this program, students specialize in either child and adolescent counseling, or social justice community counseling. Throughout their training, graduate students are continually engaged in counseling, outreach, and advocacy. Buyer’s guide to the perfect audiovisual lab Free buyer's guide What is an audiovisual lab? What do you need to complete your setup? How does an audiovisual lab help you answer your research questions? Get your copy Multi-room, fully-equipped training space This new educational facility took an outdated laboratory facility and turned it into a multi-room, fully-equipped training space for students as they train to become professional counselors. The faculty at Delaware Valley University has proven their dedication to using Viso software... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/wur-eating-behavior Title: Customer Stories | Human | Wageningen University Description: Wageningen University & Research is taking you on a tour in their lab. See how they designed lab rooms, and the equipment and software tools they used. Content: Sensory science and eating behavior Wageningen University & Research Professor C. (Kees) de Graaf, PhD, Chairman Division of Human Nutrition, Professor in Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour at Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands talks about measuring chewing behavior, bite size, and chewing frequency in order to understand eating behavior. He hopes that in five or ten years, we will be able to measure food intake in an accurate way without interfering with subjects. Consumption research Understanding consumption behavior and lifestyle is at the core of consumption research. How does technology influence consumption behavior and lifestyle and how can this technology change behavior? Noldus works together with customers around the world to provide them with the best possible tools for their research. It’s challenging, measuring behavior in natural environments, such as the consumers' home. Noldus solutions are ideal for this type of work. More info on consumer behavior Wa... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-mons Title: Customer Stories | Human | Univ. of Mons Description: University of Mons, is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Interaction between trainee teacher and students University of Mons Click on the play button to find out why Marie Bocquillon of the Institute of Educational Management of the University of Mons in Belgium uses Noldus' software for her research about improving teacher practices. Improving teacher practices Marie Bocquillon uses two labs, an observation lab, where trainee teachers are videotaped while giving a lesson to their peer students, and an interaction lab, where the video feedback sessions takes place. These feedback sessions are conducted based on the video of the trainee’s teaching practice performance that has been annotated by the supervisor. During debriefing, the supervisor and the trainee teacher watch and discuss how the trainee teacher acted during the lesson. Innovative tools to analyze interactions Both labs are equipped with The Observer XT to record all the sessions. The software enables Bocquillon to analyze the interaction between supervisor and trainee. She concl... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/john-moores-university Title: Customer Stories | Human | Liverpool John Moores University Description: Liverpool John Moores University is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Immersive technology lab Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University has a long rich history, dating back to 1823. Nowadays its one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom, with 25 thousand students from over 100 countries worldwide. By forward-thinking and forging international partnerships, Liverpool John Moores University facilitates world-leading research. The Head of the Department of Computer Science at Liverpool John Moores University, Dr. Atif Waraich, is developing an immersive technology lab together with Tracksys Ltd, a long-time partner of Noldus. He wants to establish the lab as a world centre for immersive technology and usability engineering. The plan is to develop an Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Lab, with a focus on usability engineering for AR/VR. This could help establish what the design patterns are for immersive technologies. The Observer XT enables him to see how people respond to the environments they are put into. Innovative s... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/tech3lab Title: Customer Stories | Human | Tech3Lab Description: Tech3Lab Montreal is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: From data collection to insightful results Tech3Lab Montreal At the Tech3Lab at HEC Montréal, Prof. Pierre-Majorique Léger and his co-workers study what users really experience when they interact with technology, like mobile phones or tablets. In traditional UX research psychometric tools are used to measure the perception of users. Although these tools are important, they cannot help to inform designers what is wrong with a design, or when an interaction is not optimal. Therefore they also use neuroscience tools to provide when and where modifications are needed in a user design, in order to make it more optimal. Combining behavioral data with Cube That's when they designed CubeHX, a new technology compatible with Noldus tools. This revolutionary new tool for UX research combines behavioral data collected from human behavior research in order to provide fast and rich insights to professionals developing human experiences. Their research is focused on shortening the cycle time from dat... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/uqam-educational-research Title: Customer Stories | Human | NeuroLab Description: L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Educational research Université du Québec à Montréal - Neurolab Prof. Julien Mercier from Université du Québec à Montréal is studying educational research. His lab is looking at refined brain information over time, involving the cognition and the affect of the learner. Prof. Julien Mercier: "In contrast to many other fields, we don’t have paradigms for this kind of research. We don’t have established ways of doing things; we are inventing everything." Watch the video to learn more about why he chooses Noldus' tools. More info about Data Integration Unique educational research lab One of the unique qualities of this educational neuro-lab is its capability to study two persons in interaction, for instance during video gaming. One person is actively playing with the game, while the other person is a bystander, so doing nothing except looking at what the other player is doing. Both of them are being studied at the same time: EEG and video signals are recorded, as well as eye tracking data.... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/social-media-lab Title: Customer Stories | Human | Louvain Description: Social Media Lab is taking you on a tour in their lab. Take a look at how they designed their rooms, what equipment they chose, and which software tools are used. Content: Social Media Lab Université catholique de Louvain The Social Media Lab in Mons, Belgium brings together researchers, students, professionals, and professors from different disciplines (communication, marketing, journalism, computer science, etc.). Together they try to understand the digital world, train themselves in the use of new technology, and learn more and advice about new professional practices. The Social Media Lab is more than just a research program — it is a physical space equipped with state-of-the-art technology. It offers a collaborative environment where businesses can work on the co-design, testing, and improvement of their interactive systems, products, or services. Thanks to this infrastructure, the lab also enables testing of how users adopt and interact with new technologies, including innovative interfaces. User Experience Lab / Social Media Lab components The lab combines advanced tools and software with modular, functional, and adaptable furniture to create a hig... URL: https://noldus.com/nolduscare Title: NoldusCare Description: Maintenance and support is vital to any product. With NoldusCare you can rely on fast and reliable services that are available worldwide. Content: Advance your research, faster NoldusCare Keep your software and everyone on your team up to date with NoldusCare. Our service contract equals peace of mind and boosts your labs efficiency. Work with the latest software versions Get support within 1 business day Train your team with Noldus Academy Get in touch about NoldusCare What's included in NoldusCare? NoldusCare You will always get Upgrades to newest software version, incl. new features Access to online training courses Priority support (within 1 business day, phone, help with TeamViewer) Instant access to webinars Regular online Q&A sessions New release demos Warranty on Noldus hardware* 1 year factory warranty Ticket support system Support on recent software versions Access to MyNoldus, knowledge base and FAQs Installation guides and manuals *The hardware warranty can be extended for up to three years with an uninterrupted NoldusCare contract, available for one time. Get in touch about NoldusCare I am continually impressed by th... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/applications Title: EthoVision XT | Applications Description: EthoVision XT is ready to follow the movement, activity, and behavior of your animal. In other words, you can start tracking and detecting activity. Content: Research applications for EthoVision XT EthoVision XT is a thoroughly validated video tracker which can be used for rodents, fish, insects and other animals. It also serves as the engine for our hardware solutions such as DanioVision and the PhenoTyper; flexible observation cages to take your research even further. Contact our sales team Applications of EthoVision XT Anxiety & fear Many psychiatric illnesses are depression- or anxiety-related disorders. Behavioral tests with rodents are crucial to get insights on the underlying mechanisms and eventually find new treatments. Imaging & optogenetics Optogenetics is a method to specifically activate or even inhibit small groups of neurons with light. By assessing the effect of this stimulation on animal behavior, one can gain insight into neuronal functioning. General locomotor activity Video tracking recognizes your animal from a live video feed or video file and is able to track its movement or activity. For objective data collection, vi... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/virginia-tech-food-science-technology Title: Customer Stories | Human | Virginia Tech Description: How do we experience food consumption? In response to seeing, smelling or tasting food, facial expressions demonstrate how we react to the particular food. Content: The role of sensory evaluation Virginia Tech - Food Science & Technology Prof. Susan Duncan was a professor in Food Science & Technology at Virginia Tech. She focused on the role of flavor, sensory quality, and nutrient value of food. With the help of FaceReader, she captured how people are interacting with and responding emotionally to food products. How do we experience food consumption? In response to seeing, smelling or tasting food, facial expressions demonstrate how we react to the particular food. Maybe it smells disgusting, does the weird color makes us feel anxious, or does the experience of the tasty food gives us a happy feeling. Often, these are ‘in-the-moment-responses’ which we are not aware of. FaceReader can help study unconscious responses in consumer behavior research. More about consumer behavior research The role of sensory evaluation: How do people interact with food? Using Noldus software like FaceReader in Virginia Tech's lab expands on traditional sensory evalua... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/desjardins-labux Title: Customer Stories | Human | Desjardins Description: Marie-Laure Di Fabio is a senior User Researcher at Desjardins Group. She was entrusted her with implementing its new Neuro UX laboratory, the LabUX. Content: UX Research at Canada's leading cooperative financial group Desjardins LabUX Marie-Laure Di Fabio is a senior User Researcher at Desjardins Group, Canada’s leading financial cooperative group. Desjardins Group entrusted her with implementing its new Neuro UX laboratory, the LabUX, they launched in June 2019. UX Research at Desjardins Group Desjardins Group aims to offer the best online experience to its members and customers, whether it’s on their website or in other digital apps. The company sees the great value of getting its members feedback to make sure it increases the value for the final customer when developing its digital solutions. Marie-Laure Di Fabio played a key role evangelizing the importance of taking design decisions based on empirical data gathered by highly skilled researchers and reliable technologies in a business context. While those technologies are highly recognized and used by the scientific community, Desjardins Group did not hesitate to take the leap forward t... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/secta-medical Title: Customer Stories | Human | Secta Description: Dennie Wulterkens explains the benefits of providing a simulation-based training in an immersive room and why the video feedback tool Viso fits in perfectly. Content: Simulation-based training in an immersive room Secta Medical A well-constructed simulation-based training enables students and professionals to answer the question, “If I do this, what happens?". When such a training takes place in an immersive room, it offers a lifelike experience. Moreover, by adding Viso as the video feedback tool, efficient debriefing of the training is assured. Dennie Wulterkens, a paramedic and owner of Secta Medical, informs us about the benefits. Dennie Wulterkens: "Simulation means you have to interact with your team members." During a simulation-based training, students, nurses, or medical professionals interact with each other to learn how to perform in a certain situation. It offers a safe environment, in which you can make mistakes, without the risk of harming a real patient. A perfect setting for learning. Dennie explains that using Viso as a dedicated debriefing system enables you to look back at your own and each other’s performance and see what the int... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/neuroscience-research Title: Neuroscience research | Human behavior application Description: Human neuroscience research requires software that combines and synchronizies different types of data . Noldus has the solutions you need! Content: Understand how the brain works Neuroscience research Understanding the brain’s complex mechanisms behind cognitive and social behaviors is no small feat. It requires more than data—it demands the right tools. Whether you’re exploring human behavior or researching disease models, Noldus provides the solutions to simplify your process. This allows you to focus on what truly matters: advancing scientific discovery. Effortless data integration Built for your research needs Maximize your time on discovery, not logistics A day in the life of a neuroscience researcher A human neuroscience researcher’s day is a balance of complex tasks—from conducting experiments to managing vast amounts of sensitive data. The day might start by reviewing results from the previous study, ensuring all data is ethically handled and securely stored. Then it’s time to run new experiments, integrating physiological, behavioral, and cognitive data to explore how the brain responds. Understanding the brain’s role in... URL: https://noldus.com/grant-assistance-program Title: Grant Assistance Program Description: Your success in securing funds is vital for your research. We realize that grants—public, private, large or small—are the lifeblood of research. Content: Grant Assistance Program First name Please enter your firstname. Last name Please enter your lastname. Your Email Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will not share your personal data with 3rd parties and you are in control of your data). CONTACT US Write better proposals We want to help Your success in securing funds is vital for the progression of your research. We realize that grants—public, private, large or small—are the lifeblood of research. Put our thirty years of experience to work to help you locate and secure your next grant. We offer resources to locate funding sources and assist with the grant writing process, with no cost or commitment to you! help me write better grants This is how we help Our scientific research consultants will work with you to provide you Noldus specific input for your grant application. We can provide guidance on developing behavioral protocols, performing... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/leipzig-university-educational-psychology Title: Customer Stories | Human | Leipzig Description: Researchers at the Leipzig University focus on gaining further insights into future teachers' moral emotions using Noldus' tools. Content: Research in Educational Psychology Leipzig University - Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Brigitte Latzko and Dr. Sandra Dietrich show us the upgrade of their lab at the Faculty of Education, Leipzig University in Germany. With this new lab, they will start a whole new line of research in educational psychology. Dr. S. Dietrich: "To get good answers, we need new methodology." The research team is focusing on professionalization of teachers and with the upgrade of their lab, they are able to measure facial expressions automatically instead of relying on self-reports. Also, the now installed Tobii eye tracker enables them to include reading research in their study. Watch the video to learn more about why they choose Noldus' tools. educational research "We need a lab that works; where people very quickly can learn how to work with all the software and the technology. That is what we got from Noldus." Dr. S. Dietrich Leipzig University, Germany Hardware and software used The Educational Lab a... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/marin-human-factor-success-story Title: Customer Stories | Human | Marin Description: Noldus human factor research toolkit MARIN wageningen. Human error and decision making in safety critical situations. Customer succes story Content: Human factor research in a ship bridge simulator MARIN - Maritime research institute Hans Huisman shows us around a state-of-the-art ship bridge simulator at MARIN: one of the world's leading maritime research institutes. They are also developing a brand new 'seven oceans simulation center' which is integrated with a Noldus toolkit for human factor research. Take a look in their playground, and how they do multimodal research into human decision making. Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) is a renowned top institute for maritime research, with globally recognised impact. MARIN has pioneered the future of maritime technology with its state-of-the-art, spherical and dynamic simulators. Hans Huisman: "Our goal is to not only have technical data from the simulator, but also have hard data on the performance of the crew." A full ship's crew can be trained and observed at the simulators of MARIN, in which they can be introduced to all kinds of challenging conditions. Debriefing t... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/baby-and-child-research-center Title: Customer Stories | Human | Radboud Univ. Donders Description: The better we understand typical and atypical development, the better we can develop treatments and interventions for children with developmental conditions. Content: Baby & Child Research Center Radboud University - Donders Institute At the Baby & Child Research Center (BRC) in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, researchers are part of a large European Research project that collects data to identify differences in behavior and brain development in young children. During our visit at the BRC, professor Sabine Hunnius explains that the better we understand typical and atypical development, the better we will be able to develop treatments and interventions for children with developmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD. Because there is still so much to learn about early brain development, typical and atypical development, and understanding the mechanisms that drive typical and atypical development, a study like this is very important. Johanna Harder, research assistant, explains more about the behavioral and developmental tests that are done to gain better insight in how, for example, autism or ADHD develops, what the children's social skills are, and wh... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/behavioral-research-in-business-lab-hofstra Title: Hofstra Customer Story | Behavioral Research in Business Lab Description: The Behavioral Research in Business Lab at Hofstra University is powered by cutting-edge software and tools for business-focused human behavior research. Content: The Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory Hofstra University The Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory at Hofstra University is a state-of-the-art facility that was specifically designed to conduct multi-disciplinary behavioral research. The Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory at Hofstra University is powered by cutting-edge software and tools geared toward analyzing behavior for business-focused research. We visited the lab at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business in Hempstead, NY to see it in action. We also spoke to Dr. Anil Mathur, Brodlieb Distinguished Professor in Business and director of the Behavioral Research in Business Lab. Anil Mathur: "The advice I would give is, think of the future." In this video, Dr. Anil Mathur talks about his research and how he designed this lab for the future, together with Noldus. More on labs Buyer’s guide to the perfect audiovisual lab Free buyer's guide What is an audiovisual lab? What do you need to complete your setup? How doe... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/fisher-price-play-lab Title: Customer Stories | Fisher-Price Description: At the Fisher-Price Play Lab they use Noldus' Viso, The Observer XT and FaceReader systems to develop toys for children that foster interaction and learning. Content: Early childhood development research Fisher-Price Play Lab At the Fisher-Price Play Lab in East Aurora, New York, the kids are the real experts! Nicole Mackiewicz, child testing researcher at Fisher-Price, tells us how they have proven in the Play Lab that their line of toys, the Linkimals™, promotes learning. They used Noldus' Viso to record the interactions the children have with the toys, while coding behavior with The Observer® XT really laid out their findings. Dr. Corinne Eggleston, manager of early childhood development research, makes sure to always have her childhood development hat on while in the process of designing new toys. When observing children, and looking at how they play with toys, it's important that they're able to use the toy and they're able to have fun with it. But that it also challenges them so that they're able to reach a new milestone and grow to the next level. Buyer’s guide to the perfect audiovisual lab Free buyer's guide What is an audiovisual lab? What... URL: https://noldus.com/labs/consumer-behavior-lab Title: Consumer behavior lab | Human behavior research labs Description: A consumer behavior lab is valuable for studying how consumers interact with products, services, or environments in a controlled setting. Content: Uncover customer needs Consumer behavior lab By simulating different scenarios, you gain deeper insights into decision-making factors. Whether it’s testing a new product, evaluating the impact of advertising, or analyzing shopping behavior. The controlled environment of a consumer behavior lab helps uncover subtle cues, providing you with a better understanding what truly drives consumer choices. What can I do in a consumer behavior lab? Evaluate advertising and branding Measure how effective different marketing messages or visual designs are in capturing attention and driving action. Test interactions with products or designs Observe how consumers use or react to new products before launching them to the market. Understand emotional responses Study how consumers feel when engaging with a product, service, or brand using a facial expression analysis tool. Simulate shopping experiences Replicate in-store or online shopping environments to study purchasing behavior, decision-making, and... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/university-of-western-ontario Title: Customer Stories | Univ. Western Ontario Description: Measuring behavior is critical for understanding a lot of the social problems that arise in the world. Watch our Customer Success Story at University of Western Ontario. Content: Facial Expression and Social Behavior University of Western Ontario Dr. Erin Heerey is an Associate Professor at the department of Psychology, and head of the Social Behavior lab at Western University in London, Ontario. In her work she focuses on social interactions, mainly dyadic interactions. How do people behave when they talk to strangers? What does their face give away when being prompted to talk about a specific subject with someone? Dr. Erin Heerey: "Measuring behavior is critical for understanding how we interact with the world." Measuring behavior is critical for understanding a lot of the social problems that arise in the world. For example, how diseases like COVID spread from one person to another, or how misinformation spreads from one person to another. Watch the video to take a look into Dr. Erin Heereys' Social Behavior Lab! RESOURCES: Read more about FaceReader Find out how FaceReader is used in a wide range of studies and how it can elevate your research! Free white p... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/che Title: Customer Stories | Human | CHE Description: Providing education in a UX Lab gives a much more realistic picture for students of how user experience can be measured and what the results can be. Content: Education and training in a UX lab Ede Christian University of Applied Sciences (CHE) The UX lab that is set up at the Ede Christian University of Applied Sciences is intended to study human behavior. For example students' behaviors during mock interviews or when they are practising conversation skills. But also to study interactions with (digital) products such as websites and applications using eye tracking. Under the guidance of teachers, students conduct research into the usability of their clickable prototypes. In the viewing room at the Ede Christian University of Applied Sciences students watch the sessions of fellow students live or play back sessions to annotate and provide feedback. The lab is a huge asset to the curriculum from which not only students but also professionals benefit greatly. The lab is packed with innovative technology, including AV recording tool Viso and Tobii eye trackers. In this customer success story, Marnix Bras, teacher at the faculty Information Comm... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/consumer-behavior-research Title: Consumer behavior research | Human behavior application Description: Observational research and behavioral mapping is becoming more and more popular in consumer behavior research studies. Content: Predict consumer preferences Consumer behavior research What is important to you when you buy a product? What decisions do you make before you buy? Really knowing your customer is what you need to design loved products and applications. Therefore, as a consumer behavior researcher, you: Focus on studying consumer actions (in the moment) Want to get to know the underlying motives Intend to predict consumer preference and consumer buying behavior A day in the life of a consumer behavior researcher In today’s fast-paced world, your role as a consumer behavior researcher is more vital than ever. You explore why people make certain choices, analyzing both emotional and rational factors. Your work involves sorting through data, identifying trends, and uncovering patterns in behavior. Staying up to date with new technologies and changing consumer expectations is key. Bridge the gap Your challenge lies in filtering through vast amounts of information to find actionable insights, often under ti... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-animal Title: The Observer XT | Animal research Description: Save time scoring behaviors and synchronize and analyze multiple signals at once. Content: Using The Observer XT for animal behavior research Observing animals is a key part of many research areas, from neuroscience to wildlife and farm animal behavior studies. The Observer XT allows you to easily annote behavior and synchronize it with multiple datastreams. Contact our sales team Scoring animal behaviors With The Observer® XT there is no more need for paper ethograms and manual entering of data. The Observer XT supports the entire workflow of your project, from setting up to gathering and analyzing the observational data. You can extend your system with different modules, so the system grows with you as your research progresses. The Observer XT helps you streamline your experiment by allowing you to easily score behaviors live or from a previous recording and immediatly export or analyze your results. “I would buy The Observer software again. It saved me months of time!” Dr. Elizabeth Eadie UNIVERSITY OF New Mexcio, USA What can I use The Observer XT for? Neuroscience Neuro... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/behavioral-economics Title: Behavioral Economics | Human behavior application Description: Behavioral economics merges psychology and economics to explore how psychological factors influence economic decisions and human behavior. Content: Understand human behavior Behavioral economics Behavioral economics merges psychology and economics to explore how psychological factors influence economic decisions, helping policymakers and businesses create strategies that better match human behavior and decision-making, enhancing economic and social outcomes. How do psychological factors shape economic decisions? What influences your spending and saving behaviors? How can understanding behavior improve policy effectiveness? A day in the life of a behavioral economist As a behavioral economist, your workday combines theory, experimentation, and data analysis to understand human decision-making. You design experiments using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys and biometric tools like eye-tracking, to explore why people make specific choices. Uncover patterns in behavior A large part of your day is spent analyzing data to uncover patterns in behavior, often dealing with cognitive biases and irrational decision... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/education-training Title: Education & training | Human behavior application Description: How can you make sure students become the professional they want to be? Let them practice their skills and benefit from video feedback. Content: Shaping learning experiences Education & training How can you make sure students become the professional they want to be? Let them practice their skills and benefit from video-based feedback. It will help them evaluate their own learning process and identify gaps. As an educator you want to: Put theory into practice in a safe and controlled environment Capture training sessions on video for debriefing Give students immediate feedback A day in the life of an educator The overall development of the student is your main concern as an educator. You are focused on their learning process, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and real-world skills. There is a lot involved in achieving that students get prepared for the modern job market. Ideally, you want to offer them a learning environment that mirrors the demands of the workplace - to practice real job tasks and soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Student engagement is your ultimate goal The challenges you... URL: https://noldus.com/mazes/resources Title: Mazes | Resources Description: Find resources about Noldus mazes and open fields: recent blog posts, white papers, customer success stories, and more Content: Mazes and open fields We offer a wide range of mazes and open fields for your standard tests. Find resources about Noldus mazes and open fields below. Perfectly suited for video tracking with EthoVision XT Any type of maze Any size for any animal get a quote A brief history of rodent behavioral testing Open field | Hall and Ballachey - 1932 Y maze | Spence and Lippitt - 1946 Radial arm maze | Olton and Samuelson - 1976 Forced swim test | Porsolt - 1977 Barnes maze | Barnes - 1979 Water maze | Morris - 1984 Elevated plus maze | Handley and Mithani - 1985 Novel object recognition | Ennaceur and Delacour - 1988 Noldus releases EthoVision - 1993 Sociability test | Crawley - 2004 Learn how to combine your test with EthoVision XT Maze case studies with EthoVision XT Water maze testing and Alzheimer’s The Morris Water maze test is one of the most used tests for spatial learning and memory in behavioral neuroscience. Read about how EthoVision XT is ideal for this test! Download Video tracking... URL: https://noldus.com/behavioral-core-guide Title: How to build a rodent neurobehavioral core guidebook Description: How to build a rodent neurobehavioral core guidebook - based on interviews with behavioral core directors. Step by step guide. Content: How to build a rodent neurobehavioral core:A free guidebook First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why build a behavioral core The decision to create dedicated space for behavioral testing is a valuable step for adding a translational link among the cellular/molecular, proteomics, genetics, and imaging cores. There are three main benefits to creating a behavioral core. Centralized testing location(s) Services that expand capacity beyond a single lab Behavioral expertise A complete guide A step-by-step guide so you choose the right solutions for your research. Learn from the experts We have assisted thousands of researchers around the world. Elevate your research Learn how to conduct behavioral studies that have an... URL: https://noldus.com/animal-behavior-research Title: Noldus | Animal behavior research tools Description: Automate your animal behavior research, professional software, hardware, and solutions for high-quality data in academia, education, and industry Content: Professional software, hardware, and services for your animal behavior research Automate your research, save time, and get high-quality data for your project or publication. Whether you're in academia, education, or a commercial field, Noldus is here to help you Schedule a call with an expert (free) How can we help you advance your research today? Overview of software and hardware Learn More Overview of research applications Learn More Everything you need for your research (core) lab show me Trusted by researchers around the world Powerful software, hardware and labs for animal behavior research EthoVision XT | Video tracking Simply the world’s best video tracking software, offering unparalleled precision in tracking animal movement, behavior, and social interaction. Trusted by thousands of researchers, it provides accurate insights and is customizable to meet every research need. DanioVision | Zebrafish research The top choice for zebrafish larvae tracking, designed for high-throughpu... URL: https://noldus.com/mazes Title: Mazes | Mazes for behavioral testing and video tracking Description: We offer a wide range of mazes and open fields for your standard tests. Custom-built and high quality. Check this overview of all mazes and learn more! Content: Mazes for behavioral testing We offer a wide range of mazes and open fields for your standard tests. Check this overview of some of the mazes we provide. Are you looking for a different maze? Then, contact us to see how we can help you. Perfectly suited for video tracking with EthoVision XT Any type of maze for any size animal Click the links to learn more about how to use the mazes get a quote Mazes and open fields Open field The open field test is a straight-forward test to investigate activity, anxiety-related and exploratory behavior of rodents. It features one or more square arenas. Learn More Morris water maze The Morris water maze task is a popular and well-validated test for spatial learning: most-used behavioral test in neuroscience research. Learn More Elevated plus maze The EPM is a well-characterized behavioral paradigm, one of the most used tests for anxiety research. Anxious animals will spend more time in the closed arms. Learn More Barnes maze The Barnes maze is a parad... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/human-factors Title: Human Factors & Ergonomics | Human behavior application Description: Human factors and ergonomics is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Content: Optimize human performance Human Factors research In human factors and ergonomics, you’re at the center of every design choice. By applying insights from psychology and physiology, this approach aims to reduce human error, enhance efficiency, and make interactions safer. How do users interact with your website or product? What is the role of emotions and attitudes in user experience? How do people use and interact with your product? A day in the life of a Human Factors researcher As a human factors researcher, your day revolves around optimizing the interaction between people and systems, whether in maritime, automotive, or aviation fields. You apply psychological and physiological principles to design products and processes, focusing on aspects like cognitive load, workload, and decision-making. Reduce human error with data-driven insights Your goal is to reduce human error, boost productivity, and enhance safety and comfort. By studying ergonomics, you examine how human activities im... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/ux-research Title: User Experience | UX | Human behavior application Description: UX research focuses on discovering and understanding behaviors, needs, and motivations of users through observation, task analysis, and other feedback methodologies. Content: Understand user behavior UX Research Reliable data is very important for user-centered design processes. While you observe the user of your product, you can receive direct feedback about your product. Is it being used in the way you meant it to, or does it need to be adjusted? How do users interact with your website or product? What is the role of emotions and attitudes in user experience? How do people use and interact with your product? A day in the life of a UX researcher As a UX researcher, your day is a dynamic mix of diverse tasks, like conducting research and analyzing user behaviors. You plan and execute user studies, develop interview questions, and uphold ethical standards in handling user data. Engaging with stakeholders is crucial to ensure user insights drive design decisions. By synthesizing data from observations, usability tests, and surveys, you create a complete view of user needs. Get the complete picture User experience is complex and requires a holistic approach. Y... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/gait-locomotion Title: Gait & locomotion | Application Description: Gait an locomotion are important readout parameters for a variety of diseases. On this page you can read about what gait is and how to measure it. Content: Gait and locomotion The assessment of gait is an important part of research into conditions that affect the central and peripheral nervous system. However, there are many ways to measure gait, and even more parameters to measure. Gait can be measured in a variety of ways. From manual methods to sophisticated automated systems. Every method has its advantages and being informed on them makes sure you have the right tool for the job. What is gait & locomotion? The gait cycle is the repetitive movement of a paw, occurring while the animal is walking. It begins when the heel of the rodent touches the ground (defined as initial contact) and ends when that same heel touches the ground again. The gait cycle can be divided into two phases: The stance phase: the paw is touching the ground, which starts with braking and ends with propulsion. The swing phase: the paw is moving in the air. Many conditions that affect the nervous system influence motor & cerebral function. Gait is a great way to ob... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/contact Title: EthoVision XT | contact Description: How we help you? On this page you can request a pricing, a free trial, demo (live or online) or ask any questions you have about the software. Content: Get in contact about EthoVision XT Many researchers use EthoVision XT all over the world for a variety of applications. Together we can: Help with your hardware and software needs Select the ideal solution for you Give expert advice on your future research First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will not share your personal data with 3rd parties and you are in control of your data). GET IN CONTACT WITH NOLDUS Trusted by researchers around the world URL: https://noldus.com/daniovision/resources Title: DanioVision | Resources Description: Learn all about DanioVision from our selection of white papers, publications, and blogs about zebrafish research. Content: DanioVision Resources and publications When you choose DanioVision, you’re not choosing tools—you’re choosing research solutions that have been trusted by scientists around the world. Technical specifications Featured blog posts Selected publications BOOK A DEMO The ins and outs of zebrafish research Basic behavioral neuroscience in zebrafish Learn all about the why, when and how regarding zebrafish development and behavior Download DanioVision technical specifications DanioVision tech specs Stay ahead in behavioral research! Subscribe to Noldus Newsline Discover innovations – Be the first to know about new tools and software to advance your research and get insights that help you stay ahead. See real research in action – Get inspired by real-world studies from our community, discovering fresh approaches for your work. Access exclusive perks – Receive early updates on promotions, product releases, and events crafted for you. 📬Subscribe Now📬 Featured blog posts How to measure a zebraf... URL: https://noldus.com/daniovision/add-ons Title: DanioVision | Add-ons Description: DanioVision has range of add-ons, such as a temperature control unit, tapping stimulus, toplight unit, or optogenetics Content: Add-ons for DanioVision DanioVision is a complete system, including a fully functional EthoVision XT license and the Observation Chamber with white light, IR-light, and IR-sensitive camera. With this system you can perform a wide range of experiments. However, we also offer a range of add-ons to further broaden your experimental options with DanioVision. The currently available add-ons are listed on this page. BOOK A DEMO Add-ons for DanioVision Temperature Control Unit Unlike competing systems where the temperature is measured in the control unit, our system controls the exact temperature of the water directly in the Observation Chamber. This way, you are sure that the water in the well plates is always at the desired temperature. Tapping Device Zebrafish larvae display a robust startle response. The Tapping Device (a solenoid) is inserted at the bottom of the basin where your well plate or petri dish is placed in the DanioVision Observation Chamber. You can set the stimulus intensity... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories/aixtra Title: Customer Stories | Human | AIXTRA Description: At the AIXTRA Competence Center for Training and Patient safety, they're passionate about preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals through innovative and hands-on medical teaching. Content: Simulation training for medical education AIXTRA - Competence center for training and patient safety At the AIXTRA Competence Center for Training and Patient safety, they're passionate about preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals through innovative and hands-on medical teaching. Their state-of-the-art skills lab isn’t just for medical students — it’s a dynamic training ground for aspiring dentists, midwives, psychologists, nurses, and physiotherapists. Here, students improve their skills and build the confidence they need to succeed in their future roles, whether in hospitals or other healthcare settings. What started as a modest initiative — a single room with just a few basic training tools like rubber arms for vein puncture and a mannequin — has now grown into one of Germany’s most advanced simulation labs. Today, AIXTRA has multiple simulation rooms, comprehensive debriefing spaces, and a dedicated control room equipped with Viso, all designed to create a realist... URL: https://noldus.com/av-lab-guides Title: The AV Lab: Buyer's guide and ultimate how-to Description: An AudioVisual lab is designed to allow you to observe your test participants unobtrusively. The e-book contains all the steps for setting up your AV lab. Free Content: The perfect audiovisual lab: A buyer's guide & ultimate how-to First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Get the buyer's guide and the ultimate how-to guide We're giving you two free guides at once. The buyer’s guide will assist in finding the right AV solution for your training or research project. The ultimate how-to guide will show you all the practical tips you will need to be successful. At the end, you’ll know exactly what you need and what kinds of questions you should ask to get the solution you need. What important questions do I ask to get started? What factors should I consider when choosing an AV lab? What data should I collect to create the best study? What kinds of labs are currently available? How many... URL: https://noldus.com/zebrafish-neuroscience-ebook Title: Basic Behavioral Neuroscience in Zebrafish Description: Check out our free downloadable e-book where we explain from A to Z why and how we measure certain behavior in zebrafish Content: Basic behavioral neuroscience in zebrafish A practical guide First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why zebrafish (danio rerio)? The e-book will delve into the significant transformation zebrafish undergo through their developmental stages: from the embryonic stage to larvae, and finally adult zebrafish. These stages directly impact their behavior and the methods used to measure it. When to measure behavior in zebrafish? How to measure behavior in zebrafish? What are the best practices in housing & husbandry? A complete guide We explain the A to Z's of why and how to measure certain behavior in zebrafish. Learn from the experts We have assisted thousands of researchers around the world. Elevate your research Learn... URL: https://noldus.com/rodent-neuroscience-ebook Title: Basic Behavioral Neuroscience in Rodents Description: Check out our free downloadable e-book where we explain from A to Z why and how we measure certain behavior in rodents Content: Basic behavioral neuroscience in rodents - A practical guide First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Why is it essential to understand animal behavior? Dysfunctions in behavior are used to infer structural and functional changes in the brain, and the recovery of performance on these tests is used to evaluate the effectiveness of potential therapeutics. How should I house my animals? How should I handle my animals? What are the common tests used? A complete guide We explain the A to Z's of why and how to measure certain behavior in rodents. Learn from the experts We have assisted thousands of researchers around the world. Elevate your research Learn how to conduct behavioral studies that have an impact. Common Questi... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories-animal Title: Customer Stories | Animal Description: Explore a range of active, modern neuroscience research (core) labs from around the world, using Noldus software to their advantage Content: Customer stories Take a tour through the labs of our customers Explore a range of active, modern neuroscience research (core) labs from around the world. These labs offer a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing how they’ve set up their spaces, selected equipment, and chosen software tools for efficient data collection and analysis. Noldus collaborates closely with researchers globally to deliver tools that meet the highest standards, ensuring they can conduct their work with precision and ease. Enjoy the tours! Measuring autism in mice with Noldus tools Erasmus MC, Rotterdam Dr. Aleksandra Badura is an Associate Professor at the department of Neuroscience, and head of the lab. Her current work focuses on understanding the cerebello-cerebral networks underlying shared autistic traits. Dr. Aleksandra Badura | Erasmus MC, Rotterdam | The Netherlands Watch here Zebrafish research with EthoVision XT and The Observer XT Gerlai Lab, University of Toronto Meet Dr. Robert Gerlai, a distinguished rese... URL: https://noldus.com/customer-stories-human Title: Customer Stories | Human Description: Human behavior research, customer succes stories with Noldus software and solutions Content: Customer stories Take a tour through the labs of our customers Explore a range of active, modern research, training, and simulation labs from around the world. These labs offer a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing how they’ve set up their spaces, selected equipment, and chosen software tools for efficient data collection and analysis. Noldus collaborates closely with researchers globally to deliver tools that meet the highest standards, ensuring they can conduct their work with precision and ease. Simulation training for medical education AIXTRA At the AIXTRA Competence Center for Training and Patient safety, they're passionate about preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals through innovative and hands-on medical teaching. Lina Vogt, Andrea Lenes, Maurice Elissen | AIXTRA | Germany Watch here! Education and training in a UX lab Ede Christian University of Applied Sciences (CHE) The UX lab that is set up at the Ede Christian University of Applied Sciences is intended to st... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/ultrasonic-vocalizations Title: Ultrasonic vocalizations | Application Description: Want to learn more about the significance and how to measure vocalizations in animals? On this page we tell you all about it. Content: Ultrasonic vocalizations Even though animals might not be able to use language like we do, there is much to gain from listening to the animals we test. Birds, rodents and other mammals have a wide range of vocalizations that they are able to perform. These vocalizations can give great insight into the behavior of these animals and offer a broader spectrum of analysis into the effect of potential interventions. What are ultrasonic vocalizations? Each species of animal has an unique range of vocalizations that it can produce. For some species the frequency of the sounds they produce lie outside of the hearing range of humans (20Hz-20kHz). Mice can vocalize up to 110kHz Rats calls can reach 80kHz Furthermore, animals don't just make one sound, but have a variety of calls. These calls are a response to certain internal and external stimuli, and reveal a lot about the physical and mental state of an animal. Why should I measure ultrasonic vocalizations? Animal calls are indicative of their... URL: https://noldus.com/data-acquisition-systems Title: Data acquisition systems Description: Looking for physiological measurement systems? Noldus offers several data acquisition systems that work in conjunction with our software. Content: Record essential processes Data acquisition systems To understand how participants' bodies respond to different stimuli and to get insights into their emotional states, stress levels, and cognitive processes, collecting physical signals is the way to go. Collect ECG, EEG, skin conductance, respiration, and more Gain insights into the unconscious, automatic responses Measure real-time bodily reactions, such as stress, attention, or arousal Tell me more Physiology and multimodal research Although your test participant may appear to be calm, he or she may be concealing a considerable amount of stress. To reveal this level of stress, you can combine behavioral observations with physiological measurements acquired with a data acquisition system. For example, skin conductance is a method of measuring the electrical conductance of the skin which is used as an indication of psychological or physiological arousal. A combination of physiological and behavioral data can provide you with essential... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/versions Title: EthoVision XT | Release Versions Description: Description of the features and version history of EthoVision XT Content: 30 years of EthoVision XT EthoVision XT has been around for almost 30 years, during which it has evolved from video tracking software into a software platform capable of powering a full behavioral suite. The core of EthoVision XT is tracking animal behavior with video. It is aimed at saving you time, while providing you with validated and robust data. Try EthoVision XT for free Latest innovations in EthoVision XT Tracking your research subjects just got simpler, smarter, and more precise. Now you can effortlessly monitor social interactions between two mice or rats—no need for color-marking or time-consuming setups. This advanced, automated detection takes on the hard work, even in low-resolution video, so you can focus on your insights. Using deep-learning, EthoVision® XT 18 pinpoints each animal’s nose, center, and tail with impressive accuracy, making it perfect for a variety of research environments. Social interaction based on deep learning Automatic detection of both animals - no... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/cognition-memory Title: Learning and memory | Application Description: Learn more about learning, memory and cognition in animal research. Learning paradigms are an essential part of research in both rodents and zebrafish Content: Cognition and memory Understanding how animal models learn, remember, and adapt is crucial in advancing our knowledge of neurodegenarative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. However, there is not just one test for one type of cognition. For example: Spatial Memory Recognition Associative learning Operant conditioning Reversal learning What is Cognition and Memory? Cognition and memory are essential for understanding animal behavior, reflecting how animals process and retain information. In research, these processes are studied though various tests that reflect the varying parts of memory and cognition. These measures help researchers evaluate brain function and the impact of interventions, particularly in models of neurological and psychological disorders. Short and long-term memory Short-term memory enables animals to quickly process and respond to new information, crucial for navigating environments, pursuing goals, and enhancing survival. Long-term memory stores esse... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/emotion-analysis Title: Human behavior application | Emotion analysis Description: Emotions influence our behavior - from deciding what to eat and whether to buy a product to our interactions with others. Content: How emotions influence behaviors Emotion analysis Emotions are a fundamental part of being human. Emotions are shaped by our brain and influenced by our interests and past experiences. By including emotion data in research, we can explore human behavior in greater detail and gain better insights. You may include emotion analysis to answer some of these questions: How do emotions influence what we buy or eat? What is the role of emotion in our interactions with others? How do people with developmental disorders process and express emotions? A day in the life of an emotion researcher Emotion researchers want to understand how human emotions influence behavior, decision-making, and experiences. They might observe how participants interact with a website or product. Or they may want to know more about how different groups of people process or express emotions. By analyzing participants' emotional reactions, researchers gain valuable insights into how emotions impact consumer choices, learn... URL: https://noldus.com/labs/portable-labs Title: Portable lab | Human behavior research labs Description: A portable observation lab features compact, mobile equipment to allow researchers to conduct studies in diverse, real-world settings. Content: Get immediate insights Portable lab A Portable lab is your ultimate solution for on-site testing and observation. Designed for easy transport - each lab packs into a lightweight carrying case - making your behavioral research more efficient and hassle-free. High-quality equipment not only saves you precious time during on-site observations but also speeds up your research, delivering quicker results while keeping costs down. Why would I need a portable lab? Natural environment Capture more genuine and accurate data, such as family dynamics during dinner or colleagues' communication during meetings. This provides deeper insights into real-world events. Shared use When you and your colleagues of other departments have the ability to easily move the lab from room to room, that's incredibly useful. Besides, it ensures the lab stays in constant use. Flexible and mobile The portable lab allows you to easily transport your equipment to various locations, enabling research across different sit... URL: https://noldus.com/danioscope/resources Title: DanioScope | Resources Description: Explore all the reading materials and publications and learn more about how DanioScope can be used and how it works. Content: All I need to know about DanioScope DanioScope has been used for many different applications. On this page you can find some of the blogs we have written for you to enlighten you on the applications of DanioScope. We have also compiled a list of recently published papers by application. Contact us The ins and outs of zebrafish research Basic behavioral neuroscience in zebrafish Learn all about the why, when and how regarding zebrafish development and behavior Download Featured blog posts A zebrafish model for ALS-related gene mutations How zebrafish are helping us to discover the mechanisms behind this neurodegenerative disease. Read More Using zebrafish as an early warning system of neurotoxic substances How can we use a zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model to detect possible neurotoxic chemical mixtures that are difficult to detect with normal chemical analyses? Read More Breathe easy, a novel appraoch to monitoring respiratory activity in zebrafish Researchers from the University of... URL: https://noldus.com/danioscope Title: DanioScope | Zebrafish larvae and embryo research Description: DanioScope is an all-in-one system for measuring physiological parameters in zebrafish larvae and embryo's Content: A detailed look at fish larvae DanioScope If you are interested in a scope of zebrafish embryo and larvae parameters such as embryo activity, cardiovascular measurements, morphology, and gut and blood flow, then DanioScope is just what you need. Automated detection of zebrafish embryos (in chorion) – minimizing manual interference Can handle situations in which the animal slightly moves by combining multiple measures on the animal at the different locations Acquire data in a batch from list of videos request pricing What is DanioScope? DanioScope allows you to test many animals simultaneously. This increases the throughput of your research significantly, and ultimately saves you a lot of time when it comes to preparing your experiment, acquiring data, and analyzing the results. Watch the video to learn more about DanioScope. Parameters you can measure DanioScope can be used to measure a variety of parameters. You can measure values like: activity, cardiovascular measures and morphologi... URL: https://noldus.com/entolab/setup Title: EntoLab | System setup Description: A page describing the software and hardware of EntoLab Content: How do I use EntoLab? EntoLab is an integrated hardware/software system consisting of a compact observation chamber and a Windows software suite. The EntoLab software suite consists of a range of software programs for video tracking, camera settings optimalization, video streaming, and data processing and analysis. Get in contact What does the software offer me? EthoVision XT The EntoLab system comes with EthoVision XT, the renowned computer vision and video tracking software. EthoVision XT processes each high-resolution image in the digital video file, detects the insect against the background in each arena, extracts its body center, and generates a track file for each arena. Due to its superior object detection algorithms, EthoVision XT can handle the most challenging insect-plant combinations. Each track sample contains the X,Y-coordinate, velocity and the zone in which the insect resides (in a two-choice test). EthoVision XT can process a single video file or a batch of files origi... URL: https://noldus.com/entolab/applications Title: EntoLab | Applications Description: A page describing some of the use cases of EntoLab Content: What can I use EntoLab for? EntoLab was originally designed as a high-throughput system for phenotyping plant resistance against chewing or sucking insects through video tracking of insect behavior. Hundreds of plant genotypes can be compared in a few days using assay plates with up to 300 individual arenas. Talk to the experts Applications of EntoLab Plant breeding Plant breeding focuses on developing crops with enhanced resistance against insects. By studying surface structure preferences, researchers can identify traits that deter insect pests. Additionally, treatment effects on plant-insect interactions are analyzed, aiding in the selection of more resilient crop varieties. Beneficial insects Behavioral phenotyping of beneficial insects is crucial for understanding their habitat tolerance to varying conditions such as heat, cold, humidity, and drought. Memory retention studies help evaluate their effectiveness in ecological roles, while quality control ensures the reliability of ma... URL: https://noldus.com/entolab Title: EntoLab | High throughput insect tracking Description: Computerized system for automated high-throughput screening of insect behavior. Learn all about EntoLab on this page. Content: High throughput insect testing EntoLab Looking for a tool to speed up insect or plant screening? EntoLab is a computerized system for automated high-throughput screening of insect behavior, validated for many insect-plant combinations. Up to 90% reduction in time and costs of screening High throughput: run up to 300 trials simultaneously Complete hardware and software solution Request pricing Developed in collaboration with How does EntoLab work? Screening plants for resistance to insects can be a tedious process, including assessing feeding damage, counting offspring and survival, and measuring development time, all done through visual rating and scoring by human observers. This has multiple drawbacks: it is labor-intensive, and thus costly, time-consuming, imprecise and subjective. The same holds for screening pesticides or beneficial insects. EntoLab is a complete system, consisting of an observation chamber with video camera, illuminators, and assay plates containing no-choice and... URL: https://noldus.com/labs/multi-room-lab Title: Multi-room lab | Human behavior research labs Description: A multi-room lab is a sophisticated research facility that allows researchers to study human behavior in different settings simultaneously. Content: Observe across various settings Multi-room lab Are you looking for enhanced observation capabilities? Are you in need to conduct multiple training sessions simultaneously? Or do you need a space to conduct multi-phase experiments that require different settings or stages? A multi-room lab typically consists of several interconnected rooms equipped with various technologies to monitor, record, and analyze human interactions and behaviors. What do I need a multi-room lab for? Skills training To train students and professionals, to test new protocols, or to study interactions, multiple (simulated) environments can be included. Multiple sessions can take place simultaneously. Developmental studies By using multiple rooms to simulate different learning environments you can observe how children interact with educational materials and activities. Consumer behavior analysis Simulating a retail environment in one room and an advertising viewing room in another can help researchers understand th... URL: https://noldus.com/conferences/society-for-neuroscience Title: Society for Neuroscience Description: Make sure to come visit us in our booth at the Society for Neuroscience to learn more about our behavioral neuroscience research tools, and how our services can help you advance your research! Content: Conference Society for Neuroscience Thank you for visiting us at Neuroscience 2024. We had a great time, and talked to even more of you than we hoped for. It was busy at booth #525, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We heard many research stories, and shared new and upcoming innovations of our own. Here's a small recap of what we showed in our booth. $500! – WINNERS We’ve asked you to send in your presentation at Neuroscience 2024 if you have done research with Noldus tools (like EthoVision XT, CatWalk XT, DanioVision or PhenoTyper). Many of you did! As a result, we compiled a nice program book that was available in our booth #525. Of course we also picked two winners! The lucky ones are Nilanjana Saferin and Hoi Kei Choi! Nilanjana Saferin from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is presenting a poster titled: Effect of developmental pyrethroid exposure in prairie voles as a model of neurodevelopmental disorders. October 6th between 9.00 AM - 10.00 AM in MCP hal... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/psychology-research Title: Psychology research | Human behavior application Description: Many people are fascinated by human behavior. Why do we act the way we do? How is our behavior influenced? Content: Understand how people behave Psychology research As a psychologist you are concerned with understanding the principles of behavior, including how individuals learn, make decisions, and respond to different stimuli. Questions you would like to answer are for example: How do we learn new behaviors and habits? What factors shape our decision-making and actions? How do our surroundings and social interactions affect our behavior? A day in the life of a psychologist In your role as a psychologist, your day involves juggling a wide range of tasks, making you a true jack-of-all-trades. Beyond designing and conducting your (clinical) research, you're responsible for many other critical aspects. You must handle personal data with care, navigate ethical considerations, engage with a range of stakeholders, stay updated on the latest techniques, ensure your software runs smoothly, and manage vast amounts of data. Combine your insights to make sense Given that human behavior is shaped by a complex... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/pocket-observer Title: The Observer XT | Mobile observation with Pocket Observer Description: Pocket Observer is designed for ambulatory and outdoor observations. This add-on for live coding runs on smartphones and tablets. Content: Mobile observations with Pocket Observer Imagine children on a playground, customers in a busy supermarket, or animals in their natural environment. They are constantly on the move and you need to observe them unobtrusively. In these situations, Pocket Observer is the ideal solution to code behavior. It is installed on a handheld device, for example, a smartphone. Why should I use Pocket Observer? Observe behavior unobtrusively using Pocket Observer on a handheld device: Maximum freedom in moving Observe unobtrusively Code on a smartphone or tablet Cost-effective User-friendly software How does Pocket Observer work? Pocket Observer is designed for ambulatory and outdoor observations. It is a special add-on for live coding that runs on smartphones and tablets that are suitable for outdoor use. You can choose almost any Android smartphone as recording device making the Noldus Pocket Observer for Android a very cost-effective coding solution. The interface of Pocket Observer is especially... URL: https://noldus.com/mediarecorder-human Title: MediaRecorder | Synchronous recording of video and other sources Description: MediaRecorder offers you precision and flexibility in video recording and synchronization. It is the ideal recording tool that enables synchronous video recordings from up to eight different sources. Content: Record observations with ease MediaRecorder MediaRecorder is the ideal recording tool that enables synchronous video recordings from up to eight different sources. High quality recording of multiple videos and screens Easy to operate Compatible with The Observer XT, FaceReader, Viso, EthoVision XT, and a broad range of cameras Tell me more Trusted by researchers around the world How does MediaRecorder work? Using MediaRecorder, you can easily record the same scene from different angles and record with up to eight cameras simultaneously. This makes recordings fast and accurate! MediaRecorder is available as a 4, 6, or 8 recording solution. MediaRecorder can be used with the newest state of the art video recording technology. It is compatible with a broad range of high-quality digital cameras based on today’s technologies, as well as analog systems. MediaRecorder can record with high resolution cameras up to 4K. With IP cameras, Pan-Tilt-Zoom is possible. Technical specifications - pdf B... URL: https://noldus.com/applications/home-cage-welfare Title: Long term behavioral observation | Application Description: Learn all about long term behavioral observations in rodents. What it is, why you should consider it and how you measure behavior for a longer duration. Content: Long term behavior observation "Standard" tests such as the open field or elevated plus maze provide a snapshot of animal behavior. Observing during pre-determined time points can drastically change the outcome of a study. Therefore, it is important to consider whether these tests are ethologically viable for the model you are researching. Gaining a more complete and relevant behavioral readout can be achieved with home cage testing. Learn more with a free E-book -> What is long term behavioral observation? Long-term behavioral observation involves continuously monitoring rodents in a specialized homecage environment over extended periods. This approach allows researchers to capture natural behaviors that might be missed in short-term or maze-based studies. Mimics natural living conditions, providing a stable setting for prolonged observation Enables study of feeding patterns, drinking habits, and day/night activity cycles Uncovers subtle behavioral patterns and responses to environmen... URL: https://noldus.com/contact Title: Noldus | Contact us to discuss your research needs Description: How to contact us Content: Let's connect to discuss your research needs! Curious if Noldus is the right fit for your work? Unsure which software will best support your team, or if it’s compatible with your setup? We’re here to assist! Reach out, and together we’ll explore the perfect solutions for you. A personal conversation about your project and goals Expert guidance to address your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs Let’s work together to advance your research! First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Request Make a choice Receive information Request pricing Free trial Free demo Book an online meeting Other Please select your request option. Institute/company/department name Please enter the name of the institute/company/department. How can we help you? Please enter your message We appreciate any extra details you can provide (optional). Phone number Please enter a phone nu... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/elan Title: Research projects | ELAN Description: Conventional home cages used in rodent research are small and only allow the animals to display a limited range of their natural behaviors. Content: EFFICIENT LAB ANIMAL MONITORING ELAN Conventional rodent housing restricts natural behaviors, raising concerns about both ethical animal care and the validity of experimental data. In this project, we will develop a new, larger home cage in which rats can freely move about. We will also develop new sensor technology, so the animals can be monitored 24/7, giving valuable scientific data and better and cheaper welfare monitoring. The role of Noldus Noldus will develop a number of monitoring technologies for enhanced insights into the welfare and behavior of the animals living in the cages. Partners The project is led by Noldus. Radboud University Medical Centre, UNO Life Science Solutions, and Brain Builders are the other partners. Funding This project is funded by the European Fund For Regional Development and the province of Gelderland, as well as by the partners. More information To find out more, you can contact us directly. URL: https://noldus.com/projects/lolipop Title: Research projects | LoLiPoP Description: Buildings are increasingly becoming smarter, with all sorts of sensors and devices. Content: LONG LIFE POWER PLATFORMS FOR INTERNET OF THINGS LoLiPoP Buildings are increasingly becoming smarter, with all sorts of sensors and devices. Wireless sensor networks can have all sorts of uses, but also have requirements such as improved battery life and better ease of maintenance. The project has twelve use cases demonstrating technical viability and potential impact such as reducing building energy use, increasing comfort levels and improved component design. The role of Noldus Noldus will cooperate in the Vitality Hub use case. It will develop its NoldusHub product, with the aim of monitoring the welfare of people in the office environment so that the conditions can be optimized for them. Partners The project is led by Contechna SRA and has an international consortium of 46 partners, including Noldus. The Vitality Hub use case is led by Signify. Funding LoLiPoP is funded by the KDT JU (Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking), part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program (... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/morse Title: Research projects | MORSE Description: Human error is responsible for most shipping accidents, and that is often caused by poor design, fatigue and lack of training. Content: MULTIMODAL BEHAVIOR OBSERVATION IN REAL-TIME SIMULATION ENVIRONMENTS MORSE Human error is responsible for most shipping accidents, and that is often caused by poor design, fatigue and lack of training. Large container ships weigh one to two hundred thousand tonnes, are up to 0.4 km long, and frequently contain dangerous chemicals. Safety is very critical in this industry. To illustrate that point – a TEU container ship recently blocked the Suez Canal for 6 days, which led to at least 369 ships queuing to pass through the canal, and the value of the goods delayed each hour an estimated US$400 million. Local authorities said that “technical or human error” was the main reason for the blockade. The role of Noldus Noldus will build software to synchronize, integrate and analyze the various signals developed by the other partners and used in teh human factors experiments in this project. Partners Noldus is the leader of this project. The other partners are VicarVision and Noterik. In additi... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/newlife Title: Research projects | NEWLIFE Description: The NewLife project will develop new remote non-invasive monitoring solutions for ensuring the health of mothers and babies before and after birth. Content: NEW REMOTE NON-INVASIVE MONITORING SOLUTIONS FOR ENSURING THE HEALTH OF MOTHERS AND BABIES BEFORE AND AFTER BIRTH NEWLIFE The NewLife project will develop new remote non-invasive monitoring solutions for ensuring the health of mothers and babies before and after birth. The target is to develop emerging non-invasive methods for gathering vital data and analysing it with advanced AI/ML methods, to be able to secure life in its most vulnerable phase. For clinical acceptance, the developed solutions need to be well integrated to the clinical workflows, with proper data integration, security, safety, and medical qualification. The technologies and solutions developed are demonstrated in five use cases for both hospitals and personalized monitoring in home environments: 1) Pregnancy & parent companion, 2) Smart garment for monitoring of pregnancies & complications, 3) Fetal monitoring patch for high-risk pregnancies, 4) Newborn monitoring with smart clothes, and 5) Newborn monitoring well-be... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/i-access Title: Research projects | i-ACCESS MyRights Description: Vulnerable children who come into contact with the justice system sometimes have difficulty accessing the right legal information, so that they know their rights and get proper support. Content: AI-DRIVEN SUPPORT FOR A SMART JUSTICE WITH CHILDREN IN EUROPE i-ACCESS MyRights Vulnerable children who come into contact with the justice system sometimes have difficulty accessing the right legal information, so that they know their rights and get proper support. In this project, the partners will develop an AI-based chat app which will address that problem. The role of Noldus Noldus will develop an innovative system for measuring the user experience of the system developed in the project. The developers of that system will use the system created by Noldus to gain accurate insights into how children using the system experience it, and in that way get rapid feedback to enable them to create a genuinely user-friendly product. Partners The project is led by Terres des Hommes (Hungary) and has partners from several other Terres des Hommes divisions as well as the University of Leuven, Noldus and Lawren.io, a Belgium IT company. Funding i-ACCESS is funded as part of the Justice Programme... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/intense Title: Research projects | INTENSE Description: The INTENSE project will develop brain implants to improve the lives of people who are blind, deaf or paralyzed, or who have epilepsy. Content: INNOVATIVE NEUROTECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETY INTENSE The INTENSE project will develop brain implants to improve the lives of people who are blind, deaf or paralyzed, or who have epilepsy. The research combines the greatly increased knowledge about our brains with new possibilities within neurotechnology. To achieve this, we work together with work specialists from different backgrounds divided in work packages. The role of Noldus Noldus is an industrial partner in this project. Our role is to develop our tools in the context of the project. Partners INTENSE is made up of members of the NeuroTech-NL organization, which is part of the Dutch Topsector Life-Science and Health roadmap. It is coordinated by the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, and there are 14 other research organizations and 22 companies in the project. Funding INTENSE is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) as part of its Crossover program. More information To find out more, you can contact us directly or visit the... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/dbi2 Title: Research projects | Dutch Brain Interface Initiative Description: The Dutch Brain Interface Initiative (DBI2) combines two innovative approaches to advance our understanding of cognition and brain functions: 1) Closed-loop stimulation, and 2) experiments in naturalistic environments. Content: DBI2 Dutch Brain Interface Initiative The Dutch Brain Interface Initiative (DBI2) combines two innovative approaches to advance our understanding of cognition and brain functions: 1) Closed-loop stimulation, and 2) experiments in naturalistic environments. The consortium consists of three intertwined research areas to leverage expertise across neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and hardware engineering. The research will contribute to restoring vision for blind people and recovering movement of paralyzed people. The role of Noldus The role of Noldus in this project is to listen to the needs of the academic partners so that we can gather requirements and develop our neuroscience products in line with what they want. We follow agile developments methods, so we will also gain direct feedback from prototype developments in this project. Partners The project is led by Donders Centre for Neuroscience at Radboud University and has six other partners. Noldus is not a partner in this projec... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/security-legislation-viso Title: Data protection regulated in Viso Description: Viso - the Noldus AV recording tool - provides a high degree of security to protect data from illicit use. Viso software is compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, HITECH, and FERPA. Content: Data protection regulated in Viso Viso - the Noldus AV recording tool - is used in many different fields: psychology, healthcare, education, user experience, and more. In all these applications, Noldus software provides a high degree of security to protect the data from illicit use. Data protection is part of the fundamental right to privacy – but on a more practical level, it is really about building trust between people and organizations. Applicable legislations Noldus complies with the governing laws presiding over our customers for data protection. The legislations of the European Union (EU) and United States of America (USA) are most prominent and will be discussed here. European regulations In the EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation went into effect on 25 May 2018. GDPR applies to all forms of data that targets or is collected in relation to people in the EU. As a global professional IT company, Noldus complies with all GDPR regulations. American regulat... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/alert Title: Research projects | AlerT Description: It is important to gain insights into the mental states of operators in control rooms and other complex systems. Content: NEURAL INTERFACE MEASURES MENTAL STATES ALERT It is important to gain insights into the mental states of operators in control rooms and other complex systems. Cognitive load and alertness influence performance and can lead to human errors, which can have serious consequences. Warning lights illuminate if there is a mechanical error, but not if one of the operators is not functioning properly. Likewise, in educational settings, measuring the mental states of students can provide the insights needed to improve online learning. The role of Noldus Noldus will focus on the educational use case, and develop its integration and synchronization platform, Noldus Hub, for that goal, together with the other partners Partners The project is led by Thales and the other partners are Noldus, Artinis, ANT International and the University of Twente. Tennet are an associate partner. Funding ALERT is a project from the European Fund for Regional Development, which is funded by the European Union and the... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/teatime Title: Research projects | TEATIME Description: The aim of this Action is to bring together European organizations developing and using automated home-cage monitoring technologies. Content: COST TEATIME PROJECT TEATIME The aim of this Action is to bring together European organizations developing and using automated home-cage monitoring technologies. Novel and emerging technologies allow 24/7 collection of behavioural data in their home cage. However, addressing the complex problem of monitoring the full 24-hour behavioural repertoire of a rodent still presents many challenges, with each technology having its strengths and limitations. This Action combines experts in mouse behaviour, laboratory animal science and data science, to critically and transparently assess the potential of these technologies The role of Noldus Two Noldus employees are members of the project, and one of them is the national representative for the Netherlands. Partners The project is led by the University of Helsinki and has 115 members in the network. Funding TEATIME is a COST action, which funds research and innovation networking projects for European Cooperation in Science and Technology. It is f... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/aincp Title: Research projects | AInCP Description: Unilateral cerebral palsy is the most common neurological chronic disease in childhood, with a significant burden on children, their families and health care system. Content: AI FOR ASSESSING CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AInCP Unilateral cerebral palsy is the most common neurological chronic disease in childhood, with a significant burden on children, their families and health care system. AInCP aims to develop evidence-based clinical Decision Support Tools for personalized functional diagnosis, Upper Limb assessment and home-based intervention for children with unilateral cerebral palsy, by developing, testing and validating trustworthy Artificial Intelligence tools. The role of Noldus Noldus will develop an observation module for multi-modal monitoring of the children. The module will integrate data from eye tracking and other sensors with audio-video streams. Partners The project is led by the University of Pisa and there are ten other universities and companies involved. Funding AInCP is funded as part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program (grant number 101057309). More information To find out more, you can contact us or visit the project websi... URL: https://noldus.com/human-behavior-research Title: Noldus | Software, equipment and labs for human behavior research Description: Advance human behavior research with seamless data integration tools. Gain insights in psychology, education, UX, and more. Work smarter with our software! Content: Software and solutions for human behavior research Work smarter, gain better insights from your behavioral analysis, and experience seamless data integration. Get to know the tools that will help you advance your research in application areas such as psychology, education & training, and user experience. Schedule a call with an expert How can we help advance your research today? Overview of software and hardware get me there Overview of research applications continue Overview of research labs show me Trusted by researchers around the world Powerful software and hardware tools for human behavior research NoldusHub | Synchronize multiple datastreams Your data in a heartbeat: NoldusHub® software centralizes and synchronizes behavioral research data, uniquely supporting multi-station research from one central location. Its real-time integration, system heartbeat, and intuitive interface enhance your research efficiency and accuracy. Discover the future of data-driven insights. Viso | Get i... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/dert Title: Research projects | DERT Description: The PhenoTyper is a solution for scientists who want to carry out behavioral research using animals in a way that guarantees high quality data and also high levels of animal welfare. Content: DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRONIC RESERACH TOOL DERT The PhenoTyper is a solution for scientists who want to carry out behavioral research using animals in a way that guarantees high quality data and also high levels of animal welfare. It has been on the market for many years now and is in use by hundreds of scientists throughout the world. In this project, we will develop a completely renewed version of the PhenoTyper, full of new technology and innovations. Partners The project has only two partners; Noldus and the innovative electronics company Spinnov. Funding DERT is funded by the Dutch national program for supporting innovative SMEs - MIT, via the Province of Gelderland. More information To find out more, you can contact us. URL: https://noldus.com/projects/isidore Title: Research projects | ISIDORe Description: ISIDORe is an EU-funded project under the Horizon Europe program that unites a multidisciplinary consortium of 17 European research infrastructures to offer integrated services for combatting current and future infectious disease outbreaks. Content: INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK RESEARCH EMERGENCY ISIDORe ISIDORe is an EU-funded project under the Horizon Europe program that unites a multidisciplinary consortium of 17 European research infrastructures to offer integrated services for combatting current and future infectious disease outbreaks. The project provides access to key services to support projects for the study of SARS-CoV-2, its variants and other potential pathogens. It represents a meta-infrastructure project of unprecedented dimensions in the European Research Area and serves as a central instrument in the European R&D response to epidemic outbreaks. The role of Noldus Noldus will provide services, such as use of its EthoVision product, for measuring animal behavior in the context of the project to the partners. Partners The project consortium is made up of 10 ESFRI infrastructures, 6 EU-funded networks and one national surveillance network, coordinated by the research infrastructure ERINHA with a... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/stepping-forward Title: Research projects | Stepping Forward Description: In our ageing society, neurological movement disorders form an increasing burden. For most of these diseases, no effective therapy is available. Content: The impact of different brain regions on mouse locomotor behavior Stepping Forward In our ageing society, neurological movement disorders form an increasing burden. For most of these diseases, no effective therapy is available. To facilitate scientific research of the causes of and cures for movement disorders, we will develop, test and implement more precise techniques for measuring gait patterns in mice. We will combine these with site-specific neural stimulations and genetic therapy to increase our understanding of brain control in health and disease, and explore new routes for curing currently untreatable movement disorders. The role of Noldus The main focus of Noldus in this project will be to develop of the next generation of its CatWalk XT product, which will be a key tool in the project for the precise measurement of gait patterns in mice. Partners The project is led by the Erasmus Medical Centre. Leiden University Medical Centre and Noldus are the other partners. Funding Stepp... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/code-refarm Title: Research projects | Code Re-farm Description: In this project the partners will research if it is possible to have a system which has the benefits of extensive farming but that is still economically viable. Content: Consumer-driven demands to reframe farming systems Code Re-farm Non-intensive farming, with low inputs of energy and chemicals can contribute towards maintaining biodiversity in traditional landscapes, has less pollution than intensive farming and can be better for farm animal welfare. However, these farming systems often struggle economically in competition with modern intensive farming methods. In this project the partners will research if it is possible to have a system which has the benefits of extensive farming but that is still economically viable. The role of Noldus Noldus will develop advanced technology for monitoring farm animal behavior. The work will be carried out in cooperation with the other partners developing various sensor systems. The welfare of the animals on extensive farms is an important part of the project. Partners The project is led by CyRIC (Cyprus research and innovation center) and has 21 partners in total, including Noldus. Funding Code Re-farm is funded b... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/looking-for-projects Title: Research projects | Looking for projects Description: We are looking for projects in which we can further develop our solutions in consortia together with technical partners and co-create with potential customers (researchers). Content: Research projects | Looking for projects Creating innovative tools Noldus creates innovative tools for measuring behavior, health and wellbeing: from data collection to discover of insights. The company was founded over 35 years ago in the Netherlands and has grown to over 175 colleagues worldwide, in 9 different countries. We have over 12000 customers in about 100 countries; academic and industrial researchers in the fields of neuroscience, human factors, usability, consumer behavior, market research, smart farming, psychology, zoology, health research and simulation & training. We are looking for projects in which we can further develop our solutions in consortia together with technical partners and co-create with potential customers (researchers). Preclinical neuroscience In pre-clinical neuroscience (rodents), we are looking for projects in which we can further develop our current solutions with developments woith tasks such as: Further development of our EthoVision XT video tracki... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/candy Title: Research projects | CANDY Description: CANDY’s innovation is to test, for the first time, if those disorders and their common mental and bodily co-symptoms, are caused by combinations of common and rare genetic variants and immune activation acting at different ‘sensitive periods’. Content: RESEARCH PROJECT CANDY CANDY’s innovation is to test, for the first time, if those disorders and their common mental and bodily co-symptoms, are caused by combinations of common and rare genetic variants and immune activation acting at different ‘sensitive periods’. CANDY is short for Comorbid Analysis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy. Many developmental brain conditions co-occur, meaning that if a person has one of those disorders they are quite likely to also have another one. For instance, in autism spectrum disorder, the combination of intellectual disability and epilepsy is associated with a reduction in lifespan of about 20 years; and an economic cost that is greater than cancer, stroke, or dementia. Yet, the research spend on neurodevelopmental diseases is less than 1% of the spending on cancer, stroke and dementia. The role of Noldus Noldus will further develop its innovative tools for neuroscience research using animal models to support the research in this project... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/resources Title: The Observer XT | Resources Description: Find resources about The Observer XT: blog posts, white papers, customer success stories, and more. Content: Learn more about The Observer XT We have a great variety of materials for you to learn more about The Observer XT. There are several white papers that will interest you and lots of blog posts about studies using The Observer XT as the coding and analysis tool. Would you rather watch or listen? Then, we have short explanatory videos, customer stories, and webinars for you to enjoy. The Observer XT customer success stories Neurolab - serious gaming The research of Professor Julien Mercier from UQAM is about refined brain information over time, involving the cognition and the affect of the learner. In his educational neurolab, two persons in interaction are being studied at the same time, for instance during video gaming. EEG and video signals are recorded, as well as eye tracking data. UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL, MONTRÉAL (QUÉBEC), CANADA Early childhood development research When observing how children play with toys, it's important that it challenges them so that they're able to re... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/setup Title: PhenoTyper | System setup Description: How does PhenoTyper work and what do you need? On this page we explore the software and hardware aspects of PhenoTyper Content: How do I use PhenoTyper? Whether you are conducting long -or short-term observations, a good experiment starts with a proper setup. PhenoTyper ensures that your arena is consistent across various experiments. Furthermore, EthoVision XT makes your experiment automatic and fully programmable. Request pricing Which software do I need? A PhenoTyper setup is powered by EthoVision XT. EthoVision XT can among other things program certain stimuli like lights or sounds, automatically track the movement, and identify the behaviors of rats and mice. PhenoTyper is designed to work with EthoVision XT, and thus using them together makes data acquisition seamless. Program hardware with the hardware control module High throughput and reliable data collection Simultaneously record in up to 8 PhenoTypers Which hardware do I need? PhenoTyper comes in a variety of sizes and configurations. This myriad of options allows you to optimize and adapt your setup for any test you are going to do. To facilitate th... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/applications Title: NoldusHub | Applications and industries Description: With NoldusHub you get one central solution for setting up your behavioral research projects. Learn more about how use of NoldusHub in various applications. Content: What can I use NoldusHub for? With NoldusHub you get one central solution for setting up your behavioral research projects. NoldusHub simplifies data collection, synchronization, and analysis, making it the ultimate platform for gaining actionable insights into decision-making and user insights. Discover the various applications for NoldusHub. Tell me more Various applications for NoldusHub Behavioral psychology Human behavior is a captivating subject for many researchers, exploring its motivations and influences. Observations, including video recordings, physiological measurements, and facial expression analysis, play a crucial role in understanding human behavior. Combining multiple modalities into one tool is key. Behavioral economics Behavioral economics merges psychology and economics to explore how psychological factors influence economic decisions, helping policymakers and businesses create strategies that better match human behavior and decision-making, enhancing economic and s... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/add-ons Title: The Observer XT | Expand your lab with add-ons Description: The Observer XT is a modular software package. You can extend this basic system with different modules, for multiple video, whatever suits your research needs. Content: How to expandThe Observer XT setup? The base version of The Observer XT allows for study setup, coding scheme design, live coding, offline editing, general analysis, reliability & lag sequential analysis, and presentation of behavioral data. Depending on your research needs, you can extend this basic system with the external data module. In addition, tools such as uASQ, uLog, or E-prime are also available. Discuss options with the sales team External data module Unlock deeper insights by combining data from multiple sources. You can effortlessly import and analyze eye tracking, EEG, psychophysiological, and facial expression data alongside your behavioral data. Study the relation between behavior, physiological signals and other modalities. Get frame-accurate synchronization of physiological signals, observed events, screen capture, and video recordings of the subject. View and export external data fragments based on data selection. Additional tools uLog: user-system interaction uLog a... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/set-up Title: The Observer XT | Set up your lab Description: Design the research setup you need. Select your hardware, get to know the software, and design a coding scheme. Content: How do I useThe Observer XT? After installing the software and setting up your project, record the complete picture using video and other sensors. Then use the software to: code and tag behaviors on a timeline analyze the sequence of events and patterns use visualization tools to interpret and share your findings Try for yourself What does the software offer me? The base module of The Observer® XT allows for: study setup and coding scheme design synchronized playback of multiple video files live coding and offline editing general analysis, reliability & lag sequential analysis presentation of behavioral data Depending on your research needs, you can extend this basic system with an additional module to include external data modalities, such as FaceReader™ for automated analysis of facial expressions. Which hardware do I need? Important factors for the system requirements include the use of video, the amount of data, the complexity of data selections and analyses, and the size of extern... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/applications Title: The Observer XT | Applications Description: Across various fields including social interactions, group processes, user experience, conversations, instructions, training, and teamwork, coding behavior accurately is of the utmost importance. Content: What can I useThe Observer XT for? A important part of studying human behavior is performing observations. The behaviors of an individual or group of individuals can be recorded and coded. Coding these behaviors makes analyzing them much easier. Across various fields including social interactions, developmental processes, user experience, and group dynamics, coding behavior accurately is of the utmost importance. Tell me more The Observer XT applications Psychology research By measuring behavior, you can discover and understand a lot about human life. The use of video and coding those sessions greatly expands the scope of such a research project. That's why many researchers use The Observer® XT to capture and analyze behavior such as responses to a task, exposure to a novel object, or play with a sibling or peer. Neuroscience research Through the recording of physiological responses to specific stimuli and situations, researchers can reconstruct and analyze the cognitive processes and... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/options Title: FaceReader | Options Description: Evaluate the effects of stimuli, automatically analyze 20 Action Units, or study participants' heart rate to expand the results of your emotion analysis. Content: How do I expand my FaceReader setup? Want to get more out of FaceReader? Several add-on modules expand FaceReader software to meet your research needs. Don't need an entire FaceReader setup? Baby FaceReader and FaceReader Online are also available as stand-alone products. Get in touch FaceReader Online Want to invite people from all over the world? FaceReader Online allows you to quickly test a large group of participants—from any location. Measure genuine responses FaceReader Online is perfect for when you want to study participants in their natural environment. For example, you can measure the impact of products and websites or study emotional responses in parent-child interactions. How do I get FaceReader Online? To get started with FaceReader Online, create an account in the FaceReader Online section of your FaceReaderTM software. You can also contact us for a free FaceReader Online trial! Get my free trial Baby FaceReader Baby FaceReader is a tool for automated facial expression a... URL: https://noldus.com/ultravox-xt/resources Title: UltraVox XT | Resources Description: Explore all the learning materials and videos Noldus has to offer about UltraVox XT. Content: UltraVox XT Publications and resources Want to learn how UltraVox XT can help you listen to your animals? Learn more below or click the button to get in touch. LET'S CONNECT System recommendations Windows 10 or 11 Pro (64-bit) 23H2 or 24H2 Desktop: Dell Precision 3680 or higher; Laptop: Dell 3591 Mobile For laptops: USB 3.0 hub: D-link 4-port DUB-1340, bit rate 5 Gpbs Internal memory (RAM) – at least 16 GB Solid State drive - 500 GB (for data collection) Hard disk - 1 TB free space (to store experiments) Microphones: Pettersson M500-384, up to 4 Maximum recording duration: 90 min < UltraVox XT successes and strategies What is your animal trying to tell you? UltraVox & EthoVision XT webinar - EthoVision XT is great for telling you “where” your subject is in any behavioral task, but did you know Noldus also has you covered for “what” your subject may be trying to tell you: UltraVox! Can rats learn from each other? Social learning task in rats - Dr. Marijn van Wingerden and his PhD studen... URL: https://noldus.com/ultravox-xt Title: UltraVox XT | Ultrasonic vocalization detection made easy Description: UltraVox XT analyzes sound, including ultrasonic vocalizations made by rodents. You can identify and analyze calls in all kinds of animals. Content: Ultrasonic vocalization detection made easy UltraVox XT What are your animals saying? UltraVox XT offers advanced capabilities that streamline the analysis of vocalizations, providing you with detailed insights to advance your research. Full spectrum sound Automatically detect and label calls Easy export of data Try it for free Why measure ultrasonic vocalizations? Vocalizations are an important part of animal behavior. Although we cannot hear them, ultrasonic vocalizations are an important measure of emotional and motivational states, and are a valuable parameter when studying social behavior, anxiety, pain, and well-being. Missing out on these vocalizations could mean missing critical data that could lead to breakthroughs in understanding animal behavior and emotional states. How does UltraVox XT work? UltraVox XT 4 introduces a significant enhancement in its software architecture, designed to better serve the needs of animal behavior researchers, now and in future applications. USB... URL: https://noldus.com/webinars-animal Title: Webinars | Animal Description: An overview of webinars focused on animal behavior research, hosted by Noldus Content: Animal Behavior Webinars Upcoming and previously held We’re thrilled to host virtual meet-ups and Noldus user groups, creating opportunities for customers to connect with Noldus employees, industry experts, and - most importantly - each other. These sessions are a great way to exchange ideas, gain insights, and build connections within the Noldus community. Explore our diverse events, including 30-minute talks, engaging webinars, and in-depth technical briefings. Each session is designed to provide you with valuable knowledge and practical takeaways. Registering is easy! Simply select the webinar that interests you, fill out the registration form, and we’ll send you the link to join the session. We look forward to seeing you at our next virtual event - don’t miss out! Register to watch the latest webinars Webinar Enhancing data quality: The influence of handling and data refinement during anxiety testing In this webinar, Ylva Vik, PhD student from the Norwegian University of Life Scien... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/imagen Title: Research projects | IMAGEN Description: This project combines animal behavior research with computer science to improve the welfare of pigs and laying hens. Content: Animal Group Sensor - Integrating behavioural dynamics and social genetic effects to improve the health, welfare and ecological footprint of livestock IMAGEN This project combines animal behavior research with computer science to improve the welfare of pigs and laying hens. Genetic and behavioral research will be integrated to understand and improve the health, welfare and ecological footprint of livestock. The role of Noldus Noldus will work on technologies being developed for the application of welfare monitoring, including computer vision, signal analysis and data science, with the aim of being able to incorporate them into its products. Partners The project is led by Wageningen University and the other partners are the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals, Farm Result, Hendrix Genetics, Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association, Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association, Noldus Information Technology, Sorama, Eindhoven University of Technology, Topigs Norsvin, Ut... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/comfocus Title: Research projects | COMFOCUS Description: Eating unhealthy food is a serious problem in our society causing diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. This project aims for joint research. Content: Community on Food Consumer Science COMFOCUS Eating unhealthy food is a serious problem in our society causing all sorts of problems like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. There is still too little understood about why consumers make the choices they do. In this project, the partners will carry out networking and joint research to enable the field to adopt the best modern methodologies for researching this issue. The role of Noldus in COMFOCUS Across Europe, researchers are working together to better understand consumer behavior and food choices. Noldus will develop innovative new technologies for the objective measurement of the experience of food consumers. During the project NoldusHub was developed and used by researchers for integrating, synchronizing and carrying out advanced analysis of a range of sensor data streams. Project partners The COMFOCUS project is led by Wageningen University and has 14 other partners, including Noldus. In the COMFOCUS project, early-career scientist... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human/benefits Title: The Observer XT | Benefits Description: The Observer XT is designed to speed up your work. It helps to discover behavior patterns, outliers, deviations, or anomalies and to answer all your research questions. Content: Why should I useThe Observer XT? With efficient behavioral coding, seamless integration of multiple data streams, and one-click control for recording devices, you can trust that your data is synchronized and visualized clearly. The Observer XT ensures reliable, publication-ready results every time. Plus, with team workflow management and automated backups, you can feel secure knowing your data is safe and your research on track. Try for yourself Efficiently manage your workflow With The Observer® XT, your entire project workflow is covered, from setting up coding schemes to creating detailed filters for data analysis. This ensures you're fully prepared to collect rich, meaningful data that drives impactful results. Access to raw data gives you control over your own data. In addition, the raw data is always available for further custom analysis in your own or other algorithm-based software, for cross-reference. Good to know is that your data is always safe because of the automated back-... URL: https://noldus.com/projects/aims-2-trials Title: Research projects | Aims-2-Trials Description: In this project, the partners aim to make substantial leaps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and develop objective outcome measures that can be used in trials for new medicines. Content: Research project Aims-2-Trials Autism Spectrum Disorder affects over five million people in the European Union. Currently, there are no effective drug treatments for the core symptoms. In this project, the partners aim to make substantial leaps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disease and develop objective outcome measures that can be used in trials for new medicines. The role of Noldus In close cooperation with Demcon, we will develop a smart baby suit which measures the activities of babies at risk of autism, 24/7 in the home environment and securely transmits the data to the researchers’ lab. With current techniques, the babies have to be brought into the lab, which means that their behavior will not be natural and that measurements will be for relatively short periods of time. With the new techniques that we will develop, researchers will be able to get much better insights into the behavior of the babies. This innovation has been selected for the EU's RADAR innova... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/marin-oceans-simulator-officially-opened Title: Newsroom | Noldus software in MARIN's Seven Oceans Simulator center Description: The Seven Oceans Simulator center (SOSc) at MARIN was officially opened by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. Content: May 31, 2024 Noldus software in MARIN's Seven Oceans Simulator center This week the Seven Oceans Simulator center (SOSc) at MARIN was officially opened by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. This research facility at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands in Wageningen is a top-notch simulator center that encompasses 'the sea of the future'. Noldus Information Technology is a proud contributor to the Seven Oceans Simulator center. About the Seven Oceans Simulator center MARIN has pioneered the future of maritime technology with its state-of-the-art, spherical, and dynamic simulators. These groundbreaking facilities showcase an emission-free ship powered by hydrogen and wind propulsion, an advanced maintenance vessel equipped with cranes and underwater drones for offshore wind turbines, and an innovative KNRM lifeboat. This unique research facility underscores MARIN's commitment to promoting clean, smart, and safe maritime practices, while ensuring the sustainable use of our oceans.... URL: https://noldus.com/projects Title: Research projects Description: Noldus plays an active role in several leading research projects around the world. Our preferred role is that of a technology partner: we develop tools and methods, and the researchers use and validate them. Content: Research projects Noldus: A committed partner in global research At Noldus, we take pride in playing an active role in leading research projects worldwide. As a trusted technology partner, we specialize in developing innovative tools and methods that researchers use and validate in their work. This collaborative approach not only drives scientific progress but also allows us to refine and create cutting-edge technologies tailored to both current and future needs. By participating in these projects, we stay at the forefront of advancements in behavioral research, ensuring our solutions remain relevant and impactful. Are you planning a research project and looking for a forward-thinking technology partner? Let’s explore how Noldus can support your consortium. Reach out to us today - we’d love to collaborate! AIMS-2-TRIALS In this project, the partners aim to make substantial leaps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disease and... Read more COMFOCUS In this project, we will... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/resources Title: FaceReader | Resources Description: Learn more about FaceReader: recent blog posts, white papers, customer success stories, and more. Content: Learn more about FaceReader Want to learn more about FaceReader? Discover in-depth information in our white papers, product videos, and customer success stories. You'll also find relevant publications, as well as product overviews for your research area. FaceReader customer success stories Studying user behavior and interactions Researchers at the Social Media Lab analyze how users interact with social media. Learn what your users need This type of research helps civil society organisations and other professionals to identify their customers' needs and implement new tools. UNIVERSITY OF LOUVAIN, MONS, BELGIUM Efficient coding of social behavior At the Social Behavior Lab at Western University, dr. Erin Heerey explores human behavior during social interactions. Save hours of manual coding Frame-by-frame expression analysis of her project would have taken 800 hours of manual coding. FaceReaderTM did it in only 14 hours! UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO,ONTARIO, CANADA The role of sensory ev... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/elan-kick-off Title: Newsroom | Efficient Laboratory Animal moNitoring (ELAN) kick off Description: Smart home cage for efficient laboratory animal monitoring. Content: May 5, 2024 Efficient Laboratory Animal moNitoring (ELAN) kicks off Developing a smart cage for laboratory animals to stimulate natural behavior, to prevent stress and frustration, and to enable continuous accurate measurements in their home environment. Smart home cage for efficient laboratory animal monitoring Those are the objectives of the project “Efficient Laboratory Animal moNitoring” (ELAN) which had its kick-off last month. ELAN is a collaboration of three Dutch companies - Noldus Information Technology, UNO Life Science Solutions and Brain Builders – and the Radboud University Medical Center. The ELAN consortium aims to develop newly designed home cages equipped with the latest sensor technology and AI to monitor group-housed rats 24/7, rendering valuable scientific data about the animals’ behavior, health and the cage environment. The novel cage should increase the quality and lower the cost of welfare monitoring. By increasing the quantity and quality of research data, whil... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/bitbrain-noldus-behavior-brain-activity Title: Newsroom | Merging behavior and brain activity for enhanced research insights Description: Noldus IT announces partnership with advanced neurotechnology company Bitbrain Content: November 7, 2023 Merging behavior and brain activity for enhanced research insights As a leading provider of tools and solutions for behavioral research, Noldus is proud to announce a collaborative integration that brings together the capabilities with Noldus' comprehensive software and analysis system The Observer XT and Bitbrain's state-of-the-art wearable dry-EEG headset Diadem. Noldus IT announces partnership with advanced neurotechnology company Bitbrain This innovative union facilitates a comprehensive exploration of human behavior and neural dynamics, offering researchers a seamless way to combine behavioral data with real-time neural insights. "The combination of The Observer XT and the 12 channel Diadem allows researchers to synchronize behavioral observations with neural data, enabling practical applications such as cognitive load assessment, user experience studies, neuromarketing research, and more." Monitoring the real-world Bitbrain® utilizes neuroscience, artificial inte... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/nae Title: Newsroom | Lucas Noldus appointed as Fellow of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering Description: Technology is the engine for sustainable development. With the appointment of 62 Fellows, the Netherlands Academy of Engineering emphasizes the importance of engineering-based sustainable solutions. Content: November 6, 2023 Lucas Noldus appointed as Fellow of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering Technology is the engine for sustainable development. With the appointment of 62 Fellows, the Netherlands Academy of Engineering emphasizes the importance of engineering-based sustainable solutions for, among other things, agriculture, healthcare and the digital society. NAE Fellows are committed to creating an innovation climate where collaboration is central. We are proud that our CEO, Lucas Noldus, has been elected to join this group of experts in the fields of technological sciences, applied research and product development. The NAE was launched in May 2023 as a publicly funded, multidisciplinary forum that unites experts and innovators from the business and scientific sectors in the areas of technological sciences, applied research and product development. The NAE acts as a hub and advisory body for the Dutch knowledge and innovation system, aiming to amplify the voice of the engineering co... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/pasteur-live-mouse-tracker Title: Newsroom | Noldus teams up with Institut Pasteur to deliver new software for behavioral neuroscience research Description: Noldus Information Technology and Institut Pasteur have collaborated on the development of an innovative solution for automatic tracking and analysis of social behavior in mice. Content: May 16, 2023 Noldus teams up with Institut Pasteur to deliver new software for behavioral neuroscience research Noldus Information Technology and Institut Pasteur have collaborated on the development of an innovative solution for automatic tracking and analysis of social behavior in mice. Noldus Information Technology and Institut Pasteur have collaborated on the development of an innovative solution for automatic tracking and analysis of social behavior in mice. Today we announce the result of this joint effort: a new tool for behavioral neuroscience research, combining Live Mouse Tracker (LMT) and EthoVision XT software. This integration facilitates and enhances the analysis and visualization of LMT data. Live Mouse Tracker was developed by the Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions unit of Institut Pasteur. LMT is a system for real-time behavioral analysis of groups of mice in a dedicated hardware setup. Through the use of RFID, computer vision and machine learning, LMT is able to t... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/wildlife-forensic-academy Title: Newsroom | Combatting wildlife crime using cutting edge video technology Description: In May 2022, our CEO Lucas Noldus and VP Marketing Arjan Veenboer attended the opening of the Wildlife Forensic Academy (WFA) in Buffelsfontein, South Africa, one hour north of Cape Town. Content: April 6, 2023 Combatting wildlife crime using cutting edge video technology In May 2022, our CEO Lucas Noldus and VP Marketing Arjan Veenboer attended the opening of the Wildlife Forensic Academy (WFA) in Buffelsfontein, South Africa, one hour north of Cape Town. Wildlife Forensic Academy (WFA) founder Andro Vos and his team took a broad group of stakeholders on a tour through their new facility. We were invited to this grand opening because we are a proud partner of the WFA. So, how are things going ten months later? Time to talk to Andro Vos about the developments and experiences since the opening in 2022. What is the Wildlife Forensic Academy? History The WFA was founded by Andro Vos. Andro has over 20 years of experience in human crime scene investigation from his work at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI). During a visit to South Africa he came into contact with an entirely different kind of crime scene. He was invited to the Kruger Park to learn about wildlife crime. There... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/introducing-noldushub Title: Newsroom | Introducing NoldusHub, the all-in-one research tool for human behavior studies Description: Noldus Information Technology has released NoldusHub, a brand-new all-in-one research system for multimodal human behavior studies. Content: January 26, 2023 Introducing NoldusHub, the all-in-one research tool for human behavior studies Noldus Information Technology has released NoldusHub, a brand-new all-in-one research system for human behavior studies. This software tool will streamline multimodal research from start to finish, providing high-quality data, better understanding of, and insights into human behavior. As a leading developer with over 30 years’ experience, Noldus Information Technology uses the latest technologies to develop cutting-edge tools for science and practice. These allow customers to measure a wealth of modalities, from behavior and physiology to emotion, cognition, and user experience. About NoldusHub The design of NoldusHub follows from our mission to advance human behavior research, and help scientists to overcome any technical challenges along the way. Combining multiple types of measurements can be demanding, especially when using acquisition tools from different manufacturers that have to be c... URL: https://noldus.com/daniovision/benefits Title: DanioVision | Benefits Description: Getting precise and reliable data in a high-throughput environment is essential for efficiently performing zebrafish research. DanioVision enables you to do this. Content: Why should I use DanioVision? Larvae activity and movement patterns are basic measurements used in studies on stereotypic and epileptic behaviors, circadian rhythmicity, motor control, movement disorders, neural development, and more. DanioVision is a complete system designed for exactly these types of experiments with zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae, and is often used in studies related to drug development, behavioral genetics, toxicology and circadian rhythmicity. Contact us Precise and reliable data collection Say goodbye to inconsistent lighting that leads to unreliable data. DanioVision ensures you get the most accurate data from your experiments. It provides room for standard ANSI and SBS compliant multi-well plates (6, 12, 24, 48, or 96 well plates). You can also use petri dishes and other small containers. With its backlit plate holder, even lighting is guaranteed across all wells, eliminating contrast issues that could distort your measurements. The Observation Chamber shuts ou... URL: https://noldus.com/daniovision Title: DanioVision | Complete Solution for Zebrafish Larvae Activity and Movement Description: Complete solution for zebrafish larvae activity and movement. Research many zebrafish parameters in this high-throughput environment. Content: Complete system for zebrafish larvae behavior DanioVision DanioVision is the complete system designed for high-throughput tracking of zebrafish larvae and other small organisms. Automated larvae activity and movement patterns Robust and accurate video tracking for up to 96 wells Includes EthoVision XT for video tracking and analysis BOOK A DEMO Trusted by researchers around the world DanioVision in 2 minutes The DanioVision observation chamber provides you with the most optimal environment for capturing your experiment. It is integrated with a high quality camera, adjustable lighting conditions, and ensures no image distortion. There are also more add-ons for DanioVision, such as a temperature control unit and tapping device. Contact us to start your journey towards automated analyses with DanioVision. DanioVision allows an easy solution to monitor and quantify physical activity and swimming behavior in a large number of larvae simultaneously. DR MARCEL DEN HOED UPPSALA UNIVERSITY, SWE... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/monitoring-our-bees-why-and-how Title: Newsroom | Monitoring our bees: why and how Description: The Noldus’ garden is a good place for the bees. There is plenty of space and we make sure there is variety of flowers and plants for their needs. Content: September 14, 2022 Monitoring our bees: why and how In the Noldus’ garden, it is good to be for the bees. There is plenty of space, where they can find a good deal of pollen and where enough nectar-giving flowers and plants grow, including on the green roof of the building. Nearby are lots of trees and the canal (Nieuwe Kanaal) offers them water. A honeybee needs all these ingredients to stay alive: pollen, nectar, and water. Sustainable beekeeping Noldus helps the bees by providing them a safe place to stay. Since a couple of years, we have multiple hives with bee colonies that we take care of. The bee committee, consisting of several colleagues, did a basic beekeeping course to learn what needs to be done during the year to allow the bees to function optimally. At Noldus, we think the survival of the bees is important. As the main pollinators of our crops, such as fruit, we cannot live without these impressive creatures. The most important crops for human consumption are 80% dependen... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/green-roof Title: Newsroom | Noldus' green roof reflects the dry summer season Description: Two pebble-covered roofs of our Wageningen office have been transformed into beautifull green roofs, with a biodiverse vegetation cover. Content: August 17, 2022 Noldus’ green roof reflects the dry summer season Last year, we decided to convert two pebble-covered roofs of our Wageningen office into green roofs, with a biodiverse vegetation cover. Now we see every day how the vegetation changes. Per hour, per day, per season. Experiencing a very dry summer, we realize even more that our impact is important. We opened our current international headquarters in 2005 in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Today that building houses three beehives, a green roof with biodiverse vegetation covering, sedum roof, and 122 solar panels. The sedum roof covers the building’s social area and canteen. The green roof covers the entrance. The surrounding grounds are planted with native trees and shrubs, and managed without use of chemicals. Especially the green roof covering our main entrance now noticeably reflects the dry summer. Companies of any size can make a difference The Dutch national weather service KNMI reports that this year is well on its w... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/looking-back-measuring-behavior Title: Newsroom | Looking back at Measuring Behavior 2022 Description: Measuring Behavior 2022, looking back a the first ever virtual measuring behavior conference. Content: August 1, 2022 Looking back at Measuring Behavior 2022 Measuring Behavior 2022 was originally planned to take place in 2020. But, along came the pandemic and first we delayed it a couple of times and then finally we decided we didn’t want to postpone anymore and went virtual. In the end, we had a good number of delegates, including presenters across a wide spectrum of time zones and many people taking advantage of the possibility to watch the parallel sessions offline after the conference itself was over. The program and scientific outcomes of a truly multidisciplinary conference The program was rich and diverse. We had sessions on specific domains (automotive human factors, sports science, food and eating, animal welfare), new technologies (drones, AI, virtual reality, new sensors, multi-modal measurements), a diversity of species (humans, rodents, farm animals, dogs and one study even included 16 different species of mammal), and methodological issues (reproducibility, measuring in t... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/facereader-useful-improve-animal-assisted-therapy Title: Newsroom | FaceReader useful to improve Animal-Assisted Therapy Description: For several years now, the Lithuanian University of Health Science (LSMU) in Kaunas, is using the FaceReader software for scientific research within several faculties. Content: July 18, 2022 FaceReader useful to improve Animal-Assisted Therapy For several years now, the Lithuanian University of Health Science (LSMU) in Kaunas, is using the FaceReader software for scientific research within several faculties. For example, the faculty of Food Safety and Quality took advantage of the FaceReader software to answer the question whether there is a relationship between food choice and a person’s mood? Recently, Jovitą Lukšaitę and her team of the LSMU faculty of Animal Sciences investigated how to improve Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT). For this research, they used FaceReader software. Again, a good example of how FaceReader empowers researchers in their work, to obtain objective data in a structured and effective way. The Noldus research portfolio: FaceReader Noldus empowers customers with best in class tools to ease the work of the researchers, enable them to collect data and calculate reliable results to help them discover the insights they are looking for. Workin... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/noldus-collaboration-agreement-inscopix Title: Newsroom | Noldus collaboration agreement Inscopix Description: Noldus Information Technology, a leading developer of tools for behavioral research, announced a collaboration agreement with neuroscience company Inscopix. Content: June 28, 2022 Noldus announces collaboration agreement with Inscopix Noldus Information Technology BV has achieved Noldus Information Technology, a leading developer of tools for behavioral research, announced a collaboration agreement with neuroscience company Inscopix. Through this collaboration, Noldus’ pioneering EthoVision XT video tracking software can be integrated in Inscopix’s new nVision platform. Researchers will now be able to perform precise time correlations between rodent brain activity and behavior, such as exploration or navigation and choice tasks. “Uncovering brain dysfunction at the neurocircuitry level and how it is linked to behavior will enable researchers to uncover new insights into how the brain works and will support the development of better targeted treatments,” said Lucas Noldus, Ph.D., CEO of Noldus Information Technology. “We are excited to collaborate with Inscopix and offer users the capability of integrating our pioneering video tracking technology wi... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/modules Title: EthoVision XT | Modules Description: EthoVision XT modules, build EthoVision to fit your research needs, from open field test to optogenetics integration. Versatile set-up, for perfect data Content: EthoVision XT: A modular approach EthoVision XT has a flexible, modular approach. Configurations range from basic video tracking to a multi-functional (automated) system. Customizable for your needs and budget Includes robust three point body tracking of one animal in one arena Easily automate your experiments or connect to third-party devices TRY ETHOVISION XT FOR FREE The gold standard of video tracking EthoVision® XT includes all the essential tools to track and analyze the movement and behavior of a single animal in one arena, right out of the box. The standard version of EthoVision XT includes built-in tracking of multiple body points—nose, body center, and tail base—for subjects like rats, mice, or zebrafish. This feature is specifically designed for top-view tracking, allowing you to gather more detailed and precise behavioral data from your animals. That is not all, EthoVision XT also comes with: Deep learning-based body points detection Automated settings and standardized temp... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/resources Title: EthoVision XT | Resources Description: Explore EthoVision XT’s resources: extensive guides, case studies, and trainings to enhance your research. Content: EthoVision XT Resources and publications EthoVision XT is the most widely applied video tracking software that tracks and analyzes the behavior, movement, and activity of any animal. A cost-effective solution for all standard behavioral tests High-throughput and high-content testing Suitable for sophisticated test-protocols TRY IT FOR FREE Training when you need it: Noldus Academy Noldus is thrilled to present Noldus Academy, a learning platform aimed at achieving research excellence through expert training and support. Our EthoVision® XT onboarding training is now available in the academy! Gain exclusive access to Noldus Academy with NoldusCare. Don't have NoldusCare? No worries, the first sample lesson is on us! And if you feel comfortable after this first lesson, feel free to contact us and ask about the pricing options. noldus academy Your essential research toolkit Free e-book Want to know more about behavioral neuroscience? Check out our free downloadable e-book where we explain... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/resources Title: PhenoTyper | Resources Description: Explore all the reading materials and videos and learn more about how the PhenoTyper can be used and how it works. Content: All I need to know about PhenoTyper Want to learn more about PhenoTyper? We have a great variety of materials for you to read. Extensive ebooks Interesting white papers Enlightening videos These materials will help you better understand the full capabilities of the PhenoTyper. PhenoTyper videos Studying optogenetics in the PhenoTyper Optogenetics is a valuable tool in neurobehavioral research, and equipment can easily be integrated in the PhenoTyper home cage. Control of the stimulation can be programmed via EthoVision XT, based on animal behavior or timing. Customer story University of Toronto Dr. Thomas Prévôt from the University of Toronto uses the PhenoTyper to study anxiety in order to transform mental health care. University of Toronto, Canada EthoVision XT homecage testing EthoVision XT video tracking automates a whole range of tests, such those performed in the home cage environment (e.g. PhenoTyper) of rats or mice. PhenoTyper webinar Phenotyping your rodents: Mapping short- a... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/addons Title: PhenoTyper | Add-ons Description: The PhenoTyper is customizable, which makes it possible to build the cage entirely according to your needs. Use it as an observation cage, or home cage. Content: How do I expand my PhenoTyper setup? You can choose based on the experiment you want to automate, from the arrangement of the walls to the devises that attach to them. Whether it is a tether that attaches to your subject via a commutator or a 3rd party measuring device, PhenoTyper integrates it all. The walls accommodate attachments for a number of accessories, such as a feeding station, drinking bottles, CognitionWall, and shelters. Request pricing Feeding and drinking behavior Pellet dispenser Essential tools for reinforcement-based conditioning tasks Capable of delivering food pelletes on command Provides feedback on pellet drop and silo status Fully compatible with EthoVision XT for sophisticated, interactive test protocols Includes interchangeable 20mg and 40mg pellet carousels, color-coded for easy swapping between experiments Lick o Meter Technology differs from conventional methods that require an electrical circuit involving the animal Detects contact with the water bottle spo... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/resources Title: Viso | Resources Description: Find resources about Viso: blog posts, white papers, customer success stories, and more. Content: Learn more about Viso Want to learn more about Viso? We have a variety of materials for you to go through including white papers and an extensive buyers guide. Would you rather watch or listen? Then, we have short explanatory videos, customer success stories, and webinars for you to enjoy. An impression of a Viso application Find one of these customer stories here on the right. Marnix Bras, teacher at the faculty ICT at CHE, shows us what their UX lab is used for and how this benefits students. Viso customer success stories Multi-room training space Dr. Audrey Ervin explains how the counseling psychology team was able to build a lab space that suited their educational needs. Delaware Valley University uses Viso® as their AV and feedback solution. Skill-based courses are highly interactive and held in the lab, where students role-play, practice, and learn through hands-on experience. DELAWARE VALLEY UNIVERSITY, DOYLESTOWN, PA, USA Early childhood development research When observing how... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/collect-data Title: NoldusHub | Data collection with NoldusHub Description: NoldusHub collects data from a webcam, eye-tracking device, and physiological devices. With these, you can measure multiple sources of human behavioral data. Content: Data collection with NoldusHub Combining multiple types of measurements can be challenging, especially when you use several acquisition tools that have to be calibrated and started. NoldusHub® simplifies this process by tackling these technical challenges for you. NoldusHub is at the heart of your data collection. The system collects data from a webcam, eye-tracking device and several physiological devices. The diverse range of signals and behavioral inputs you can measure provides valuable insights into human behavior. Learn more How does NoldusHub work? NoldusHub streamlines data collection, making it remarkably easy for users. A common reaction from first-time users is, "Wow, I can't believe how simple this is!" With just a few clicks, you can access all your synchronized data effortlessly. The system integrates data from a webcam, eye-tracking device, and various physiological sensors. With these, you can measure a variety of signals and behavioral input, from facial expressions, g... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom Title: Noldus Newsroom Description: Newsroom of Noldus: the latest news on partners, research projects and product launches Content: NEWSROOM October 16, 2024 Noldus and Blackrock Neurotech sign agreement at SfN for official collaboration September 26, 2024 Noldus partners with Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing May 31, 2024 Noldus software in MARIN's Seven Oceans Simulator center May 5, 2024 Efficient Laboratory Animal moNitoring (ELAN) kicks off November 7, 2023 Merging behavior and brain activity for enhanced research insights November 6, 2023 Lucas Noldus appointed as Fellow of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering May 16, 2023 Noldus teams up with Institut Pasteur to deliver new software for behavioral neuroscience research April 6, 2023 Combatting wildlife crime using cutting edge video technology January 26, 2023 Introducing NoldusHub, the all-in-one research system for human behavior studies November 21, 2022 Noldus Information Technology achieves ISO 27001 information security certification September 14, 2022 Monitoring our bees: why and how August 17, 2022 Noldus’ green roof reflects the dry sum... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/set-up Title: NoldusHub | Set up your system for multimodal human behavior Description: With NoldusHub you get all the essentials for studying human behavior in one central system for setting up your behavioral research projects. Content: How do I use NoldusHub? With NoldusHub you get one central solution for setting up your behavioral research projects. Automatic integration, synchronization & visualization of human behavior: it's possible within NoldusHub. Record multiple behavioral modalities from one to four participants simultaneously, you choose: NoldusHub is truly scalable. Discover how NoldusHub benefits your research, and why it is the best tool for you to use, now and in the future. Tell me more What does the software offer me? NoldusHub® offers a seamless, user-centered experience for researchers needing reliable, high-quality data collection and analysis. With its fully integrated system, NoldusHub synchronizes and manages all connected devices, streamlining your research workflow. The built-in quality control “system heartbeat” monitors signal integrity in real time, ensuring that your data is accurate and reliable. Data security is a top priority, with secure storage solutions that keep your research prote... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/set-up Title: FaceReader | System setup Description: Find out how to automate your research about emotions. Get the best performance and most reliable results with help of our easy-to-use FaceReader. Content: How do I use FaceReader? FaceReader helps to automate your research - quickly and easily. The user-friendly software allows you to use different input sources and system preferences, giving you the setup you need. Discover options, practical tips, and how to's that will help you get the most out of your research. Contact us What does the software offer me? FaceReaderTM can be used with different input sources. You can upload still images for analysis or analyze facial expressions from a pre-recorded video file. When analyzing from video, you can choose an accurate frame-by-frame mode or skip frames for high-speed analysis. Save valuable time FaceReader also enables you to analyze live and to record video and audio simultaneously. If you plan to analyze multiple videos, you can analyze them all at the same time. The software can also quickly detect interesting episodes, even in long series of events. This way, FaceReader saves you a lot of valuable time. Which hardware do I need? FaceRe... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/applications Title: PhenoTyper | Applications Description: PhenoTyper has been used with many studies for a variety of applications. From long-term to short-term tests, PhenoTyper accommodates all Content: What can PhenoTyper be used for? PhenoTyper is a great fit for a variety of research applications because it is easily customizable: From multiple day observations to short term behavioral tests, you can find an overview of the most used applications on this page. If you want to know more you can contact our team of experts to help you out. Contact our experts Applications of PhenoTyper Homecage observation Following your animals for multiple circadian cycles can lead to insights that are less subjective than short term tests. The PhenoTyper has been specifically designed to facilitate a low stress, minimal handling environment that can house your animals for days or weeks without human interfering and continous measuring. Short term tests PhenoTyper is also very well suited to facilitate short term behavioral observations. From simple protocols like open field of novel object test to optogenetic research, the PhenoTyper is the one system to do it all. With the new modular top unit the... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/set-up Title: Viso | Set up your AV system Description: Viso is a complete AV system for making high-quality recordings in order to train, educate, and improve skills. Content: How do I use Viso? A Viso lab allows you to record test participants unobtrusively, in an environment similar to a natural surrounding. Stable images, high quality video recordings, and clear recordings of speech and other sounds make all the difference in your results. You might wonder which room is most suitable for your lab and what equipment you actually need. For every facility and for every purpose the lab is built for, it will look different. But here you'll find some points of interest. Get your free buyers guide What does the software offer me? With Viso®, recordings can occur across multiple rooms or buildings at once. This provides you with the freedom to design your training facility as needed. Record and play back sessions in an easy to use way Both after and during the recording of the video, markers and comments can be placed at moments that are of interest. You can capture an entire screen in the recording, including synchronized audio. It is also possible to display an... URL: https://noldus.com/careers/sales-representative Title: Careers | Sales Representative INC Description: The Sales Representative is a position on the in-house team, responsible for supporting externally-facing sales consultants in selling systems and solutions. Content: Sales Representative Vacancy code - 2020-05/L Location - Leesburg, VA, USA Position can be remote The Sales Representative is a position on the in-house team, responsible for supporting externally-facing sales consultants in selling systems and solutions for use in observational and behavioral research email to apply Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: acquiring technical knowledge of our research solutions, generating quotations, following up with leads and opportunities, scheduling phone calls and product demonstrations for new and current users, maintaining the customer relationship management database, and occasionally attending conferences and customer meetings. Qualification 4-year college degree in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, biology, human factors or equivalent is required. Previous sales experience preferred. Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Strong analytical skills and the ability to understand and synthesize customer research need... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/setup Title: EthoVision XT | Setup Description: Start your experiment in EthoVision XT from scratch or save time by using one of the predefined templates. Content: EthoVision XT: Effortless setup for faster results EthoVision XT’s setup process is designed with efficiency and flexibility in mind, so you can focus on what truly matters—your research. Experiment templates to get started in a few clicks Detection settings built on deep learning technology Arena definition to define any arena or zone of interest Which hardware do I need? System requirements Windows 11 (64-bit) Professional Dell Precision 3680 workstation - no gaming PCs or tablets Mid or Full tower (for Camera PCIe card) Processor (CPU) – 14th Gen Intel Core i7-14700, 20 cores, 2,1-5,4 GHz Internal memory (RAM) – minimum 32 GB Graphics card (GPU) – NVIDIA GPU 4GB+ (up to Gen4), no onboard only GPU’s - tested on Quadro P2200, T1000, and GeForce RTX 4060 Solid State drive - 500 GB (for data collection) 1 GB Network card (for GigE cameras)- tested on a Basler GigE Interface Card, Adlink PCIe-GIE74, and FS X550AT2-2TP (10G NIC). For laptops, an onboard 1 GB NIC Hard disk - 1 TB free spac... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper/benefits Title: PhenoTyper | Benefits Description: Learn about the main benefits of using PhenoTyper in your research lab. From the advantages like reduced stress to benefits for the researcher like higher throughput. Content: Why should I use PhenoTyper? When observing rodent behavior, it is important to have the best tools to aid you in your work. There are many factors that make PhenoTyper the best at what it does. You can easily adapt the setup to your research It saves you time and decreases animal stress Validated and highly published for a wide range of applications Do you want to know more about the benefits of having PhenoTyper in your lab? Ask us your question A versatile system There is not just one PhenoTyper, there is only your PhenoTyper. The size, walls, and add-ons can be adjusted to your specific preferences and needs. Due to this flexibility, you can use PhenoTyper for a variety of long- and short-term tests. Having a PhenoTyper in your lab allows you to use one device for these types of observations. A great track record Since the launch in 2004, PhenoTyper has become increasingly popular in researchers' behavioral tool kit. PhenoTyper has been used and validated in thousands of publicatio... URL: https://noldus.com/phenotyper Title: PhenoTyper | Instrumented observation cage for rodents Description: PhenoTyper is the best instrumented home cage Content: The ideal environment for video tracking PhenoTyper Do you want to have a single system that can be used for countless research applications? PhenoTyper offers a consistent and adaptable environment for all your tests. Customizable to your specific experimental needs Seamless integration with video tracking (EthoVision XT) From short-term behavioral observations to 24/7 continuous monitoring Request a demo Trusted by researchers around the world What is PhenoTyper? Whether it is social interaction, novel object or long term behavioral observation, PhenoTyper is the best environment to house and observe your animals. If the PhenoTyper is the body, then EthoVision XT is the brain. Through integration with EthoVision XT you can: program stimuli like light or sounds automatically track the movement of up to two rats or mice. seamlessly analyze your collected data with EthoVision XT Want to know more about what can be done with PhenoTyper? Check out the some of the other ways researchers ha... URL: https://noldus.com/internships Title: Internships at Noldus Description: Internships at Noldus Content: Internships at Noldus Are you interested in working for a R&D-oriented company that offers exciting projects on the cutting edge of technology, check out the available internships. AI Researcher Wageningen, The Netherlands Our assignments evolve around The acquisition and preparation of datasets (often multimodal). The development of research tools. Trying out new developments / techniques. The development of smart annotation tools. The development of algorithms for detection of states and events. Examples of these assignments Record a multi-modal cow behavior dataset at a barn and organize, synchronize, and annotate the data. Build a data quality estimator that maps recorded data to an ideal recording, estimating missing data, noise, and data anomalies. Try out new methods for human workload estimation on benchmark datasets, or experiment with a new camera for network deployment. Build a smart interactive annotation tool that learns from human annotators for rodent behavior. Detect hu... URL: https://noldus.com/newsroom/iso-27001-certified Title: Newsroom | Noldus achieves ISO 27001 information security certification Description: Noldus IT BV has achieved ISO 27001 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS).The audit for compliance was completed by an accredited third party certification body Content: November 21, 2022 Noldus Information Technology achieves ISO 27001 information security certification Noldus Information Technology BV has achieved ISO 27001 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS). The audit for compliance with ISO 27001 (in full: ISO/IEC 27001:2013) was completed by an accredited third-party certification body. ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard that outlines and provides the specifications for an ISMS, providing guidance on how to protect and manage an organization’s information through effective risk management. Compliance with ISO 27001 demonstrates that Noldus Information Technology uses internationally recognized processes and best practices to manage its internal information infrastructure and systems that support and deliver its services to customers and partners. Alexander Weggeman, Noldus’ Information Security Officer, comments: “I am proud of our achievement. By interviewing professionals throughout the organizat... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/applications Title: FaceReader | Applications Description: FaceReader is the most robust automated system for facial expression analysis - and it is also scientifically validated. Benefit from this complete end-to-end solution! Content: What can I use FaceReader for? From psychology to education or consumer behavior - facial expressions provide researchers with valuable insights into human emotions. Learn more about how FaceReader helps you gain accurate facial expression data for your project. Contact us FaceReader applications Emotion analysis Emotions influence our behavior - from deciding what to eat and whether to buy a product to our interactions with others. Including emotion analysis in your research helps you to gain more insights in these complex behaviors. Psychology research Researchers in the field of psychology study different aspects of human behavior. This includes topics such as children's development, parent-child interaction, mental disorders, and much more. Consumer behavior Consumer behavior research is focused on learning how people make decisions. This type of research provides key insights in consumer preferences and buying behaviors. Neuroscience Neuroscience research is a multidisciplinary fi... URL: https://noldus.com/careers Title: Noldus Careers Description: Careers at Noldus - Contribute to sustainable development and quality of life! Content: Careers at Noldus Contribute to sustainable development and quality of life! We employ a fantastic team of more than 160 inquisitive, creative and skilled professionals. Working together, across oceans, we create an innovative and pleasant working environment in which each person is encouraged and supported to reach his or her maximum potential. Sales Representative A position on the in-house team, responsible for supporting externally-facing sales consultants in selling systems and solutions for use in observational and behavioral research. Responsibilities include, following up with leads, scheduling phone calls, and more. Leesburg, VA, USA More info A great company We make an impact With help of our software tools, 2 scientific papers are published every single day. We innovate the future We are constantly looking to improve and push the boundaries of both our products and our abilities. We have it all We are big enough to make a serious impact, yet small enough to have a warm and f... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/ethics-facial-expression-analysis Title: Ethics in facial expression analysis Description: FaceReader is a software tool for scientific research into facial expression analysis, in areas such as human communication and human-machine interaction. Content: FaceReader Ethics in facial expression analysis FaceReader is a software tool for scientific research in areas such as human communication, emotions and human-machine interaction. It is used in over 1,000 universities, research institutes and corporate R&D laboratories around the world. As such it is an important product in Noldus’ portfolio of software and hardware solutions and services for the measurement and analysis of behavior that allow our customers to advance their research, product development, training and education. Examples of research applications of FaceReader include: Research into adequate emotional responses of parents when infants are crying; Relationship between food choice, emotions and depression; The role of physicians’ bias in working with depressed cardiac patients; Acceptance of healthier food by consumers, for example containing less salt, more vegetables, or meat substitutes; User experience assessment of digital media; Restoration of facial expression after... URL: https://noldus.com/video-tracking-buyers-guide Title: A Buyer’s Guide to the Perfect Video Tracking Setup Description: Our video tracking buyer's guide lays out the groundwork for you and compares all the options out there on the market. Content: The perfect video tracking setup: A buyer's guide First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please enter a valid email address. Privacy policy Please accept the Noldus privacy policy. I accept the Noldus privacy policy (we will keep your personal data safe and you are in control of your data). DOWNLOAD FOR FREE What is a buyer's guide? Behavioral studies are essential for publishing in top-tier journals. There are many options when it comes to assessing behavior, which can feel overwhelming. The goal of this guide is to assist you in the finding the best equipment for your research. What assays should I use? What kind of space do I need? What kind of equipment is required? A Complete Guide A step-by-step guide so you choose the right solutions for your research. Learn from the Experts We have assisted thousands of researchers around the world. Elevate Your Research Learn how to conduct behavioral studies that have an impact. Common qu... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/ethics-animal-testing Title: Ethics and animal testing Description: Noldus Information Technology provides tools for the study of animal behavior. Please find our view on ethics and animal testing on this page Content: How the use of noldus' tools helps refine and reduce the use of experimental animals Ethics and animal testing Noldus Information Technology provides tools for the study of behavior, both animal (including laboratory studies, wildlife behavior, farm animal welfare studies, pet-owner interactions and many more) and human behavior (for example, human-computer interaction studies, consumer research, parent-child interactions). Because laboratory testing is one of the fields of research where our tools are applied, we feel it is important to state our view on the ethics of animal testing here. Animals are sentient beings – they deserve our respect. They are valuable in many ways, which includes their invaluable contribution to scientific research, so we need to provide them with what they need for a good life, as much as we can. The necessity and legislation of animal testing Noldus IT feels strongly that animal testing should be kept to a minimum and that unnecessary tests should not be p... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader/benefits Title: FaceReader | Benefits Description: FaceReader is used worldwide at more than 1,000 universities, research institutes, and companies in many markets. Find out why! Content: Why should I use FaceReader? FaceReader is fast, flexible, objective, accurate, and easy to use. The software immediately analyzes your data from live video, video recordings, or still images. Discover why FaceReader is used worldwide at more than 1,000 universities, research institutes, and companies. Get in touch Quick results in any setting Whether you're a researcher and need validated data analysis of facial expressions, or a UX designer looking for quick insights in emotions, FaceReaderTM provides it within one tool. Get started right away FaceReader analyzes and visualizes your emotion data immediately, saving you valuable time. To work with FaceReader, you only need a webcam - no calibration needed. This also allows you to make unobtrusive observations in any setting. Validated in research We compared the results of FaceReader with the intended expressions from the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set (ADFES). Our findings? FaceReader has an average accuracy of 99% in measur... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt/benefits Title: EthoVision XT | Benefits Description: Having the right tool for video tracking is essential in obtaining good and reliable data. Using EthoVision XT gives you many benefits like accuracy, reliability and flexibility. Content: What are the benefits of EthoVision XT? Having the right tools is essential for accurately measuring and analyzing behavior. EthoVision XT is built to deliver the most reliable results while simplifying your work. Whether you're tracking movement or studying complex behaviors, EthoVision XT is the leading video tracking software for behavioral research. Try EthoVision XT for free Save time with accuracy and efficiency Accuracy and efficiency are key to obtaining reliable results in behavioral research. EthoVision® XT excels in delivering precise data while simplifying your workflow, allowing you to focus on what matters most. Accurate data collection: EthoVision XT offers precise, automated video tracking, reducing human error in behavior measurements. Time efficiency: Automated tracking and analysis let you process data faster, giving you more time for other important tasks. User-friendly interface: The intuitive design ensures easy setup and use, regardless of your experience level.... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/markets Title: Viso | Applications Description: Viso is the versatile AV system, making it very suitable for multiple industries. Learn more why you should use Viso for UX, healthcare, psychology, or education and training. Content: What can I use Viso for? Viso is a powerful tool for recording, managing, and analyzing video sessions, making it ideal for training, research, and educational settings. You’ll have a seamless way to capture sessions, review them later, and share insights with your team, all from a single platform. It saves you time, ensures better collaboration, and helps you improve outcomes by easily accessing and organizing your video sessions. Plus, you stay in control—your content is secure and only accessible to those you choose. Get your free demo Viso applications Education and training To achieve active learning, video-based feedback is essential in education and training. It provides information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal. Viso® enables the teacher to show students their behavior during debriefing and engage them in feedback. Psychology research Psychologists rely upon data to make sense of the world. Among the methods used for collecting data, video observation is... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/resources Title: NoldusHub | Resources on multimodal research and behavior labs Description: Multimodal research is becoming more popular. We share useful resources on multimodal research and behavior research labs: blog posts, white papers, videos. Content: Learn more about multimodal research Multimodal research is an innovative and interdisciplinary approach for studying human behavior that combines multiple modalities. This includes modes such as speech, eye tracking, and physiological measures like skin conductance or pupil dilation to measure cognitive workload. In order to help you out, we've collected useful resources about multimodal research and behavior research labs: from recent blog posts and white papers to videos, and more. Get started Featured blog posts on multimodal research The power of multimodal research in human behavior studies By implementing multimodal research, scientists are hoping to gain a more complete and nuanced understanding of human behavior than is possible through the examination of any single modality. Read this blog Behind the Scenes: Human Behavior Research Labs Observation and analysis of human behavior is often done in labs. From babies to business, it can all be researched. Want to see how some of... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/applications Title: CatWalk XT | Applications Description: CatWalk XT has been used for a great variety of applications. On this page we explore some of the most used examples. Content: What can I use CatWalk XT for? Gait has been used as an endpoint for many types of rodent models. CatWalk XT is the most cited system to measure and analyse locomotion and gait in small mammals. Therefore, it is no suprise that CatWalk XT has been used in a great variety of studies over the years. From Parkinson's disease to nerve and skeletal injuries, CatWalk XT is a great fit for a wide variety of research and disease models. Applications of CatWalk XT Spinal cord injury SCI results in motor and sensory deficits due to damage to the spinal cord. Gait analysis with CatWalk XT allows researchers to quantify changes in paw placement, stride length, and coordination, providing insights into locomotor recovery and therapeutic efficacy. Parkinson's disease Parkinson's is characterized by motor symptoms like tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. CatWalk XT can assess alterations in gait patterns, such as reduced step length and irregular paw placements, reflecting motor impairment and aidin... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/new Title: What's new in NoldusHub Description: With NoldusHub, multimodal research was never this easy! Discover what's new in the latest release of NoldusHub, all-in-one platform for human behavior studies. Content: Discover what's new in NoldusHub Say goodbye to the hassle of managing multiple data acquisition tools and setups! NoldusHub seamlessly integrates eye trackers, sensors, and more into one easy-to-use system, streamlining your multimodal research from start to finish. And the latest release of NoldusHub brings exciting new features. Contact us now Make multimodal research feel easy With NoldusHub, the stress and frustration of managing multiple data acquisition tools disappear. Whether you're setting up devices, recording, or analyzing results, NoldusHub keeps everything simple. You don't have to use complicated scripts or coding languages: we have done the hard work for you. Discover what's new in the latest release of NoldusHub: Multiple participant stations and test leaders Cognitive Load Algorithm based on pupil dilation Export Cognitive Load data Online Help Center Multiple participant stations and test leaders Scheduling multiple experiments in a busy lab takes time and can be com... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/customers Title: Our customers Description: Hundreds of research institutes and companies work our professional research software and tools everyday. Content: Our customers Our customer base says it all. Since 1989, we’ve partnered with start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, small universities, and top research institutions worldwide. With decades of innovation and collaboration, we’ve achieved great success and built lasting relationships. Let’s work together to elevate your research and create the perfect setup for your needs. Here is a sample of our customers: Let's connect to discuss your research needs! Curious if Noldus is the right fit for your work? Unsure which software will best support your team, or if it’s compatible with your setup? We’re here to assist! Reach out, and together we’ll explore the perfect solutions for you. A personal conversation about your project and goals Expert guidance to address your unique challenges Recommendations on the best hardware and software for your needs Let’s work together to advance your research! First name Please enter your first name. Last name Please enter your last name. Email address Please en... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/resources Title: CatWalk XT | Resources Description: Explore all the learning materials and videos Noldus has to offer about CatWalk XT Content: All I need to know about CatWalk XT Want to learn more about CatWalk XT? We have a great variety of materials for you to read and watch. Extensive ebooks Interesting white papers Enlightening videos These materials will help you better understand the ins and outs of your gait analysis system. CatWalk XT videos Everything you want to know about CatWalk XT in 4 minutes Product Manager, Reinko Roelofs, tells about CatWalk XT, the complete gait analysis system. In this 4 minute video Reinko explains the why, what and how of using CatWalk XT. Customer succes story Diana Price NeuroPore Therapies does important research in the field of neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Diana Price, Dr. Asma Khan and Robert Johnson are currently using CatWalk XT to study Parkinson’s disease. NEUROPORE THERAPIES, SAN DIEGO, USA The speed of CatWalk's automatic Footprint Classification In CatWalk XT, automatic footprint classification is extremely fast. Have a quick look at how CatWalk XT analyzes and classifies... URL: https://noldus.com/viso/benefits Title: Viso | Benefits of audio and video system Description: Find out why Viso has proved itself as an ideal instrument to train and educate students, examine dyadic relationships, enhance teamwork training, perform usability tests, and more. Content: Why should I use Viso? If you are looking for a tool to record audio and video to capture, for example, training sessions, mock-up interviews, or usability tests, you should use Viso. It is well-organized, has a super quick playback function, and a high level of security to name a few interesting gains. At its core, Viso is a video-based feedback tool, which allows users to add feedback with personalized markers to the recordings. Viso can be used in multiple rooms and by multiple users simultaneously saving you lots of time. Let us show you All-in-one system The great thing about Viso® is that you have everything arranged in one system. Multiple rooms and recorders are connected in one reliable and stable integrated setup. No additional tools are needed You will enjoy seamless operation of all your recordings, without the hassle of managing multiple tools. Navigate effortlessly with a clean and intuitive interface that gets you up and running in just 15 minutes, saving you valuable ti... URL: https://noldus.com/facereader Title: FaceReader | Facial expression analysis Description: Looking for an automatic analysis of facial expressions? FaceReader is the complete facial expression recognition software, used worldwide. Content: Get the best facial expression data FaceReader FaceReader is the most robust automated system for accurate and reliable data about facial expressions. Clear insights into the effects of different stimuli on emotions Fast and easy to use: save valuable time and resources Easy integration with eye tracking data and physiology data Get more info Trusted by researchers around the world Why should I measure facial expressions? Facial expression analysis provides insights into people's emotions, behaviors, and decision-making. It's an important part of emotion analysis. When to include facial expressions You may want to include facial expression analysis in your work if you're studying consumer behavior or user experience. It's also the perfect choice for research on social interactions, developmental psychology, or mental illness. What can you measure with FaceReader? FaceReaderTM analyzes the six universal expressions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, and disgusted, plus contempt and... URL: https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt Title: EthoVision XT | Video tracking software Description: EthoVision XT is the worlds number 1 video tracker, accurately tracking rodents, zebrish and insects and automatically determing rondent behavior from video Content: The most powerful video tracker EthoVision XT Whether you're studying rodents, fish, or other species, EthoVision XT gives you precise tracking, advanced behavior detection, and reliable, high-quality data—all in one powerful solution. Effortless setup – automated animal detection saves time Built-in test templates – quickly start your experiments Starts at $6,150 (USD), for all your standard tests GET YOUR FREE TRIAL Latest innovations in EthoVision XT Tracking your research subjects just got simpler, smarter, and more precise. Now you can effortlessly monitor social interactions between two mice or rats—no need for color-marking or time-consuming setups. This advanced, automated detection takes on the hard work, even in low-resolution video, so you can focus on your insights. Using deep-learning, EthoVision® XT 18 pinpoints each animal’s nose, center, and tail with impressive accuracy, making it perfect for a variety of research environments. Social interaction based on deep learning... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus/partners Title: Partners Description: Within a network of professional and academic partners worldwide, we build new opportunities for your behavioral research. Content: Our partner ecosystem Together with our partners, we create innovative software, hardware, and integrated systems for the measurement and analysis of human and animal behavior. Our open solutions facilitate data exchange and insights discovery, allowing you to make results rapidly and easily available, anytime and anywhere, while safeguarding privacy and security. In this network of partners, we keep on building new opportunities for your research. Tobii Tobii is the leading provider of eye tracking solutions for research, developing cutting-edge eye tracking technology since 2001. Tobii's goal is to create the most reliable and versatile eye tracking technology in the world, to deliver optimal accuracy, precision and robustness. More info Biopac BIOPAC’s high-quality scientific tools for physiology measurement & interpretation enable meaningful discovery anywhere, from anyone. Innovative, modular hardware & software solutions with superior compatibility and world-class service and sup... URL: https://noldus.com/about-noldus Title: About Noldus | Innovative tools for behavior Description: We help you to improve your research, inspired by scientific and societal challenges. So together, we respond to the demands of today and prepare for those of tomorrow. Content: It is our purpose To help you improve your research, inspired by scientific and societal challenges So together, we respond to the demands of today and prepare for those of tomorrow. Our mission It is our mission to provide innovative tools for behavior, health, and wellbeing: from data collection to insights discovery. Our vision Measuring behavior makes a difference! Empowering customers with best in class tools to revolutionize behavioral research. 35+ years of innovation and experience 80K bees in our garden and on our green roofs 60K users around the globe 140+ groundbreaking research projects we invested in 50K scientific publications This is what makes us unique We build lasting relationships | Our customer, partner, and employee relationships are at the heart of our business and daily work. We work side by side with you to provide personal services and tailored solutions for your research needs. We think character counts | Integrity, transparency, and honesty are our guiding pr... URL: https://noldus.com/webinars-human Title: Webinars | Human behavior research explained - practical use cases Description: An overview of webinars on human behavior research by Noldus Information Technology Content: Human Behavior Webinars Upcoming and previously held We’re excited to host virtual meet-ups and Noldus user groups, offering you the opportunity to connect with our team, industry experts, and - most importantly - fellow Noldus users. These sessions are designed to inspire, educate, and foster collaboration within our community Explore our range of events, including 30-minute talks, webinars, and technical briefings. Each session is packed with valuable insights and practical knowledge tailored to your needs. Joining is simple! Just select the webinar or session of your choice, click the registration button, and fill out the form to secure your spot. Alternatively, you can jump straight into the webinar if it’s already live. We look forward to connecting with you online - see you at the next event! Register to watch the latest webinars Webinar Validating Baby FaceReader 9 Analysis of Infant Affective Facial Expressions in Face-to-Face Interactions In this webinar, Martina Zaharieva, Ph... URL: https://noldus.com/viso Title: Viso | Video and audio recording | Educate, train, and improve Description: Viso is the easy-to-use solution for creating video and audio recordings in order to capture behaviors and interactions of your participants, and to educate, train, and improve skills of students and professionals. Content: Get instant video-based feedback Viso Easily create video and audio recordings with Viso to capture participant behaviors and interactions. Enhance students' education, training, and skill development and discover how behavior works. Seamlessly record sessions Enjoy a flexible, modular, and highly scalable solution No limits on users or rooms Tell me more Trusted by researchers around the world How does Viso work? Record, review, and manage video data effortlessly. Set up your recordings, watch live sessions, or analyze footage later — all in one secure, user-friendly system. Whether you’re training teams or conducting research, Viso® adapts to your needs and makes your video workflow seamless. Record: Get the best overview of participant's behaviors by capturing high-quality, synchronized video and audio from multiple cameras Review: Easily access and analyze sessions using video-based feedback Manage: Keep your content organized and secure Explore Viso's latest developments All-in-on... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/setup Title: CatWalk XT | System setup Description: How does CatWalk XT work and what do you need? Content: How do I use CatWalk XT? Automated systems are the way to go when performing gait analysis. However, you might wonder, where do I start, what do I need, and how does CatWalk XT actually work? Well, keep reading or request a demo to see what CatWalk XT is all about. Get a free demo Which software is best for analysing gait data? The advantage of CatWalk XT is how it detects the paws. Unlike treadmills or artificially-classified prints, CatWalk detects the feet (or of the rest of the body) as part of the print. With CatWalk XT you: Can automatically detect classification errors Don't have to paint parts of the body to avoid detection Can view and export parameter charts Don't have to worry about print misinterpretations Have access to all the raw data, there is no black box Which hardware do I need? CatWalk XT uses the most effective method for gait analysis. Footprints are illuminated where the paw touches the glass. A green LED light injected into the glass plate is completely internal... URL: https://noldus.com/ Title: Noldus | Advance your behavioral research Description: Professional software and solutions for observational research: automate your research, save time and get high quality data for your publication or project. Content: Advance your research Automate your research, save time, and get high-quality data for your project or publication! Whether you're in academia, education, or a commercial field. Learn More Trusted by researchers around the world How can we help advance your research today? Software & solutions for Human Behavior Research Learn More Software & solutions for Animal Behavior Research Learn More Services & Customer Support Support Global presence in research 50,150 supporting publications 61,300 happy customers local presence 9 offices worldwide 4.6 stars high customer satisfaction Real life insights into behavioral research Behavioral research blog By Noldus Information Technology Interested in behavioral research? Learn all about human and animal behavior and discover how Noldus tools are used in scientific and applied research. Visit the blog Customer success stories Human behavior Go behind the scenes at some of the best research, training, and simulation labs around the world. Discove... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt/benefits Title: CatWalk XT | The benefits of Catwalk XT for gait analysis research Description: What are the benefits of using CatWalk XT over other gait analysis systems? On this page we explain the many advantages of CatWalk XT. Content: Why should I use CatWalk XT? Analyzing gait isn't always straightforward. However, using CatWalk XT makes your life a lot easier by: Being easy to learn and use Providing validated and trustworthy data Keeping your animals stress free This means you can trust it to deliver the proper results, and achieve your research goals. Get in touch Easy to learn, easy to use CatWalk XT is easy to learn and understand. And with its extensive capabilities, it is the ideal system for beginners and veterans alike. Moreover, for those who want more assistance in person or remote trainings are available to get you and your team started with gait analysis. The ease of use of CatWalk XT helps you get started faster. This helps you save time and therefore resources. Most cited gait analysis system There are over 2400 publications based on CatWalk XT, which is at least 6 times more than with any other gait analysis system! Check out our resources section for an overview of publications for a variety of mod... URL: https://noldus.com/catwalk-xt Title: CatWalk XT | Gait analysis system Description: CatWalk XT is a complete gait analysis system for quantitative assessment of footfalls and locomotion in rats and mice. Content: The complete gait analysis system CatWalk XT Looking for a system to do quantitative assessment of footfalls and locomotion in rats, mice and other small mammals? CatWalk XT measures over 50 gait parameters and delivers precise and validated data for various disease models. Easy locomotion and gait assessment Translationally relevant data Validated and highly published for a wide range of disease models Request a demo How does CatWalk XT work? Use CatWalk XT with other animals by simply adjusting the width of the walkway. As an animal voluntarily traverses a glass walkway, its feet reflect green light everytime they touch the glass. This reflected green light is captured by a high speed camera underneath the walkway. Besides footprints, a myriad of other gait and locomotion parameters are automically detected. These results give you a great insight into a variety of conditions like Parkinson's disease and ataxia. Trusted by researchers around the world The gait analysis backbone for ma... URL: https://noldus.com/observer-xt-human Title: The Observer XT | Behavioral coding - Event logging software Description: The Observer XT is the most complete software for behavioral research. Supporting you from coding behaviors on a timeline and unraveling the sequence of events to integrating different data modalities in a complete lab. Content: Explore observational data in detail The Observer XT Looking for a tool for detailed behavioral data recording, visualization, and analysis? The Observer XT supports coding behaviors, analyzing event sequences, and integrating various data types in a fully equipped lab. Code behaviors in a quantitative way Automatically synchronize multiple data streams Work together on coding and check reliability Tell me more Trusted by researchers around the world How does The Observer XT work? The Observer® XT powers your lab, helping you save time by accurately coding observed behaviors from one or multiple videos on a timeline. You can also sync and integrate data like audio, eye tracking, EEG, or facial expressions — all displayed together for easy analysis. GOLD standard for behavioral coding As the gold standard for behavioral coding and analysis, using The Observer XT increases your chances of getting your study published in a high-impact journal. Check out the latest developments The Observe... URL: https://noldus.com/conferences Title: Conferences that Noldus sponsors and exhibits at - come meet us! Description: Noldus participates and sponsors many events around the world, varying from local research meetings to international scientific conferences. Content: Conferences At Noldus, we’re passionate about connecting with the research community. That’s why every year, we attend a wide variety of events, ranging from local meetings to major international congresses. These events are not only a chance to showcase our innovative solutions but also an opportunity to reconnect with valued customers and meet new prospects who share our passion for behavioral research. Conferences are where ideas come to life, and we love being part of the action. By engaging with researchers, educators, and industry leaders, we stay ahead of emerging trends and the latest technologies in our field. These interactions inspire us to continue pushing boundaries and delivering cutting-edge tools for behavioral research. Organizing an event focussed on behavioral research? Are you organizing an event focused on behavioral research? Do you think Noldus would be a great fit for your conference? We’re always on the lookout for new opportunities to connect. Feel free to rea... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub/benefits Title: NoldusHub | Benefits and features of NoldusHub Description: Discover the features and benefits of NoldusHub, the all-on-one platform designed to simplify the process of data collection and streamline behavioral data streams. Content: Why use NoldusHub? Combining multiple types of measurements and data sources is challenging, especially when using several acquisition tools at once. NoldusHub makes data collection feel effortless, leaving users amazed by its simplicity. “I can’t believe how easy this is!” is a reaction we hear all the time. With just a few clicks, all your data is at your fingertips, perfectly synced and ready to go. Discover how NoldusHub benefits your research, and why it is the best multimodal solution for you to use. Get in touch with us 1. Fully integrated system Managing multiple measurement tools can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially when each device requires separate calibration and setup. NoldusHub® eliminates this complexity by seamlessly integrating all your hardware - eye trackers, sensors, and more - into one centralized system. With NoldusHub, calibration, monitoring, and recording are streamlined in one user-friendly platform. You can start recordings effortlessly, without... URL: https://noldus.com/support Title: Support and services Description: Need assistance with your Noldus solution? Don’t fret. After your purchase and training, we love helping you along the way. Reach out to our amazing support team, access numerous resources and get downloads via MyNoldus. Content: Your questions answered Need assistance with your behavioral research or tools? Don’t fret. After your purchase and training, we love helping you along the way with: Personalized step-by-step guidance by experts All-in-one support with MyNoldus Exclusive extras with NoldusCare (first year for free!) Need support now? MyNoldus is the fastest route to get help. Login to MyNoldus What can we help you with? Downloads, manuals & support Login to MyNoldus Peace of mind with our service contract More about NoldusCare Onboard your team with online training Noldus Academy Applying for a grant? We can help! Grant assistance Peace of mind with NoldusCare Maintenance and support is vital to a functioning research lab. With NoldusCare you don't have to worry about it anymore. Some of the benefits: Direct access to the latest software version Priority support: help within 1 business day Train your team through Noldus Academy All benefits of NoldusCare I am continually impressed by the prompt and pro... URL: https://noldus.com/noldushub Title: NoldusHub | Multimodal software system for human behavior studies Description: NoldusHub is the all-in-one research tool for human behavior studies. Streamline your multimodal research from start to finish for insights into human behavior. Content: Simplify your multimodal research NoldusHub Managing multiple data acquisition tools at once can be overwhelming. NoldusHub takes the stress away by putting everything in one place. You’ll navigate your research with ease, uncovering insights into human behavior like never before. Integrated data collection Easy overview and access to projects and data streams Immediate feedback on data quality Tell me more NoldusHub in 90 seconds NoldusHub® is your all-in-one solution for human behavior studies, specificaly designed to make combining different types of measurements feel effortless. Say goodbye to juggling multiple programs and technical headaches. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting out, NoldusHub gives you the reliable, high-quality data you need, along with instant, meaningful insights into human behavior and decision-making. Discover how NoldusHub will transform your research. How does NoldusHub work? NoldusHub streamlines data collection, making it remarkably eas... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/nanoplastics-neurodevelopment Title: Tiny plastics, big problems: do nanoplastics affect neurodevelopment? Description: Nanoplastics are everywhere in the news nowadays. But how exactly do they influence our development. Researchers used DanioVision and EthoVision XT to track the development and behavior of exposed zebrafish. Keep reading to see their results Content: The hidden threats of nanoplastics Plastics are everywhere, in our oceans, rivers and even our drinking water, presenting a significant environmental challenge. While the adverse effects of large plastic debris have been heavily researched, the impact of microscopic plastic particles has been widely overlooked. Recent evidence demonstrates that environmental weathering breaks plastics into tiny submicron sized particles, or nanoplastics (less than 100 nm), which accumulate in living organisms over time. Although almost invisible, it is now thought that this accumulation may be problematic. Could these tiny particles be impacting our aquatic systems and posing a risk to human health? To answer this question, Saraceni and colleagues (2025) conducted a series of zebrafish experiments using the DanioVision observation chamber and EthoVision XT, to investigate the relationship between nanoplastics and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Zebrafish are considered an excellent model for understanding... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-facereader Title: 7 things you need to know about FaceReader Description: Are you looking for guidance in getting started with your facial expression analysis? Or want to get more out of your FaceReader setup? Keep reading to learn 7 essential things you need to know about FaceReader! Content: We received a wide range of questions during a live Q&A session for FaceReader users with NoldusCare—from basic how-to's to detailed questions about methodology and validation. In this blog post, we'll go over 7 of the questions people asked about FaceReader. 1. How does FaceReader calculate and classify facial expressions? The FaceReader algorithm follows a three-step process. First, it detects the face in an image. Then it builds a face model based on the 468 facial landmarks in FaceReader. Finally, it uses a trained artificial neural network (based on 100,000 images) to classify emotional expressions and facial states. The expressions classified by default include the six basic facial expressions—happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and disgusted—plus contempt and a neutral state. Additional modules allow you to measure Action Units, heart rate or heart rate variability, and even consumption behavior like chewing or intake. You can monitor these over time and visualize the intensit... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-social-behavior Title: Understanding social behavior: from observation to insight Description: Social behavior is everywhere—at home, at work, and in the classroom. Discover what it is, why it matters, and how observing it with the right tools leads to deeper insight into how people connect, communicate, and respond. Content: From the very first smile between a newborn and a parent to the way team members respond to each other during a meeting, social behavior is all around you. It shapes how individuals connect, influence, and respond within groups. Whether you're a researcher, educator, or clinician, understanding social behavior offers practical insights into development and group dynamics. Social behavior reveals a lot more than what meets the eye—it offers a direct window into how relationships work. What is social behavior? Social behavior includes the various ways people interact with others, both intentionally and unintentionally. It’s how someone smiles at a friend, helps a stranger, shares a joke, or even waits patiently in line. These behaviors help maintain relationships, build trust, and create group harmony. In research, social behavior can be observed in one-on-one (dyadic) interactions or within larger groups. Here are a few key types of social behavior: Prosocial behavior: Actions that bene... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-interaction-ethovision-xt-18 Title: Measuring social behavior in mice: the power of EthoVision XT 18 Description: Traditional behavioral assays often rely on manual or rudimentary methods. With EthoVision XT 18 the world of measuring social behavior in rodents has been revolutionized. With this tracking software you can easily track up to two animals simultaneously Content: In behavioral neuroscience, understanding social interactions in rodents is key to unlocking insights into neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Traditional behavioral assays often rely on manual observations or rudimentary tracking systems that fail to capture the nuances of complex social interactions. However, with the latest advancements in EthoVision XT 18, powered by Noldus’ advanced deep learning algorithms, researchers can now analyze social behaviors with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. This advancement takes your behavioral research to the next level by capturing spontaneous, naturalistic behaviors in stress-free conditions. EthoVision XT 18 is the only commercially available system that does everything you could want, seamlessly and easily, without compromising animal welfare. The importance of measuring social behavior Social behavior is a fundamental aspect of neuroscience research. It plays a crucial role in the study of conditions such as autism spectrum d... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/rat-strain-and-sex-in-spinal-cord-injury-research-catwalk-xt Title: Rat strain and sex matter in spinal cord injury research: insights from CatWalk XT Description: Researchers from the Central University of Michigan studied how different rat strains and sexes recover from spinal cord compression injuries, providing valuable insights into recovery variability and potential treatment consideration. Content: Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are life-altering conditions that affect sensory, motor, and autonomic functions, including bladder control and sexual function. In the United States alone, approximately 305,000 individuals live with SCI, with an estimated 18,000 new cases yearly. Despite medical advances, no definitive cure exists, and treatments primarily focus on mitigating symptoms. To develop effective therapies, researchers rely on animal models that need to accurately replicate human SCI conditions. A crucial but often overlooked factor in SCI research is the influence of biological differences such as strain and sex in experimental animal models. A recent study by Mojarad and colleagues (2025) at the Central University of Michigan highlights just how significant these factors are. Using CatWalk XT in their research, they aimed to determine how different rat strains and sexes recover from spinal cord compression injuries, providing valuable insights into recovery variability and pote... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cats-react-to-human-emotional-scents Title: Cats and human emotions: A stronger bond than we thought? Description: A recent study shows cats can detect human emotions through scent—especially fear—suggesting our cat friends might understand us more than we realize. Content: For centuries, dogs have been credited as humankind’s best friend, while cats have often been seen as independent and aloof creatures that engage with humans only on their own terms. And yet, recent research suggests that cats may be more attuned to human emotions than previously thought. Studies show that cats react to their owners’ visual and vocal signals and adjust their behavior based on human emotions. Odor plays a central role in the social behavior of domestic cats, but little is known to what extent cats can perceive human emotions through scent. Researchers from the University of Bari Aldo Modo in Italy explored this by examining how cats react to human odors associated with different emotional states (d’Ingeo et al., 2023). The experiment: Can cats smell human emotions? To investigate whether cats can smell human emotions, d’Ingeo and her colleagues conducted an experiment using odor samples from three unfamiliar men exposed to different emotional states: fear, happiness, ph... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infection-memory-loss Title: Does infection cause memory loss? Description: This article explores new research investigating a link between bacterial-induced inflammation and long-term cognitive impairment. Recent data obtained with the Noldus PhenoTyper and EthoVision XT suggests this relationship is worth investigating. Content: We explore new research investigating a link between bacterial-induced inflammation and long-term cognitive impairment. Recent data obtained with the Noldus PhenoTyper and EthoVision XT suggests this relationship is worth looking into. Do bacterial infections matter? Bacterial infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are known to cause long-term neurological complications and can lead to significant infection-driven brain dysfunction in both adults and children. Emerging evidence suggests that CNS infections might increase the risk of an individual developing dementia over a 15-year period, and there is a well-established link between Alzheimer’s and immune response. Unfortunately, while current therapeutic strategies can suppress inflammation, their ability to prevent cognitive decline after infection remains limited. This demonstrates a clear need for novel, efficacious treatments that limit or reverse neurological damage, and highlights the importance of ongoing research explo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/obesity-anxiety Title: Does obesity cause anxiety? Description: In this blog we explore the relation between a high fat diet and anxiety in rodents. Recent data obtained with EthoVision XT show that it might not be as clear cut as it once seemed. Content: Anxiety disorders, including panic attacks and the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are on the rise, with increasing evidence suggesting a link between obesity and mental health. Research suggests obesity can contribute to anxiety and depression by altering the gut microbiome, triggering inflammatory processes in the brain. Given this connection, scientists are exploring diet-based or probiotic treatment for anxiety disorders. To investigate this, researchers at the University of Louvain, Belgium, conducted an experiment on laboratory mice using Noldus’ EthoVision XT. Testing anxiety in mice: a controlled experiment To better understand the association between anxiety and diet, Wong and her colleagues (2025) divided 24 male mice into two groups. One group received a high-fat diet, while the control group received a low-fat diet. After six weeks, both groups underwent a series of five standard behavioral tests designed to measure anxiety levels in mice, presented from low to high im... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/hofstra-behavioral-research-lab Title: Understanding human behavior at Hofstra's Behavioral Research Lab Description: Discover how Hofstra University's Behavioral Research in Business Lab, directed by Dr. Anil Mathur, utilizes advanced methods like eye tracking and facial analysis to deepen insights into human behavior and business decision-making. Content: The Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory at Hofstra University is a state-of-the-art facility that was specifically designed to conduct multi-disciplinary behavioral research. We visited the lab, where Dr. Anil Mathur, Director of the Behavioral Research Lab at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., focuses on understanding the reasons behind people's actions and decisions. Understanding human behavior at Hofstra's Behavioral Research Lab The Behavioral Research Lab at Hofstra aims to serve students, faculty, and the broader community. Students gain experience with state-of-the-art methods including eye tracking, facial expression analysis, and voice recognition technologies. Through collaboration with Noldus, specialists in behavioral research technology, Hofstra developed a highly advanced laboratory focused on consumer and general human behavior research. When asked about his experience with setting up a behavioral research lab, Dr. Anil Mathur emphasizes the importance of for... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-are-stimuli-in-human-behavior-research Title: What are stimuli in human behavior research? Description: A stimulus is any object, event, or factor that influences human behavior. It can be something we see, hear, or feel, affecting our decisions and actions. But how do researchers use stimuli in behavioral studies? Content: A stimulus is any object, event, or factor that influences human behavior. It can be something we see, hear, or feel, affecting our decisions and actions. But how do researchers use stimuli in behavioral studies? If you’ve ever wondered how researchers study human behavior, you’ve likely come across the term stimuli. But what exactly are stimuli, and why are they so important in behavioral research? In this article, you’ll get a breakdown of the concept, discover different types of stimuli, and learn how they are used in scientific studies with real-world examples. What is a stimulus? Or what are stimuli? In psychology and human behavior research, a stimulus (plural: stimuli) is any object, event, or factor that influences a person’s response. Stimuli can be external, so things we see, hear, or touch. They can also be internal, such as emotions or thoughts. Researchers use stimuli to understand how people react, make decisions, and process information. Let me give you an example. Imagi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-facereader-is-better-than-openface Title: 8 reasons why FaceReader outperforms OpenFace Description: In this blog post, we’ll break down why FaceReader outperforms OpenFace. We’ll focus on key aspects like accuracy, ease of use, and security—making sure you get reliable results without the hassle. Content: Facial expression analysis can reveal a lot about human emotions, making it a powerful tool in research. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right software? In this blog post, we’ll break down why FaceReader outperforms OpenFace. We’ll focus on key aspects like accuracy, ease of use, and security—making sure you get reliable results without the hassle. Keep reading to see why FaceReader is the top choice for your facial expression analysis. Why should you measure facial expressions? Emotions influence our behavior—from deciding what to eat and whether to buy a product to our interactions with others. That's why researchers in psychology, user experience, neuroscience, and more include emotion analysis in their studies. One way to measure emotions is to ask people about them. However, often we're not fully aware of our emotions in the moment, or don't know how to describe them accurately. If you want to know more about people's unconscious and immediate reactions,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/chi-conference Title: 7 Reasons to attend CHI 2025 Description: If you are working in HCI or UX, you are probably familiar with CHI. This conference is organized every year by the international society for Human-Computer Interaction, SIGCHI. Why you should attend CHI 2025? Content: If you work in human-computer interaction (HCI) or user experience (UX), CHI is the conference you don’t want to miss. Organized annually by SIGCHI, the international society for HCI, CHI 2025 is the ultimate gathering for researchers, designers, and practitioners shaping the future of interactive technology. Why you should attend CHI 2025 This global event brings together experts from academia and industry to explore groundbreaking innovations, share research, and discuss the latest trends in HCI and UX. Whether you are developing next-generation interfaces, studying human-machine interactions, or designing for emerging technologies, CHI provides a unique platform to connect, learn, and advance your field. From insightful keynotes to hands-on workshops, CHI 2025 offers something for everyone—researchers, practitioners, designers, educators, and students alike. Here’s why you should attend! 1. Premier international conference on HCI The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gold-standard-for-behavioral-research Title: Why The Observer XT is the gold standard for behavioral research Description: In the ever-evolving field of behavioral research, having the right tools can make the difference between ordinary findings and groundbreaking insights. Content: When you hear "gold standard", it means more than just being the best - it means reliability, accuracy, and trustworthiness. Just like gold once backed currency for its stability, a gold-standard product in research provides consistency you can count on. In your field, where every data point matters, choosing the right tools can mean the difference between groundbreaking insights and frustrating roadblocks. The Observer XT isn't just a tool; it’s a trusted partner in your research journey. Confidence in every step of your research Imagine having a research tool that gives you peace of mind, knowing your data is precise, your workflow is seamless, and your insights are reliable. The Observer XT is that tool — recognized by researchers worldwide for its unmatched credibility and accuracy. Whether you're studying human behavior or animal interactions, The Observer XT helps you focus on what truly matters: your discoveries. Why researchers trust The Observer XT In research, trust is everyt... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/decoding-gorillas-gestures-insights-into-primate-communication Title: Decoding Gorillas’ gestures: Insights into primate communication Description: Western lowland gorillas use gestures to negotiate and even display 'accents' in their communication. A new study explores these complex social interactions, offering insights into language evolution. Content: The ability to communicate is a cornerstone of social interaction, whether among humans or our closest living relatives. A recent study by Jacques Prieur, Katja Liebal & Simone Pika in Scientific Reports delves into the complex and flexible communication system of Western lowland gorillas. The research reveals that these great apes not only use gestures as a means of social negotiation but also adapt their communicative styles to suit their social contexts — which uncovers a fascinating parallel to human language and accents. Gestures as social negotiation tools Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla | yes that really is their scientific name) are social animals, living in groups where effective communication is crucial for maintaining harmony and coordination. Researchers Jacques Prieur, Katja Liebal, and Simone Pika investigated how these gorillas initiate play-fighting using gestures. The study showed that gestures are not random; rather, they are intentional, goal-direct... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-galvanic-skin-response Title: What is Galvanic Skin Response? Description: Understanding human emotions and physiological responses is a key focus in behavioral science. One insightful tool in this field is galvanic skin response (GSR). But what is galvanic skin response? A beginner’s guide to understanding GSR in research. Content: Understanding human emotions and physiological responses is relevant in many areas of behavioral science. One of the most effective ways to measure these responses is through galvanic skin response (GSR), also known as electrodermal activity (EDA). But what exactly is GSR, and why is it so important in behavioral research? What is galvanic skin response? The galvanic skin response refers to the measurement of the skin’s electrical conductance, which changes with sweat gland activity. This activity is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. This means it reacts automatically when you feel emotions like stress, fear, or excitement. When you experience emotional arousal, your sweat glands become more active, leading to increased skin conductance. Measuring these changes allows researchers to gain insights into the body’s unconscious responses, revealing key information about emotional and psychological states. How is galvanic skin response measured? Galvanic skin response is measured... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/animal-conferences-2025 Title: Neuroscience conferences you should visit in 2025 Description: Conferences are a great place to network and learn. However, there are many different conferences to choose from. In this blog we have outlined our favourite conferences of 2025. Content: A new year means new opportunities to explore what the world of (neuro)science has to offer! And at Noldus we love attending conferences, since it is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our users and show what we are releasing soon. We have outlined the conferences Noldus is visiting in 2025 for you. So, if you want to meet us, or are generally interested in neuroscience, come visit us at one of these places! 4th Polish Zebrafish Society meeting February 13-14, Poznan, Poland Are you interested in zebrafish research? Then consider visiting the Medical Biology Center of Poznan University this February. This year’s Polish zebrafish society meeting is sure to be an interesting meeting for zebrafish researchers of many disciplines. Topics during this conference include subjects from cancer models to toxicology and novel technologies in zebrafish research. Noldus has various tools that can help you enhance your zebrafish research. EthoVision XT is the gold standard in video tracking and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mealtime-difficulties Title: Mealtime challenges in dementia: insight in difficulties Description: Mealtimes can be a daily struggle for people with dementia, but understanding their challenges - and the power of nonverbal communication - can make all the difference. Content: Good nutrition plays a vital role at every stage of life, supporting growth, development, and overall well-being. For young children, it lays the foundation for healthy eating habits; for teenagers, it fuels their evolving needs and active lifestyles; and for adults, it helps maintain health, prevent illness, and promote long-term vitality. In this blog I am focusing on nursing home residents with dementia. These residents have to deal with decline and/or loss of cognitive functions, which eventually can cause problems related to eating behavior such as locating food, chewing, and swallowing. Reducing mealtime difficulties Behavioral symptoms during mealtime are also not uncommon, for example, refusing food or care and responding aggressively towards caregivers or other residents. Because of these so called ‘mealtime difficulties’, there is a higher risk of inadequate nutritional intake in this population, resulting in weight loss and dehydration. In nursing homes, direct care staff pl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/explore-human-behavior-and-emotions Title: 5 Must-read articles to explore human behavior and emotions Description: Studying human behavior reveals surprising insights about what drives our actions and emotions. In this blog, we share five insightful articles that explore what behavior is, how emotions are made, and the tools researchers use to study them. Content: Human behavior is endlessly fascinating. In 2024, our readers explored a lot of studies and compelling discussions on our Behavioral Research Blog. From understanding early infant development to exploring how our emotions are constructed. Which topics captured the most attention this year? Curious to see what resonated most with the research community? Join us as we walk through the 5 most-read blog posts in 2024, showing the most important topics in the ever-evolving field of human behavior research. 5 articles you shouldn't miss Learn how to study human behavior with practical tools and techniques. Dive into what behavior really means and uncover the many forms it takes, from visible actions to internal processes. Rethink your understanding of emotions by exploring how emotions are made and discover the complex connection between mind and body in the science of emotions. Finally, see how the field of developmental psychology is evolving in research examples of developmental psycholog... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/delayed-gratification-eating-behavior-children Title: Eating behaviors in childhood obesity Description: Is time spent looking at food related to eating behavior? Researcher Lundquist and her colleagues studied the relationship between delayed gratification and consumption of food. Content: Worldwide, childhood obesity is a growing health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) argues that children should do more physical activity and eat less energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. What can we do to improve children’s eating behaviors? In this blog post, we tell you a little more about a study by researcher Ella Lundquist of the Pennsylvania State University and her colleagues at the University of Kansas Medical Center and Children’s Mercy Hospital. As part of a larger study on the effects of commercials on food intake, they studied the relationship between children’s behaviors during a delay of gratification task and eating behaviors during test meals. Self-control and obesity One of the factors that is important in both the cause and potential treatment of obesity is self-control. Self-control is the ability to regulate one’s own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It consists of multiple facets, including delay of gratification. Delay of gratification is the process of r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/unlock-the-full-potential-of-your-research-tools Title: Unlock the full potential of your research tools Description: Unlock the full potential of your research with Noldus Academy. Discover expert-led courses, on-demand tutorials, and webinars that help you master Noldus software, boost efficiency, and ensure high-quality data collection. Content: If you're conducting behavioral research, you know how crucial it is to have tools that not only work well but also integrate seamlessly into your research workflow and lab team. But even the most advanced tools can’t offer their full value unless you know how to use them efficiently. This is where Noldus Academy comes in. What is Noldus Academy? Noldus Academy is an online learning platform designed to help you master Noldus software such as EthoVision XT, The Observer XT, and CatWalk XT. Through structured courses, video tutorials, webinars, and interactive resources, Noldus Academy empowers you to work smarter, not harder. But the real question is: Why should you use Noldus Academy? NOLDUS ACADEMY: Unlock the full potential of your research tools Discover expert-led courses, on-demand tutorials, and webinars that help you master Noldus software, boost efficiency, and ensure high-quality data collection. Onboarding courses on EthoVision XT and The Observer XT A video series on CatWal... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infants-sustained-attention Title: Why sustained attention matters in infant development Description: How does sustained attention develop in infants and why is it crucial for learning? Learn about the latest research measuring attention through video and heart rate data. Content: Imagine a baby staring intently at a toy, completely focused despite the sounds and movements around them. This ability to tune out distractions and concentrate on one thing is called sustained attention. It is a key skill that helps infants explore and make sense of their world. Unlike a quick glance, sustained attention shows deeper cognitive engagement. This focused attention is essential for learning and development, setting the stage for skills like problem-solving, communication, and self-control. It can be measured through behavioral cues like looking duration or physiological indicators such as heart rate. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly How researchers study infant attention To better understand how infants develop sustained attention, researcher Jessica Bradshaw and her team from the Univer... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognitive-load-human-behavior Title: What is cognitive load, and how does it help us understand human behavior? Description: By exploring cognitive load, researchers gain insights into how people process information, respond emotionally, and manage decision-making. How cognitive load and one of its most reliable indicators, pupil dilation, is crucial in human behavior research. Content: Ever wonder why some tasks leave you feeling mentally exhausted, while others seem easy and manageable? Cognitive load may hold the answer. Understanding cognitive load helps researchers see how people take in information, handle emotions, and make decisions while performing a task. The mental effort needed to complete tasks and learn effectively plays a big role in shaping how people act and make choices. By measuring cognitive load, researchers gain insights into how people process information, respond emotionally, and manage decision-making. Let’s uncover how measuring cognitive load and one of its most reliable indicators - pupil dilation - can be powerful methods in human behavior research. What is cognitive load, and why does it matter? Think of cognitive load as the mental “weight” or effort required for your brain to process information. Like a workbench that can only hold so much, our minds have a limited capacity for juggling information. The more complex or confusing the tas... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/validating-attention-detection-facereader Title: Validating FaceReader's attention detection: a reliable measure using gaze and head pose Description: Measuring attention is crucial across many fields, from marketing to user experience design and human-computer interaction. Learn more about how we validated custom expressions for attention in FaceReader. Content: In this blog post, Tess den Uyl, PhD from VicarVision highlights how to use custom expressions to measure attention. Measuring attention is crucial across many fields, from marketing to user experience design and human-computer interaction. Learning more about people's attention helps assess the effectiveness of advertisements. For example, people who pay closer attention to ads are more likely to develop positive feelings toward a brand and make repeat purchases. In user experience research, tracking attention helps to understand what users focus on and how they engage with content. This kind of data helps designers create better interfaces. Easy gaze tracking with FaceReader Traditionally, attention is measured using eye trackers. These systems are highly effective. However, they require you to get additional software and also need an extra calibration step. This can be both expensive and time-consuming. In contrast, facial analysis tools like FaceReader only need a webcam. Easy to a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/eating-pace-children-obesity Title: Reducing eating pace: a behavioral intervention for childhood obesity Description: Studies on eating behavior play an important role in preventing childhood obesity. Faith and his team examined the effectiveness of a family-based behavioral intervention to reduce eating pace. Content: The prevalence of childhood obesity has grown substantially over the last years. Recent estimates suggest that, globally, as many as 37 million children under the age of 5 are overweight. When looking at the ages between 5 and 19, these numbers rise to a staggerng 390 million. As a result, childhood obesity is considered one of most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Children who are overweight suffer from many short-term and long-term health problems. From a young age, they are at risk for diabetes, physical disabilities, certain types of cancer, and heart disease. Overweight and obese children are also likely to stay obese and maintain these health risks into adulthood. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that becoming overweight can largely be prevented. Specifically, they recommend increasing physical activity and decreasing the intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. High eating rate and obesity One way to decrease the intake of unhealthy foods i... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuroscience-trends-2024 Title: SfN 2024: Noldus reflects on key trends in Neuroscience Description: The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2024 conference is behind us! What did we spot as the latest trends? And will we be joining the conference again next year? Content: The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2024 conference is behind us! And it was an inspiring event for our Noldus team, as we connected with researchers, talked about known research paradigms, and also explored the latest developments in (behavioral) neuroscience. This year, several key trends emerged, and they closely align with our commitment to advancing behavioral research through flexible, reliable solutions like EthoVision XT. Here is our take: Complex behavioral setups: A balance of innovation and fundamentals One of the most interesting observations at SfN 2024 was the increasing complexity of behavioral research setups. Researchers are pushing beyond traditional paradigms, using elaborate systems such as location-based stimuli, custom maze protocols, and sophisticated multi-room experiments. These innovations reflect the growing need to explore behavior in more dynamic and intricate environments. It’s exciting to see how researchers are thinking outside the box and embracing novel... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infant-studies Title: 5 examples of infant studies Description: Researchers perform infant studies to properly monitor and understand all kinds of development factors. In this blog post, five examples of infant studies are highlighted. Content: A lot happens in the development of a child and many factors play an important role in this process. For example, the interaction with parents, siblings, and peers, but also various complex processes in the brain that determine how a child processes information, how well it can concentrate, and how the child behaves towards others. The learning abilities and behaviors are extremely important for the way infants develop. Throughout development, a child reaches several milestones, recognizable points in the child's development. An important first milestone in social development is the social smile, which is the smile that a baby gives in response to another. It shows that an infant is a social creature right from the beginning of his or her life. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly Infancy research: 5 exam... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infants-social-moral-development Title: Understanding infants’ development of moral and social behavior Description: At the Centre of Infant Cognition at UBC in Vancouver, researchers conduct independent studies as well as participate in ManyBabies projects to further understand the development of moral and social behaviors of infants. Content: At the Centre of Infant Cognition at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, the main goal is to further understand the development of moral and social behaviors and understanding of infants. To achieve that, they conduct independent studies as well as participate in ManyBabies projects (which are large-scale collaborative efforts to advance developmental psychology), and use Noldus tools to support their research. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly Social behavior and moral development: The building blocks of connection Social behavior and moral development are deeply intertwined, shaping how infants interact with others and understand right from wrong. From an early age, babies start recognizing emotions, responding to voices, and enagaging in simple social exchanges like smiling and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/food-of-the-future Title: Facing the food of the future Description: Insects are often termed the "food of the future," as they are a healthy and more sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources. But are we ready to face this new culinary frontier? Content: This blog post was written by Eva Speijer, who completed her Master's degree in Biological Sciences: Ecology and Evolution at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is also an educational employee at ARTIS | Natura Artis Magistra. Insects are often termed the "food of the future," as they are a healthy and more sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources (Van Huis et al., 2013). Because the global population faces both a health crisis and a climate crisis, the need for such alternatives has never been greater. But are we ready to face this new culinary frontier? Different cultural perspectives on eating insects In many cultures, insects are already a staple or even a delicacy, enjoyed in dishes like ant-egg caviar, roasted weevil larvae, and caterpillar popcorn. These delicacies are deeply embedded in the local cuisine. However, in Western cultures, insects are generally seen as unconventional, even disgusting, and certainly not part of the everyday diet (Onwezen... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gut-brain-vagus Title: Our gut microbiota influences how we feel Description: Our guts are our second brain. But how does that work? Researchers implanted the gut flora of depressed mice into non-depressed mice and observed the results. Content: For a long time, we believed that the brain was the sole commander of the body, sending out instructions while receiving minimal feedback, such as signals like pain. However, recent research has flipped this notion on its head. We now know that communication between the brain and the gut is much more complex, and even more surprising—the gut has a profound influence on the brain. In fact, the digestive system not only sends signals about fullness (satiety) but also plays a crucial role in regulating our mood and behavior. The Gut: Your "second brain" Scientists have begun to understand the vast role the digestive system, and the bacteria living in it, plays in our overall health and well-being. The gut's influence on mood and behavior is so significant that it's often referred to as a "second brain." Although it’s been clear that the gut impacts our mental state, the exact mechanism of this communication remained elusive, until recently. Experimental setup: Uncovering the Gut-Brain con... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pointing-gestures-infants Title: Exploring the early development of referential gestural communication Description: Understanding the importance of pointing gestures can provide valuable insights into children's developmental progress and support their overall growth and learning. Content: Imagine a sunny afternoon at the park, where children are playing happily. Amidst the laughter, an infant spots a colourful kite soaring high in the sky. Excitedly, she tugs at her father's sleeve and points upwards, her face lighting up with awe. This simple act of pointing does more than just direct her father’s gaze; it connects them in a shared moment of joy and communicates her fascination with the vibrant kite. In child development, the pointing gesture is a key milestone that shows the child’s ability to share attention and interests and to communicate specific needs or information. We are talking about referential communication. Socioemotional communication and referential communication Socioemotional communication is the way we express and understand emotions and internal states and create social connections when we interact with others. It's not about the words we use but about our gaze direction and focus of attention, facial expressions, vocalizations and body language. Ref... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pain-research Title: How to use facial expression analysis in pain research Description: As the world seeks more efficient research methods, automated facial expression analysis tools offer great potential for studying facial expressions. Could these tools be applied to pain assessment? Content: This blog post was written by Victor Lemain , who completed his Master's degree in Science, Management & Innovation at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. For his thesis, he did a market research internship at Noldus. How to use facial expression analysis in pain research As the world is continuously looking for new, innovative ways to conduct research in the most efficient way possible, automated facial expression analysis tools can already be a big help when studying facial expressions. What if we were to use these tools in pain assessment? Challenges in pain assessment Assessing and measuring physical pain can be accomplished through a variety of methods, considering factors such as behavioral cues and physiological responses. Currently, the golden standard for pain measurement relies on self-reporting, a subjective process that may create challenges for individuals with a lack of verbal communication skills. For example, for infants, individuals with aphasia, or pa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuromarketing Title: Neuromarketing research: Innovative research methods and techniques Description: Get your face read, your brain measured, and your heart rate checked. Innovative research methods and techniques found their way into neuromarketing. Content: For decades, marketers relied on questionnaires and interviews to understand consumer behavior, preferences, and motivations. However, these methods often fall short, capturing only the conscious thoughts of consumers while leaving their subconscious drivers unexplored. Non-verbal responses can also provide important information. Repeatedly, behavioral research has demonstrated that people often don't do what they say they will do. The rise of neuromarketing To get a better understanding of the unconscious preferences of consumers, innovative research methods and techniques found their way into the field of marketing studies. Neuromarketing, the science of understanding how consumers brains respond to marketing stimuli, has surged in popularity. This interdisciplinary field blends marketing, neuroscience, and psychology to uncover the hidden factors influencing consumer behavior. Neuromarketing research is a field of marketing that studies consumers' sensorimotor, cognitive, and affect... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ai-and-advertisements Title: Fake or real? AI illusions on the street Description: In Faux Out-Of-Home (FOOH) advertisement, real-world images are combined with computer-generated imagery and shared on social media. What happens to consumers' perceptions and emotions when you disclose that AI was used? Content: This blog post was written by Joyce Massop, who completed her Master's degree in Communication Sciences at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The thesis was supervised by Paul Ketelaar, Assistant Professor in Communication Science and the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) at Radboud University. In today's digital society, the use of AI in creating online marketing campaigns plays an increasingly significant role. One example of this is the viral marketing technique called Faux Out-Of-Home (FOOH), where real-world images are combined with computer-generated imagery and spread across social media. A notable instance is a video of the French fashion brand Jacquemus, which went viral in a matter of seconds with a catchy campaign. The video showed the popular Bambino bags shaped like buses driving through the streets of Paris. AI use in advertising: new rules Given this trend, governments are introducing regulations that require the use of disclosures for AI-generated conten... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-does-a-placebo-work Title: What is a placebo? And how does it work? Description: The placebo effect reveals how belief alone can influence pain and symptoms. Recent research uncovers brain mechanisms, like the panacea effect, involved in this effect in mice Content: The placebo effect is one of the most intriguing and mysterious phenomena in both medicine and psychology. At its core, it's the ability of a person's belief or expectation to influence physical and mental health outcomes, even when no active medication is involved. While it may seem almost magical, the placebo effect is backed by significant research and plays a crucial role in how we experience pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. But how exactly does this work, and what does recent research reveal about the underlying mechanisms in the brain? Let’s dive into the science behind this fascinating phenomenon. What is a placebo? If someone that you trust gives you a pill and tells you that it will make your headache go away, then it helps. Even if there is no painkiller in the pill. That is the completely bizarre phenomenon that we know of as the placebo effect. It typically affects symptoms like pain, fatigue and depression and can increase or decrease the effects of drugs. And has also b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/conference-measuring-behavior Title: Conference about techniques and methods for measuring behavior Description: With so many meetings, in so many fields of behavioral research, what makes the Measuring Behavior conferences stand out? Content: A quick search on the internet reveals that no one seems to know how many scientific conferences take place in a year. The best I could find was “it’s got to be huge”, and when it comes to it, that is as a good a quantification as you need. With so many meetings, in so many fields of behavioural research, what makes Measuring Behavior stand out? Two very important things. New methods and techniques are vital for the advancement of science First it is not about results, which is very unusual. Virtually every conference focuses on scientific results. However, in practice, it is often the developments in methodology that have lead to the real advances in science. Without the microscope there would have been no microbiology. Without the telescope, there would be no astronomy. And without x-ray crystallography, Watson and Crick would never have discovered the structure of DNA. New methods and techniques are vital for the advancement of science. Multi-disciplinary conference Second, Measurin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/combination-of-modes Title: Should you use a combination of modes to optimize behavioral studies? Description: If you ask a scientist what they think of when you say, ‘behavioral study’, they will come up with wildly differing answers, depending on their own type of work. Content: If you ask a scientist what they think of when you say, ‘behavioral study’, they will come up with wildly differing answers, depending on their own type of work. Behavioral studies of people can be roughly divided into four categories: Observational studies are about watching and recording people’s behaviors. Implicit measures are measurements of physiology, facial expressions, etc. Explicit measures are where you ask individual test participants or subjects questions either during a task or afterwards. Surveys are similar to explicit measures but in this case you ask questions to large groups of people and the questions are not normally related to a task. Each type has specific advantages and disadvantages. Observational studies These are the classic type of study in psychological research. They are objective (and therefore potentially unbiassed), take place in controlled conditions, can be replicated and are often designed to test a falsifiable hypothesis (and so fall under the usual... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/all-the-little-things-that-affect-animal-behavior Title: All the little things that affect your animals' behavior Description: In behavioral research, even the smallest details can significantly influence the behavior of animals. Understanding these nuances is crucial for the accuracy of your data. Content: In behavioral research, even the smallest details can significantly influence the behavior of animals. Understanding these nuances is not only crucial for ensuring the accuracy of your data, but also the welfare of your animals. In this blog we lay out some key factors that can affect animal, particularly rodent, behavior and tips on how to manage them effectively. 1. Handling techniques When we talk about handling animals in a research setting, consistency and care are paramount. Handling is often the most direct interaction researchers have with their animals, and these interactions can significantly influence their behavior. Consistency in handling Why it matters Variations in handling techniques can introduce stress, leading to behaviors that do not accurately reflect an animal's natural state. Stress responses can alter physiological and behavioral parameters, making data unreliable. Best practices Ensure the same person handles the animals using the same method every time. For ex... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/viso-gdpr Title: 5 tips to help behavioral researchers comply with privacy legislation Description: Privacy legislation can mean extra concerns for behavioral researchers, but these tips make your life easier. Content: We all generate data about ourselves every time that we use the internet, take a journey or purchase an item. That sort of information can reveal a lot about a person, including private and personal things that you don’t necessarily want everyone to know and that could lead to discrimination. Because of that, many countries and regions have upgraded their privacy laws in recent years. Legislation The personal data of the entire European Union is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the health data of American citizens is protected by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), for instance. California gives its consumers additional protection with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). All those laws are valuable in protecting citizens’ rights, but they can make the work of scientists such as psychologists, health researchers and consumer behavior researchers more complicated. If you are doing that sort of research, you routinely co... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/increase-attention-commercials-gen-z Title: How to increase attention in commercials for Gen-Z Description: Generation Z has the shortest attention span for commercials, yet they are becoming an increasingly important market segment. Understanding what captures their interest and how to engage them in commercials is crucial. Content: This blog post was written by Pim Sommerdijk, who completed his Master's degree in Commercial communication in Communication Sciences at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The thesis was supervised by Paul Ketelaar, Assistant Professor in Communication Science and the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) at Radboud University. Advertising avoidance In today's saturated digital advertising landscape, the battle for consumer attention is fiercer than ever. Consumers increasingly avoid ads, perceiving them as intrusive, annoying, or boring1. Generation Z has the shortest attention span for commercials, yet they are becoming an increasingly important market segment. Understanding what captures their interest and how to engage them in commercials is crucial for marketers aiming to compete in this competitive market and design effective ads2. Learn more about tools for neuromarketing research. Top-down and bottom-up visual attention processes Advertising avoidance is a result of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/phase-dispersions-explained Title: Understanding phase dispersion in CatWalk XT Description: CatWalk XT 10.7 introduced circular graphs for phase dispersion and coupling. In this blog post we go over these parameters, and how they are calculated. Content: After years of robust and trustworthy service, Noldus is once again innovating their gait analysis system. As a result, the latest update CatWalk XT 10.7 has many quality-of-life improvements and much needed updates to its underlying software architecture, all to prepare it for future improvements and the latest video and AI technologies. Phase dispersions and coupling revitalized One of the major things that in need for an update in 10.7 were the way we visualized and calculated the phase dispersions and coupling parameters. Although not wrong, we discovered that the old way of representing these parameters was not intuitive and could lead to the wrong interpretation of their values. Since phase dispersions and couplings are the two most difficult parameters to grasp, and since it requires some basic understandings of circular statistics, we will touch upon those concepts in this blog post a bit more. Therefore, this blog post is for those starting out with gait analysis or seasoned v... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-study-developmental-psychology Title: How to study developmental psychology: methods, designs & tools Description: What should you consider when setting up a study in the field of development psychology? Read on to learn more about methods, designs & tools. Content: Every person goes through a development during his life. A physical development, but also a social, emotional, cognitive, and intellectual development. Researchers in developmental psychology examine the various stages of life, from baby to schoolchild, to adolescent, to adult and finally to the elderly. They look at how and why people do the things they do. Observing people’s behavior is a good method for this. FREE TRIAL: Try The Observer XT yourself! Request a free trial and see for yourself how easy behavioral research can be! Work faster Reduce costs Get better data Get your Free trial What is developmental psychology? Developmental psychology is a scientific discipline that explores how individuals change and grow across their lifespan, focusing on the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of development. It examines how various factors, such as genetics, environment, and experiences, shape and influence an individual's development from infancy to adulthood. By study... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-facereader-is-validated-in-research Title: How FaceReader is validated in research Description: In this blog post, we'll dive deeper into the validity and different applications of FaceReader—the most robust tool for automated facial expression analysis. Content: From psychology to education or consumer behavior: facial expressions provide researchers with valuable insights into human emotions. Yes, you can use surveys or interviews to ask people about what they feel—but we're often not able to recognize or explain exactly what we feel at that moment. Facial expressions, on the other hand, reveal our immediate and unconscious emotional reactions. And with the latest tools, you can measure facial expressions quickly and objectively. In this blog post, we'll dive deeper into the validity and different applications of FaceReader—the most robust tool for automated facial expression analysis. What can you measure with FaceReader? FaceReader measures the six basic emotions as proposed by Ekman1: happiness, surprise, anger, fear, disgust, and sadness. The software is also able to recognize contempt and a neutral state, and provides information on gaze direction and head orientation. You'll also find measurements of Action Units (AUs), which describe m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/human-factors-and-ergonomics Title: Human Factors and Ergonomics research in the spotlight Description: We want to set the spotlight on new developments and publications in Human Factors and Ergonomics research. From maritime simulation centers to the use of video observations in human factors research. Content: The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society was founded in 1957. Today it is the world’s largest scientific association for human factors and ergonomics professionals.With over 3,500 members globally, comprised of psychologists, designers, and engineers, all of whom have a common interest in designing systems and equipment to be safe and effective for the people who operate and maintain them. Human Factors and Ergonomics research in the spotlight Every year the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) organizes a major scientific event where colleagues can discuss recent developments in Human Factors and Ergonomics research. We have been exhibiting at their annual meetings regularly over the past years. This year the HFES Annual Meeting is organized in Chicago, IL from October 13-17, 2025. We want to set the spotlight on new developments and publications in Human Factors and ergonomics research. Human factor research in a ship bridge simulator The Maritime Research Institute Netherland... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ethovision-tips Title: Did you know about these tips and tricks in EthoVision XT? Description: Whether you are a seasoned user of EthoVision XT or just starting out. There is always an opportunity to learn more about the best video tracking software available. Content: EthoVision XT, one of the most advanced behavioral tracking softwares, has been around for quite some time now and is used by many scientists of various skill levels. At Noldus we strive to provide software to our users that are both easy to use and have all the capabilities you might need. However, since EthoVision XT is such an expansive program there are a myriad of features you might have missed. A new user or seasoned veteran, that doesn’t matter: there is always an opportunity to learn more about this great piece of tech. In this blog post we will go over some of the best features of EthoVision XT that make your research easier and better! 1) Gain a head-start with templates If you are doing behavioral research and are using standard tests like the Morris water maze or the open field test, there is a good chance you don’t have to do much to get started with EthoVision XT. When you start a new experiment, you can choose to start your experiment from a template. With this template,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/5-best-ways-to-use-facereader Title: The 5 best ways to use FaceReader: a systematic review Description: Facial expressions offer a rich source of information about human emotions. In this study, Elisa Landmann examines the best ways to collect, handle, and analyze FaceReader data in different areas of research. Content: Facial expressions offer a rich source of information about human emotions. Unlike surveys or interviews—which rely on people's ability to articulate what they feel—facial expressions can reveal immediate, unconscious emotional reactions. One of the areas where facial expression analysis is particularly valuable is consumer behavior research, where emotional reactions can significantly influence decision-making processes. But facial expression analysis is also widely used in other research areas, including behavioral science, medicine, psychology, finance, and education. In this study1, Elisa Landmann examines the best way to use FaceReader in these different areas of research, focusing on experimental designs, accurate data handling and analysis, and other methodological considerations. Understanding emotions In the field of emotion research, two important theories of emotion include the basic emotion theory (Ekman2) and the circumplex model (Russell3). The basic emotion theory sugges... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facereader-affective-attitudes Title: Why you want to find out if your customers are bored Description: Emotions deeply influence our daily lives, shaping our moods and behaviors - including our decision making. That's why facial expression analysis is often used in consumer and behavior research. Content: Emotions deeply influence our daily lives, shaping our moods and behaviors. When you feel happy, you are more likely to have a productive day at work and enjoy the things you do. It might also make you more receptive to that billboard you saw at the bus stop on your way to work. On the other hand, if you are moody or even getting bored while watching an advertisement, chances are you are not very interested in the product - let alone buy it. Why are emotions important to study? No wonder researchers, advertisers, and marketers are interested in studying these emotions. They play a key role in non-verbal communication and decision making, and are essential to understanding human behavior. For the same reason, many marketing conferences are filled with talks about advertisement effectiveness or the most persuasive texts for packaging design. This general interest in emotions is one of the reasons that facial expression analysis is often used in consumer and behavior research. Emotion dat... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/student-facial-expression-analysis Title: Student facial expression analysis while watching instructional videos Description: Is boredom the opposite of interest? Lídia Vinczéné Fekete and her research team used FaceReader and The Observer XT to find out what makes students get bored and which elements encourage interest. Content: This blog post was written by Lídia Vinczéné Fekete , Education Methodology Advisor at the Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement and Methodology of the Corvinus University of Budapest. Student facial analysis while watching instructional videos: Is boredom the opposite of interest? Boredom, a common challenge among higher education students, has been extensively studied in recent years (Finkielsztein, 2020; Sharp et al., 2020; Yadegaridehkordi et al., 2019). Studies have shown its significant negative impact on student performance and well-being. While boredom involves reduced attention and task involvement, it's more than just a lack of interest. (Pekrun et al., 2023; Westgate & Wilson, 2018). With help of the results of such studies, educators can develop instructional materials more effectively by understanding the factors that influence student engagement. A recent study (Sass et al., 2023) explores the dynamic between boredom and interest in student facial expressions during... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-housing-tethered-animals Title: Did you know you can (semi) socially house tethered animals? Description: Socially housing tethered animals can be challenging, but also crucially beneficial to your study. Read more about how with our PhenoTyper we can solve that dilemma! Content: A significant challenge in behavioral neuroscience research is maintaining social housing for tethered animals. Tethering, which involves attaching devices like EEG electrodes or infusion cannulas to animals, is crucial for continuous physiological monitoring and substance delivery. However, such a setup does not only restrict an animal’s movement, but also prevents social housing, which can be vital for the well-being and natural behavior of rodents. Pros and cons of social housing in rodents Pros Behavioral enrichment: Social interactions facilitate the development of natural behaviors such as grooming, playing, and social hierarchies. These interactions are essential for cognitive and emotional development, contributing significantly to the physiological health of rodents. Stress reduction: Rodents housed in groups typically exhibit lower stress levels. This reduction in stress can decrease the occurrence of stress-induced pathologies, enhancing the general health and well-being of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/MB2024-animal Title: 5 reasons to attend Measuring Behavior 2024 Description: Measuring Behavior is the conference for all those interested in new methods and tools for measuring the behavior of people and animals. Have a look at all the great learning and networking opportunities you can have. Content: Measuring Behavior is the conference for all those interested in new methods and tools for measuring the behavior of people and animals. We go over 5 reasons why you should attend Measuring Behavior 2024. Also, it is almost May and therefore we have also included some of the presentations and tutorials you can attend during your visit to Aberdeen. 1. It has a unique focus on tools and methods Most scientific conferences focus on the results of studies. However, without methods, there are no results. In recent years, results of previous studies in the behavioral sciences have been called into question because of errors in their methods or because they cannot be reproduced. Therefore, correct methods are vital, and papers associated with methods often have the highest citation rate. Measuring Behavior is mostly focussed on discussing and exploring methods old and new. At the conference you can learn about the latest innovations in rodent, zebrafish, and many other animal and human behavi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-stress-emotions-affect-performance Title: How stress and emotions can affect performance Description: Medical first responders need to undergo extensive trainings to maintain and enhance their skills. Malfait and her team developed a methodology to measure the management of stress and emotions. Content: Every day, medical first responders (medics, nurses, and physicians) bravely rush into the heart of emergencies, ready to save lives and provide critical care. While their dedication and expertise are commendable, what often goes unnoticed are the emotional challenges and stressors they face behind the scenes. Witnessing trauma, grappling with loss, and navigating their own vulnerability, these heroes confront a myriad of emotional and stressful hurdles in their line of duty. Regular practice through simulation training is essential Because they face such complex situations, first responders need to undergo extensive trainings. It enables them to maintain and enhance their skills and to practice various procedures. They will engage in realistic scenarios that closely mimic actual emergency situations. They can practice to coordinate their efforts as a team, delegate tasks, and make critical decisions. By recording these simulation training sessions on video, they get a detailed picture... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/joint-engagement-down-syndrome Title: Language development and joint engagement in children with Down syndrome Description: In children with Down syndrome, delays in speech and language skills are common, while early social skills are relatively strong. How are these developmental milestones related? Content: Developmental milestones in children with Down syndrome (DS) can be very different from those in neurotypical children. For example, delays in speech and language skills are common in children with DS, while early social interactions are relatively strong. Researchers Mattie and Fanta wanted to know how these early social skills are related to later language development in children with DS. Specifically, they wanted to know more about the role of different types of joint engagement.1 Joint engagement and language development When researchers talk about joint engagement, they refer to the shared focus between a child and their caregiver on an object or activity. It's a social skill, where both participate in observing, interacting with, or discussing an object or event. For all children, including those with Down syndrome, joint engagement is a precursor to language development2. In their study, researchers Mattie and Fanta focus on two types of joint engagement: supported and coordinat... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/psychology-conferences-2024-2025 Title: Psychology conferences in 2024 and 2025 Description: Conferences are an excellent way to combine work, learning, and social interaction. To help you plan your year, we've curated a comprehensive list of international psychology conferences for 2024 and 2025. Content: Are you looking to expand your knowledge, network with peers, and stay updated on the latest trends in psychology? Conferences are an excellent way to combine work, learning, and social interaction. To help you plan your year, we've curated a comprehensive list of international psychology conferences for 2024 and 2025. Whether you prefer in-person, virtual, or hybrid events, you'll find something that suits your needs. Discover psychology conferences in 2024 and 2025 Conferences offer a unique opportunity to meet fellow professionals and gain valuable insights into the latest research and techniques in psychology. But with so many events happening around the world each year, how do you choose which ones to attend? Our ultimate guide to psychology conferences in 2024 is here to help. We've meticulously sorted the top conferences by region, ensuring you can easily find and attend the best events to advance your career. Don't miss out on these opportunities to learn from industry experts... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-use-facereader-lab Title: How to use FaceReader in the lab Description: Are you interested in using automatic facial expression analysis in a standardized lab setting? Here are 5 tips to get you started! Content: Many researchers have turned towards using automated facial expression analysis software to help them with getting objective assessments of emotions. FaceReader is a well-established tool for the automation and analysis of facial expressions. How to use FaceReader in the lab Are you interested in using automatic facial expression analysis with FaceReader software in a standardized lab setting? Here are some tips to consider in addition to our earlier tips to optimize facial expression analyses. With these five tips you are ensured to optimize your facial expression analysis during your lab research. 1. Position the camera below the computer screen It is important to record participants’ faces from the front as much as possible (see also Loijens’ tip 2). When participants are in front of a computer screen, the facial expression coding works better when you place the camera below the computer screen instead of on top of the screen (i.e., record slightly from below instead of from above).... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-choose-noldus-measuring-behavior Title: What makes Noldus special in measuring behavior? Description: Why do we write e-books, white papers and even this blog? What drives us in behavioral research? And why choose Noldus? Content: When it comes to behavioral research, having Noldus as your partner is a game-changer. But what exactly sets us apart? In short: It's not just our state-of-the-art tools; it's our deep-rooted expertise, commitment and passion to the field itself. When we create, advertise, and sell our products, we aim to make sure that our behavioral solutions make sense. Our passion for science Whether you’re exploring anxiety with the Elevated Plus Maze, or assessing learning and memory with the Morris Water Maze; it's our understanding of the subtleties in behavior that allows us to offer products such as EthoVision XT that truly meet the needs of behavioral researchers. Then, there's the CatWalk XT system, which showcases our approach to measuring free-walking gait in rodents. Unlike methods that might induce forced gait, potentially skewing the natural representation of gait in rodents, the Catwalk XT system allows for the observation of voluntary movement. This method captures a wealth of data o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-micro-dynamics-couples-interactions Title: Understanding the micro-dynamics of couples’ interactions Description: How do aspects of romantic relationships, such as communication and emotions, develop during real-time couples’ interactions? A study on this was conducted in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich. Content: This blog post was written by Myrto Dolcetti, PhD student and assistant at the Gerontopsychology and Gerontology Unit & the Clinical Psychology Children/ Adolescents and Couples/ Families Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich. Understanding the micro-dynamics of couples’ interactions across the adult lifespan The way romantic partners communicate in their daily interactions, as well as experience and express emotions, is associated with the partners’ and couples’ well-being, both in daily life and in the long-term (e.g., Hoppmann et al., 2011; Weber, 2021). Investigating and understanding these communication and affective patterns is thus crucial for promoting couples’ well-being over the adult lifespan. This includes examining their development during everyday couples’ interactions as well as over a longer period of time. Romantic partners mutually and continuously influence each other. Changes in the behavior or emotions of one partner affect the behavior and emotions... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/brand-authenticity-ads Title: How does perception of brand authenticity affect ad performance? Description: For brands seeking to resonate with customers, being seen as authentic is vital. Using custom expressions in FaceReader, we explore how perception of brand authenticity relates to ad performance. Content: What is authenticity? When we talk about authenticity, we're diving into what makes something real. It's about being genuine and connecting with people on a deeper, more meaningful level. It means being true to oneself by doing what is promised, being open and transparent, and acting according to one’s values. This is true for people, but also for brands. Imagine a brand as a person—it needs to keep promises, show its true colors, and act on real values to truly connect. It's this essence of authenticity that can make a brand stand out in the crowded marketplace of ideas. For brands seeking to resonate with consumers, being seen as authentic is vital for creating trust and loyalty. Why brand authenticity matters In the United States, television advertising spending is estimated to be between $60-65 billion per year. Single events, like the Super Bowl, cost $7 million for a 30-second spot. That's why it's imperative that commercial spots yield results for a brand’s targeted segment. But... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/catwalk-xt-gait-analysis-versus-treadmills Title: CatWalk XT gait analysis vs treadmills Description: In this blog post, we will discuss how the CatWalk XT method and treadmill method for gait analysis differ from each other, and what you should consider about both methods when performing gait analysis. Content: Traditionally, there are two fundamentally different ways to perform gait analysis in animals. One can either observe or measure gait in a forced manner, as seen when using a treadmill or treadwheel, or in an unrestricted manner, such as with CatWalk XT. In this blog post we will discuss the pros and cons of different gait assessing methods, and compare them to the CatWalk XT gait analysis method. Unforced vs forced gait analysis The unforced way of assessing gait ability is what we see in many daily practices of physicians- watching closely as the patient moves towards them in a straight line. In lab animals, this is translated into traditional methods such as BBB scoring and paw inking. The main advantage of unforced gait analysis is that the animal is allowed to move at a speed that its gait (ab)normality or endurance will allow while it preserves all vestibular and visual inputs. Variety between treatment groups When analyzing gait differences, there is often variety within and bet... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/integrating-multiple-data-streams Title: How to easily apply multimodal measurement during research with children Description: A child development researcher can encounter quite a few challenges when wanting to measure multiple data streams. How do you make that run as smoothly as possible plus integrate all data seamlessly? Content: Researchers today are not only using observations to study behavior, but they are complementing their toolbox with a wide range of other measurement tools. §For example, tools to measure pupil reactions, blood pulse, blood volume, skin conductance, heart rate, and brain activity will greatly increase the insights you gain during research when you combine this with video-based observation. Assessing social skills or emotional empathy in children For example, when social skills are the topics of your research and you want to study how infants and parents respond to emotions of others, their pupil sizes will tell you something about the physiological arousal while they observe other people. Eye-tracking data can be used to measure the pupil reactions [1]. Or, to provide insights into infants’ responses to sociomoral scenes, especially infants who do not use spoken words yet, neuroimaging techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) better explain the nature of the mental processes. §Se... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/5-reasons-why-you-should-use-high-quality-cameras-for-video-tracking Title: 5 reasons that prove why a high-quality camera is essential for video tracking Description: In animal behavioral research, especially when we're looking at rodents and zebrafish, getting your behavioral analysis right is crucial. Top-notch camera technology therein is a must have. Content: In animal behavioral research, especially when we're looking at rodents and zebrafish, getting your behavioral analysis right is crucial. We need to be precise and reliable. And a big part of that comes down to using high-quality cameras for video tracking. In this blog, we're going to explore why top-notch camera technology isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a must-have for researchers who want to collect data that's not only accurate and detailed but truly insightful. Camera just as important as tracking software When it comes to cameras, think Orwell’s Animal Farm: They’re all equal, but some are more equal than others, meaning that all will provide images for tracking, but there is a trade-off between price and quality. You could easily use a Microsoft Lifecam for tracking if you don’t mind losing image frames or sacrificing image-to-image timing. This might not be a problem for tracking rats in the water maze but won’t suffice examining twitching or other stereotypy behaviors. GigE ca... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/baby-facereader-automated-facial-expression-analysis Title: Using Baby FaceReader for automated analysis of infant emotions Description: What if you had a way to understand a baby's unspoken needs? Analyzing facial expressions in infants helps researchers and caregivers understand more about the early development of emotions and social interactions. Content: Facial expression analysis is vital in understanding human emotions and social interactions. It can be even more valuable when studying infants, as they have not yet developed verbal communication skills. Babies have to rely on nonverbal cues to convey their feelings. What if you had a way to understand their unspoken emotions and needs? Analyzing facial expressions in infants helps researchers and caregivers understand more about the early development of emotions and social interactions. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly Why automated facial expression analysis is better Traditionally, experts relied on manual observation to study emotions. The downsides of this way of working are that it can yield inconsistent results and is highly time-consuming. The development of automated facial expression analys... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-biometric-research Title: What is biometric research? Description: Biometric research helps scientists uncover subconscious processes related to attention, cognition, emotion, and physiological arousal. Content: Biometric research helps scientists uncover subconscious processes related to attention, cognition, emotion, and physiological arousal. While explicit behavior is often studied through interviews and surveys, implicit responses tell a deeper story: one that cannot always be captured through self-reporting. What is biometric research? Biometric research involves measuring physiological and behavioral signals to understand how people think, feel, and respond. It provides real-time data on subconscious reactions, helping researchers analyze emotions, cognitive workload, and physiological arousal. These tools are now widely used in fields that study human behavior, including: psychology, educational research, UX research, and neuromarketing. Each biometric sensor provides different insight into human behavior: combining multiple sensors, researchers can gain a better understanding (and prediction!) of human behavior. Different sensors to measure behavior By using biometric sensors, researc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/science-of-emotions Title: The science behind your emotions Description: Have you ever wondered where your emotions come from? Let’s dive into the science behind our emotions and discover how our brain and body work together to make us feel. Content: Have you ever wondered where your emotions come from? Of cried out that your emotions were all over the place? Why do you feel happy when you see a loved one, but sad when you hear about a tragedy? Would you be surprised to learn that there is a lot of science behind our emotions? Read on and discover how our brain and body work together to make us feel. The brain's role in our emotions Believe it or not, your emotions are believed to come from the brain. Yes, you read that right, the brain! The limbic system to be more precise, a complex network of structures deep within our cerebral cortex. This is the part of the brain responsible for our emotions, motivation, and behavior. It's the control center of our body and is responsible for processing and interpreting different emotional stimuli. The limbic system, a group of structures within the brain, is primarily responsible for our emotions, motivation, and behavior. Meet the limbic system: your emotional HQ So how does the limbic syste... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-you-should-use-custom-expressions Title: Why you should use custom expressions in your facial expression analysis Description: Using custom expressions in facial expression analysis can unlock a deeper understanding of human behavior. How can you use custom expressions in different fields of research? Content: When delving into the complexities of human emotion, researchers often turn to the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), which breaks down facial expressions into individual components known as Action Units (AUs). Using these AUs - in combination with other metrics - it is possible to create your own custom facial expressions for your research. How can you use these custom expressions in different fields of research? And how do you create them in your facial expression software, like FaceReader? Benefits of custom expressions The use of custom expressions in facial expression analysis is a growing field. They offer benefits for researchers across various disciplines. That's because custom expressions can unlock a deeper understanding of human behavior that basic facial expressions might not reveal. Curious about how it could benefit your research? Below, we list some of the ways that custom facial expression enrich different fields of study. MEASURE YOUR EMOTIONS: What does your face say... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/phenotyper-applications Title: The many uses of the PhenoTyper Description: With its new top unit, the PhenoTyper is even more versatile than before. Follow in the footsteps of those who have already added the PhenoTyper to their lab and learn all about its varied applications. Content: PhenoTyper is more than just a cage, it's the perfect standardized environment for behavioral testing. Paired with EthoVision XT, it becomes a complete, automated solution for both short-term studies and long-term home cage experiments. EthoVision XT controls every aspect of the PhenoTyper setup, from video tracking and behavior recognition to precise hardware control. Whether you're running cognitive tasks, monitoring circadian rhythms, or designing complex learning protocols, this integrated system adapts to your research needs. However, you might be wondering; "what are the research applications of the PhenoTyper?", "and what can I achieve with this powerful combination? In short: PhenoTyper 2 can be adjusted to facilitate a great variety of tests! Long term behavioral recording The PhenoTyper is an ideal environment for long term behavioral testing. Rodents can spend hours, days, or even weeks in the PhenoTyper with no, or minimal human interference. This limits the stress an anima... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-develop-training-and-education-facility Title: How to develop your training and education facility Description: The use of video in education can be very helpful to develop required technical skills, soft skills, and specialized knowledge. Content: Many professionals, such as counselors, teachers, medical staff, and others, need to have developed the necessary practical skills prior to starting the actual job. Training and education facilities are crucial for this kind of individual development. Getting trained and educated helps individuals acquire and enhance skills relevant to their chosen fields. This can include technical skills, soft skills, and specialized knowledge. Training and education also contribute to personal growth. It fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. FREE WHITE PAPER: Video feedback in skills education 10 Reasons why video feedback is essential in skills education. Benefits for students Advantages for teachers and trainers Practical examples Get your copy instantly Many professions require ongoing education to stay current with industry trends, technologies, and best practices. Training facilities offer courses and programs to support professionals in their career development.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/research-examples-of-developmental-psychology Title: Research examples of developmental psychology Description: When you are studying developmental psychology, you’re studying how people grow and develop, all the way from childbirth to the end of their lifespan. What are examples of developmental psychology? Content: When you are studying developmental psychology, you’re studying how people grow and develop, all the way from childbirth to the end of their lifespan. What are examples of developmental psychology? It could be anything within a range of subject matters that are related to human growth. Not just psychological behavior, but anything from thoughts and emotions, cognitive and linguistic development, to decision making and motivation, moral and even physical development like motor skills. Research examples of developmental psychology Over the years we’ve come across many examples of research in developmental psychology, often done with various behavioral research tools. Are you looking for topics for developmental psychology research papers? We’ve put together an overview of research examples in developmental psychology that were published on the Behavioral Research Blog. Table of contents Infant Stage Adolescent Stage Adult Stage Examples of developmental psychology: Infant stage The infan... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/proper-screening-for-toxins-parkinsons-disease Title: Agricultural pesticides and Parkinson's Disease: current screening procedures Description: Parkinson's disease, what are its symptoms? What role do environmental toxins play in its development? And why should we be critical on current toxin research methods? Content: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases in the world, increasing significantly over recent decades. PD is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (Latin for "black substance"), a critical structure in the midbrain region which plays a vital role in movement control. Its dark appearance (and hence the name) is due to high levels of neuromelanin in the dopaminergic neurons. Although PD is primarily recognized as a movement disorder, it also encompasses several non-motor symptoms. Key Parkinson’s Disease symptoms in humans and rodents Motor symptoms Humans Motor symptoms Rodents Non-Motor symptoms Humans Non-Motor symptoms Rodents Tremor: often a resting tremor, noticeable in the hands, arms, or legs when relaxed. Tremor-like movements: Although not as prominent as in humans, some models show tremor-like activity. Cognitive changes: issues with memory, planning, or decision making. Cognitive impairments: memory and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-debrief Title: How to debrief a training session Description: What is debriefing, what to expect of debriefing, how to debrief a training session, and why is using a video feedback tool helpful? Content: When you google ‘How to debrief a training session’ you will find out that debriefing takes place in many different fields. Originally, debriefing sessions were used strictly for military purposes. Nowadays, in healthcare, education, and psychology, it is also very common to gather together after a training session and discuss what really happened during that session. What is debriefing? After a certain activity – such as a simulation session, a mock interview, or a training exercise – follows a meeting (the debriefing) in which a number of events that occurred during the activity are explored, lessons are learned, and extra information is given. A debrief is a simple, yet powerful tool that enables participants to reflect on what happened during a session and why it happened. Debriefing takes place soon after the activity, so that the events are still fresh in mind. This way, gaps in knowledge and performance can be identified. By reflecting on and recognizing the knowledge, skills, a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/noldus-recap-sfn-2023 Title: The Noldus SfN 2023 recap Description: A quick recap of our SfN 2023. What were some common trends? And what did our trusted customer base most commonly ask for? Find out this and more in this blog! Content: It’s already been a month since we visited SfN! We wanted to share a quick recap with you of our great week in Washington D.C. In this recap, you can read about some of the big trends during the conference, and new innovations we showed our trusted customers and newcomers to Noldus alike! The most common trend: AI AI was all the hype Current and new technologies are investing in, and promoting, AI strongly. AI is revolutionizing the way we measure behavior, quantify physiological parameters, and even how we read and dissect research papers. Noldus is not new to the AI field. We've already been implementing AI tracking for a few years, going back a few iterations of EthoVision XT, where we introduced deep learning tracking. Deep learning technology in EthoVision XT works on rats and mice with an even fur color and hooded (Long-Evans) rats. Using deep learning requires substantial computation power, you need a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) that is able to sustain those computations. Our... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infections-cognition Title: Unlocking the link between CNS infections and cognitive decline Description: Bacterial infections in the brain can have lasting effects even after recovery. In this blog we will look a study that used PhenoTyper and the CognitionWall to study the mechanisms behind this cognitive impairment. Content: Bacterial infections can be very harmful to our body. This is especially true in the central nervous system (CNS), where infections can lead to cognitive decline. A recent study shows that experiencing a CNS infection increases the risk of developing a form of dementia [1]. A key cause of the neurological damage is inflammatory responses to the infection. In this blog we will explore a research paper by Cassidy and colleagues that aims to explore the underlying mechanisms of these neurological complications using the PhenoTyper with the CognitionWall [2]. Studying brain infection with a mouse model For this study Cassidy et al., injected Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) into eight-week-old mice. Lm is a food borne bacteria that invades the brain and can cause neurological complications after infection. Lm is a traceable model organism, which makes is especially useful to study immune responses to CNS infections. The researchers injected D57BL/6J mice with either phosphate buffered saline or... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-effective-leadership-teamwork Title: Observing effective leadership and teamwork Description: How do organizations, leaders, teams, and employees work together to ensure efficient improvements and effective changes? The OBCC team combined video-based behavioral observations and physiological measures to examine this. Content: This guest blog is written by Dr. Desirée van Dun, Dr. Lara Carminati, Dr. Pauline Weritz, and Aninka Spekle of the Organizational Behaviour, Change Management & Consultancy (OBCC) team within the High-tech Business & Entrepreneurship department at the University of Twente. Observing effective leadership and teamwork through The Observer XT and BIOPAC software Society expects organizations to deal with the manifold global challenges that require major (technological) business transformation. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, many organizations pursue digital, agile, lean, and green, and employee-healthy ways of working. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the potential of fostering the professional teaming up in virtual and cross-cultural ways. Still, leaders and employees need a wide range of skills and behaviors to support these transformations and thus make a positive impact in our complex world. To support such an impact, we, the Organizational Behaviour,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/round-robin-dyadic-interactions Title: How to study social behavior and dyadic interactions Description: Social behavior is often studied by psychology researchers using the Round Robin design, especially in dyads. It ensures that all participants in a group interact with each other. Content: When studying social behavior and dyadic interactions in psychology research, the Round Robin design is the way to go. This methodology ensures that all participants in a group interact with each other. The Round Robin design helps researchers study the complexities of interpersonal relationships. What is a Round Robin design? A Round Robin design is a systematic approach used both in research and in competitions. In short, it means that each participant is given the opportunity to interact or compete with every other participant, one at a time. In the context of psychological research, particularly in studies involving dyadic interactions, this design ensures that every possible pair of participants engages in an interaction. As a result, you have comprehensive and balanced overview of the interactions within the entire group. What are dyadic interactions? Dyadic interactions refer to the social exchange between two individuals, encompassing both verbal and non-verbal communication. U... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuroscience-conferences-2024 Title: Neuroscience conferences you should visit in 2024 Description: Conferences are a great way to connect and learn. Here you can find a list of our favorite neuroscience conferences taking place in 2024. Content: This is an old list. For our overview of 2025 click here. Last week we went to our largest animal conference, SFN. And with SFN finished we start looking forward towards the new year. Conferences are always a great way to learn and connect with the forefront of behavioral neuroscience. In this blog we have made a list of our favorite animal neuroscience & behavior conferences held this year. We hope to be able to see you at one or more of these meetings. International Neuroscience Conference (INC) | January 25-26 The first conference we will visit after the new year is INC, in Pécs, Hungary. This meeting is held from the 25th till the 26th of January 2024. As a sponsor of this event we are happy to support this conference. Join us in Hungary for two days filled with interesting symposia, plenary sessions, and poster presentations. mitt2024.mitt.hu/invitation 4th Italian Zebrafish Meeting (IZM) | February 7-9 We are proud to announce that we are sponsoring this year's Italian zebrafish... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-students-behavior Title: How students can learn through hands-on experience Description: In the field of engineering, practical experience is highly important. Students need to work with state-of-the-art equipment. However, often resources are limited. Might Virtual Reality (VR) provide a solution? Content: Engineers are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build, and test new products. These may be machines, complex systems, innovative gadgets, or even new materials. Engineers make sure these new products work well and are safe to use. In short, engineers apply new discoveries to the real world. They are at the forefront of innovation, developing new and improved solutions to the challenges people face. Simple examples in everyday life are the bridges we ride on, the refrigerators we store our foods in, the elevators that bring us to the highest floor, or the new toys our kids play with. In the field of engineering, practical experience is highly important. Students in the engineering field need to work with state-of-the-art equipment, such as collaborative robots (CoBots). Characteristic of CoBots is that they work together with people (instead of independently). Besides, they are more affordable, smaller, and can easily be deployed in various processes. However, resources are oft... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-coding-what-and-how Title: Behavioral coding: What and how Description: When you study human behavior, coding your data is the initial step to analyze data. Coding behavior enables you to evaluate your research questions and draw reliable conclusions. Content: By observing behavior, you discover an awful lot about human life. For instance, you can study how children develop, how dyads interact, how consumers respond to advertisements, how a team communicates, and so on. When you are observing behaviors, either live or using recorded videos, you can gain an enormous amount of insight by coding the behaviors you are observing. Whether it is a child playing, a doctor and a patient interacting, or students practicing a new skill. What is behavioral coding? When you study human behavior, coding your data is the initial step to analyze data. The data obtained from (video) observations, surveys, or experiments are in raw form. This data needs to be refined and organized to be able to evaluate and draw conclusions. Behavioral coding helps quantify qualitative data and gives sense to raw data. It categorizes your data meaningfully. Behavioral coding has several benefits: Precise and reliable results Objective and replicable results Quantitative resul... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-mimicry-autism-spectrum-disorders Title: Facial mimicry and social cognition in children with autism spectrum disorder Description: When we want to understand each other better, we tend to copy one another's facial expressions. How does this work in children with autism spectrum disorder? In this blog post, you’ll learn more about facial mimicry in ASD. Content: When we want to understand each other during social interactions, we tend to copy one another's facial expressions. This facial mimicry not only helps along the conversation but is also associated with better emotional understanding and empathy1. So, what happens when facial mimicry is impaired? In this blog post, we discuss the work of researchers Liu, Wang, and Song as they study the underlying processes of facial mimicry in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)2. Facial mimicry in ASD When studying facial mimicry in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers have found mixed results. Many developmental psychology studies show deficits in facial mimicry, while other researchers find that this skill is intact in people with ASD. It is also unclear whether problems with facial mimicry are core deficits in ASD and what their relationship is with social cognition. To shed more light on this subject, Liu's team examined the underlying processes of facial mimicry in thi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gerlai-lab Title: Zebrafish Research made easy: a dive into the Gerlai Lab Description: Recently, we published a customer story on the Gerlai Zebrafish Lab in Toronto. In this blog we would like to tell you about the things we learned that could not fit into the video. Content: Last May we visited the Gerlai lab at the University of Toronto. We spoke to Robert Gerlai and some of his students about what they do and how they use EthoVision XT to learn about doing behavioral research. However, we couldn’t fit everything in our customer story on the lab. Therefore, I have written this blog to tell you more about what we learned at the renowned zebrafish (Danio rerio) lab. Check out the original video! Importance of zebrafish research From brain research to modeling diseases, you can’t go without measuring behavior. For the past decades Robert Gerlai has been studying zebrafish behavior at his lab. This is quite unique, since there are not many labs focused solely on zebrafish behavior. The first reason he chose zebrafish for his lab was to advance science in that field. The second reason was mainly for educational purposes. Indeed, in his lab many students are doing hands-on projects with zebrafish. The methods are quite easy to learn, and this facilitates an env... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/flies-fst Title: Replacing rodents with insects in behavioral testing Description: In this blog we delve into the use of flies as a new perspective for behavioral testing. How do they compare to rodents? And can conventional rodent tests be adapted to insects? Content: A lot of work is being done on reducing the number of animals used in scientific experiments. In some cases, it is possible to completely replace the use of animals by cell culture or computer models, for instance in some toxicology research. In other cases, more data can be obtained from fewer animals by having more sophisticated experiments and automating the measurements (for example, with Noldus' PhenoTyper and EthoVision XT). However, for some research, such as diseases of the brain and behavior, there is currently no alternative, and it is hard to image that there will be one in the coming years. The brain is an immensely complex organ with not only more electrical connections than we can imagine (something like 1-200 billion neurons with 150 trillion synapses), but also has refined interactions using hormones and neurotransmitters. Behavior is generated when that complex organ interacts with an equally complex body. In this blog we will discuss the replacement of often used rode... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/self-design-feedback-and-abandonment Title: From start to finish: decreasing abandonment when self-designing a product Description: Research shows that we like to design your own products, but often abandon the process before we're done. Does it help to provide feedback, and if so, what type of feedback works best? Content: Many major companies offer their customers the option to design their own products - from personalized gifts to customized jewelry or shoes. In the first blog post of this series on consumer experience and abandonment behavior, you've read about changes in valence during the self-design process. In the second blog post, we zoomed in on the relationship between these experiences and abandonment of a self-designed product. In this final blog post, we'll explore the possibility of influencing whether people finish their design or abandon the process. Does it help to provide feedback, and if so, what type of feedback works best? Read on to learn about the last two studies in the article by Krause and Franke.1 Unobtrusive observations with FaceReader When people design their own product, their experience follows a U shape: they start out motivated, get disappointed along the way, but end up satisfied with their final design - if they choose to persevere, that is. Using FaceReader, researche... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/poultry-behavior-tracking Title: The value of tracking software: using EthoVision XT to monitor broiler activity Description: What can EthoVision XT provide over manual observations? We explore that question in the context of a animal welfare study, where fly larvae were provisioned to broilers. Content: In the past, we have written about how EthoVision XT is used in rodents, fish and other laboratory animals. Fortunately, EthoVision is not limited to these species. This blog post was co-written by a former classmate of mine, Noa van Leuffen . She recently published a paper about utilizing pixel changes in EthoVision for Mapping Broiler Activity during Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Provisioning. We will look at the results of her study and the value that EthoVision has for monitoring poultry behavior. Using EthoVision to measure broiler behavior Fast-growing broilers in barren housing conditions may experience various welfare problems such as poor leg health and inactivity [1,2]. Securing and understanding proper welfare is essential for providing proper animal care. One approach to better broiler welfare is to increase their expression of natural behavior and general activity, for example by providing dried larvae, such as Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illuce... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-measuring-behavior-is-awesome Title: Why measuring behavior is awesome (+3 examples to prove it) Description: As ways to behave are numerous and we are a curious species, people have been measuring behavior for centuries now. So, why is measuring behavior awesome? These 3 examples prove it. Content: Behavior is a general and universal thing. To state it simply: behavior is the way a person or animal acts in a particular situation/environment. As ways to behave are numerous and we are a curious species, people have been measuring behavior for centuries now. So, why is measuring behavior awesome? These 3 examples prove it. Why measuring behavior is awesome People have been measuring both animal and human behavior for a long time. Behavior is the actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment. It is the computed response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary.[1] Measuring these behaviors can give amazing insights. By gaining insights into our behavior, we can unlock a deeper understanding of ourselves, our habits, and our choices. This self-awareness can lead to personal grow... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ethovision-superior-video-tracking-software Title: 8 reasons why EthoVision XT is the superior video tracking software Description: Discover the unparalleled efficiency and user-friendliness of EthoVision XT, the superior video tracking platform in behavioral research, offering advanced features and worldwide recognition. Content: In the realm of behavioral research, the need for sophisticated and user-friendly video tracking software is paramount. EthoVision XT stands out as the superior choice, offering a plethora of features and benefits that save time and enhance user experience compared to other software like ANYmaze and DeepLabCut. Here’s why EthoVision XT is the preferred choice for researchers around the globe. 1. Time-efficiency and user-friendly interface EthoVision XT is renowned for its fast and easy setup, allowing even inexperienced users quickly to get started. The automatic detection settings and intuitive interface enable users to upload videos in a batch and receive analysis results in a matter of seconds or minutes, as opposed to hours, saving invaluable time compared to other platforms like ANYmaze. 2. Advanced tracking algorithms EthoVision XT employs the most advanced tracking algorithms, including superior detection methods and deep learning technology. This allows researchers to track ani... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/self-design-abandonment-behavior Title: Design your own product: consumer experience and abandonment behavior Description: Researchers Krause and Franke studied how our experiences change while designing our own products. How do these experiences influence whether we finish a product or abandon the process? Content: In the first blog post of this series about consumer experience and abandonment behavior during self-designing, we discussed how people's experiences change while designing their own product. This provides valuable information for companies offering customization tools to their customers - for example, to design their own gifts, jewelry, or shoes. Researchers Krause and Franke found that consumers' valence follows a U shape: people start out motivated and positive, followed by a phase of disappointment when their expectations are not met, and ending with satisfaction after persevering with their design. Or, in a lot of cases, resulting in an abandoned design process. In the next part of their research, the team zoomed in on the exact relationship between valence and abandonment behavior. What makes people either leave the process or finish their product? Also read: Why you should use FaceReader Online for your human behavior research. Consumer research on self-designing In their study,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fragile-x-syndrome-mother-adolescent-interactions Title: Let's work together: mother-adolescent interactions in fragile X syndrome Description: All parents want their children to comply with their requests - for at least some of the time! What's the best way to request something when you have an adolescent boy with fragile X syndrome? Content: All parents want their children to comply with their requests - for at least some of the time! What's the best way to request something when you have an adolescent boy with fragile X syndrome? Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that causes a range of developmental problems, including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. Researcher Fielding-Gebhardt and her colleagues studied interactions between mothers and their sons with fragile X syndrome.1 Specifically, they wanted to know how mothers' requests and responsivity interacted with adolescent compliance while performing different tasks together. Understanding fragile X syndrome Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder that affects about one in 4,000 men and one in 6,000 women. People with FXS often experience difficulties with language, social communication, cognition, and daily living skills. Typically, boys have more severe deficits and behavioral problems. Also, about 50-75 percent of boys with fragile X syndr... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/lead-exposure Title: The effect of environmental levels of lead on zebrafish development Description: Lead exposure has a negative influence on the developing brain and body. Zebrafish research allows us to understand the effects of lead poisoning on the different stages of life. Content: It is a well-known fact that lead ingestion leads to potentially serious health consequences. This is especially true in infants, since their brain and nervous system are still developing and growing. If they are exposed to even very small amounts of lead, this can cause, among other, memory difficulties, hyperactivity disorder and even deformities. Unfortunately, lead pollution is common in the current industrialized society, which means that exposure of infants and adults alike to toxic concentrations of lead is common as well. Systematic research to lead exposure There is currently a lack of systematic research into this topic, and especially behavioral analyses have not been performed much yet. Because of that, scientists from China and Germany collaborated to study the effect of environmentally relevant concentrations of lead on zebrafish development. Due to the similarities of zebrafish to humans at the genomic level, they are a good species to use as an animal model. Neurobehavi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-use-video-feedback-in-education Title: Why use video feedback in education? Description: By using video and audio recordings in education, students and educators can receive and benefit from direct feedback. The more personal and detailed feedback is, the easier it is for students to relate to. Content: By using video and audio recordings in education, students and educators can receive and benefit from direct feedback. By recording skill training sessions, role-plays, simulations, or presentations, the student's actions and behaviors can be assessed. During review, interactions can also be observed. The more personal and detailed feedback is, the easier it is for students to relate to. This fosters motivation within students. It helps them to continue excelling and enhancing their skills the next time they engage in these activities. FREE WHITE PAPER: Video feedback in skills education 10 Reasons why video feedback is essential in skills education. Benefits for students Advantages for teachers and trainers Practical examples Get your copy instantly Empowering student learning: what are the benefits for students? Students are used to receiving information by watching short video clips. On a daily basis, students find themselves browsing multiple platforms for information (and for fun,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/augmented-toys-children-visual-impairments Title: Using augmented toys to facilitate play in children with visual impairments Description: How can we help children with visual impairments in their development of play and social interactions? Drs. Suzanne Verver and her team examined the effects of sound-augmented toys on peer play. Content: One of the main objectives of developmental psychology is to increase our knowledge on child development, so that we may help children who face developmental difficulties or delays. Researcher Verver and her colleagues focused on the development of social interactions in children with visual impairments. How can we help these children in their development of peer play? This blog post explores a study on sound-augmented toys in dyads of visually impaired children. Social and cognitive development Children with visual impairments face many challenges when growing up, including the development of social and cognitive playing behavior. With fewer opportunities to learn from observation and imitation, these children may experience difficulties in joint attention, understanding non-verbal behavior, and cooperative play. By playing alone more often, their development of complex playing forms, such as symbolic or pretend play, can be delayed up to two years compared to sighted children. This l... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fish-anxiety-obesity Title: Diving deeper: Obesity and Anxiety, a scientific perspective Description: It seems that there is a relationship between poor mental health and obesity. But the exact reasoning is far from clear. Animal experiments can shed light on the situation Content: It seems that there is a relationship between poor mental health and obesity. However, the relationship is far from clear. Does obesity damage mental health, perhaps through various hormonal and physiological mechanisms, or does poor mental health sometimes lead to lifestyle changes causing obesity (anxiety can cause an increase in appetite)? Perhaps it is a combination of the two. This proposed relationship between anxiety and obesity makes one think: "Can we expect an even greater increase in obesity as a result of the anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic? And which mental health issues are involved; is it predominantly depression or is it anxiety?" Both are common conditions (clinical anxiety disorder is experienced by almost 30% of people at some time during their life), with a variety of causes, making it hard to figure out what is exactly going on. In this blog we will explore a variety of studies that aim to explain the relation between anxiety and obesity. Rodent experiments... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/calcium-imaging-measuring-behavior-benefits Title: Calcium imaging and measuring behavior Description: What is calcium imaging, and how can you this technique to get a better understanding of complex rodent behavior? Read more about the basic principles and benefits of calcium imaging Content: Rodents such as rats and mice are powerful animal models for studying the mechanisms of behavior. Recent advances in imaging technology have enabled scientists to study the underlying neuronal networks responsible for various behaviors in rodents. One of the most powerful methods is calcium imaging, which allows researchers to observe activity patterns within neuronal networks and track changes in neuronal responses associated with different behaviors. In this blog, we will explore what this technique is, and how it can advance your behavioral research. What is Calcium Imaging? Calcium imaging enables researchers to observe and measure the activity of individual neurons in real-time, offering valuable insights into complex behaviors and the functioning of deep brain regions like the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus. Calcium ions (Ca2+) are essential signaling molecules involved in numerous cellular processes, including neuronal communication, muscle contraction, and gene expression. Ch... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognition-infants-down-syndrome Title: Understanding cognitive delays in infants with Down syndrome Description: Did you know that Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosomal diseases in people? Researcher Fidler and her colleagues aim to understand more about early cognitive development in people with Down syndrome. Content: Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects around one in every 700 babies born in the US. People with Down syndrome may experience intellectual disability and often have growth delays and distinct facial features. They are also at risk for autism, epileptic seizures, and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, people with Down syndrome experience a general delay in cognitive development. Difficulties in this area are most pronounced in attention, memory, and executive function. Cognitive development in early childhood In this study, Fidler and her colleagues examined cognition in infants with Down syndrome. They argue that it is important to understand delays in early development better, so that we can improve preventative care for this vulnerable group. Specifically, they focused on the relation between cognitive functioning and early attention and memory skills. During infancy, these skills include the ability to sustain and shift visual attention and the ability to temporarily store... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/self-design-consumer-experience Title: Just the way I want it: a study on consumer experience in self-designing Description: Consumer research suggests that you value a product more when you design it yourself - like sneakers or a gift. So, why do we abandon the self-design process so often? Find out in this blog post! Content: Consumer research suggests that you value a product more when you design it yourself. For example, companies offer the option to customize jewelry, clothing, beverages, or gifts. It's easy to see why this creates high value, as you can choose exactly what you want1 and may even experience a sense of pride2 in creating your own product. So, why do we abandon the self-design process so often?3 In this blog series, we'll explore six studies by researchers Krause and Franke4. They studied how people's experiences change while self-designing a pair of sneakers (blog post 1) and examined how these experiences influence abandonment behavior (blog post 2). Finally, they tested whether different types of feedback would help consumers to finish their products (blog post 3). In this first blog post of the series, we'll dive a bit deeper in consumer experience during the self-designing process. Self-design: high value, low completion Many major companies are introducing customization applications5... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuro-ted-talks Title: 6 TED talks to kick off your academic year Description: Let's get a good warming up for the new academic year. We have compiled six interesting neuroscience TED talks, ranging from optogenetics to AI, to inspire you in the new year. Content: Summer vacation is almost over. That means that we have to go back to work or school and crack our brain over complicated biological processes, or a menagerie of behavioral data. However, just like in sports, it is important to have a good warming-up. Therefore, we present to you a list of interesting TED-talks all about the brain, behavior, and neuroscience. Perhaps these amusing talks can inspire you for your next project. Enjoy! 1) A mouse. a laser beam. A manipulated memory Controlling memories with lasers might sound a bit like science fiction, but it is definitely real. Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu from MIT studied the use of optogenetics to change the memory and behavioral response to certain environmental stimuli. In this TED-talk they explain their methods and how they came to the idea of their research. And while erasing or altering memories might sound scary, it is still in its infancy. It is important for researchers in this field to remain aware of the ethical ramifications of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/human-behavior-research-labs-in-action Title: Behind the Scenes: Human Behavior Research Labs Description: Observation and analysis of human behavior is often done in labs. From babies to business, it can all be researched. Want to see how some of this research is done? Check out these amazing human behavior labs in action. Content: Exploring human behavior is at the heart of our business. We have made it our mission to help researchers around the world advancing their research. Observation and analysis of human behavior is often done in labs. From babies to business, it can all be researched. Want to see how some of this research is done? Check out these amazing human behavior labs in action. Behind the Scenes: Human Behavior Research Labs Over the past three decades we've been building research labs all over the world. They are always fully integrated with hardware and software for observation, recording, and analysis. Do you want to get some insights into some of the world's best human behavior labs? We go behind the scenes of some renowned behavioral research labs. Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY is home to a state-of-the-art facility that was specifically designed to conduct multi-disciplinary behavioral research. The Behavioral Research in Business Laboratory is... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/receptor-interaction-parkinsons-disease Title: A 5-HT1A agonist and NMDA antagonist against Parkinson’s disease Description: Reducing side effects of L-Dopa with 5-HT1A receptor agonists can improve motor activity in a Parkinson’s disease model when combined with NMDA antagonists. Content: Parkinson’s disease is a medical condition that is well-known for a common symptom; a resting tremor. Other symptoms are for example postural abnormalities, difficulties with voluntary movement and rigidity. Often, Parkinson's disease patients are prescribed L-dopa, the precursor to dopamine, in the early stages of their disease, but there are long-term use side effects in the form of involuntary motor complications. Therefore, scientists from the Capital Medical University in Beijing researched a way to reduce these symptoms. L-dopa effects compared to 5-HT1A receptor agonists Based on other studies, they tested among others the effect of 8-OH-DPAT (a 5-HT1A receptor agonist), and that of L-dopa on a Parkinson’s disease rat model. Various kinds of these agonists are often used together with L-dopa in order to reduce the long-term use side effects. However, the effect of only 8-OH-DPAT on Parkinson's disease was not tested before. The researchers also tested other drugs and (ant)agonis... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-audiovisual-lab Title: How to choose the best audiovisual lab for your project Description: AV recordings are becoming more important in the fields of education, professional skills, training, and medical simulation. But what are the right tools for you? Learn how to choose the right AV lab for your project. Content: Audiovisual (AV) recordings are becoming more important in the fields of education, professional skills training, medical simulation, and more. AV data helps students and professionals to learn more effectively, while also providing trainers with more insights and flexibility. But what is the best solution for you? It can be a challenge to choose from the many different AV tools available. In this blog post, you'll learn how to find the right AV lab for your project. Why do you need an AV lab? Audiovisual data greatly enhances your research, education, and training projects. AV data helps you to capture a wider range of information and better understand your participants. For example, audiovisual data may help you to gain insights into learning processes, teamwork, and communication. Moreover, students and professionals learn much faster when they can see what they do and immediately receive personalized video feedback on their performance. This evidence based learning strengthens thei... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotional-responses-disclosures-ads Title: Disclosure dilemma Description: Isabelle Leenders examined the influence of disclosures in influencer advertising on the brand attitudes and purchase intentions of young adults, mediated by their emotions and activation of persuasion knowledge. Content: This blog post was written by Isabelle Leenders, who completed her Master's degree in Communication Sciences at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The thesis was supervised by Paul Ketelaar, Assistant Professor in Communication Science and the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) at Radboud University. Unveiling the dilemma In today's digital society, influencer marketing plays an increasingly prominent role in how young adults make purchasing decisions1,2. Considering this trend, stricter regulations have been introduced by governments, requiring the inclusion of disclosures for sponsored content3. Through a disclosure (an advertising notification), consumers are informed about the commercial intent of an influencer's advertising message, and it helps them recognize the presence of advertising4,5. This can take the form of a hashtag, verbal mention, or description accompanying a post. Examples include "Advert," "#ad," or "paid promotion"6. The use of disclosures creates a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ethovision-xt Title: Everything you need to know about EthoVision XT Description: Over the last 25 years EthoVision XT has evolved from a video tracking software into an advanced, but user friendly, software platform. In this blogpost we tell you everything you need to know about EthoVision XT! Content: With over 35,000 publications, we can safely say that EthoVision XT is a widely used and applied video tracking software. Over the last 25 years EthoVision XT has evolved from a video tracking software into an advanced, but user friendly, software platform. Everything you need to know about EthoVision XT Recently we released EthoVision XT version 17.5, which includes a lot of great new features and improvements. In this blog, we summarized everything you need to know about these new features, the strengths of EthoVision XT and why you should use it in your research! Video tracking software First things first: what is EthoVision XT? EthoVision XT is a video tracking software that tracks and analyzes behavior, movement and activity of any animal. It means that the software detects an animal in a video file or from a live video feed and can track its whereabouts and movement. EthoVision XT can even measure movement at pixel-level. This is ideal for studying specific behaviors in rodents s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/make-instructional-videos-more-engaging Title: Do we help students by surprising them? Description: The role and usage of instructional videos are increasing in higher education. The research team of Sass & Vinczéné Fekete investigated which features make them more or less engaging for students. Content: This blog post was written by Lídia Vinczéné Fekete, Education Methodology Advisor at the Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement and Methodology of the Corvinus University of Budapest. Despite the end of remote education, the role and usage of instructional videos are increasing in higher education. They provide new opportunities for flexible and self-paced learning, which is especially helpful for those who, due to their individual learning style or difficulties, can learn more effectively using audio-visual resources than through text alone. However, the production of instructional videos is time and resource intensive, so it is worth investigating which features make them more or less engaging for students. How do you know someone is feeling (highly) engaged? Dayenne Sarkol-Teulings created a custom expression in FaceReader to measure the level of engagement. Learn more about her validation study by reading her blog post. Unobtrusive facial expression analysis A recent low-sampl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/catwalk-meta-analysis Title: Choosing the right parameters in CatWalk XT Description: CatWalk XT provides the opportunity to study a variety of gait parameters. But, which parameters should you use for your mouse model? Read this blog to learn more! Content: Every year many researchers switch from traditional paw inking to an automated system for gait analysis. Automatic gait analysis systems like Noldus’ CatWalk XT vastly improve reliability and efficiency of your research. However, making sense of the data generated with by automated methods is not always straightforward. You might be asking yourself questions like: What parameters are important for my disease model? Which parameters are important during disease progression? And perhaps many more. In this blog we will be looking at a paper written by Ivanna Timotius together with, among others, CatWalk XT product manager Reinko Roelofs [1]. In this paper Timotius et al. performed a meta-analysis of studies that used CatWalk XT. They looked at the readouts of those studies and which parameters were significantly impacted by certain diseases models. The aim was to use this information to help users select parameters to initially focus on in their disease model. Uncovering gait parameters F... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ai-responsible-use-facial-expression-analysis Title: AI and deep learning: Responsible use of facial expression analysis Description: The European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the first-ever regulation of AI. In this blog post, we explore how to use facial expression analysis responsibly and how it can contribute to scientific research. Content: On June 14, 2023, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the AI Act, the first-ever regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). The goal of the act is to ensure that AI developed and used in Europe adheres to EU rights and values, namely those related to human safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination, and social and environmental well-being. The AI Act is expected to go into effect in 2024. The act establishes differing rules based on four levels of perceived risk: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal. While the act prohibits certain AI practices, such as social scoring and intrusive biometric identification, it is crucial to note that the European Parliament was clear about the use of such technologies for academic research, stating on page 64 in their response to the European Commission: “It is therefore necessary to exclude from its scope AI systems specifically developed for the sole purpose of scientific research and development and to ensure that... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/maternal-responses-child-language-adversity Title: How maternal responses support child language development in adversity Description: Studies show that mothers’ responses to their children is crucial for their language development. How does this work for families facing adversity? Researchers Boulton, Levickis, and Eadle aimed to find out. Content: As a parent, you want to support your child in their language development. Research1 shows that how you talk to them and respond to what they are saying is crucial in this. How does this work in families facing adversity? Researchers Boulton, Levickis, and Eadle studied mothers and children facing adversity to find out what helps best in stimulating their language development. Stimulating language development in early childhood Studies show that mothers' responsive behaviors have a positive influence on their children's language development. Specifically, it works well to ask responsive questions, imitate what a child says, and expand on a child's words. There is also some evidence that labeling has a positive effect. What do we mean by these behaviors? For example, a responsive question can be "What's that?" when a child picks up a toy. Imitation means that a parent simply repeats what a child says. With expanding, a parent not only repeats their child's words, but adds something new... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/psychology-must-reads Title: Must-reads on psychology and behavioral coding Description: We've picked the best blog posts on psychology and behavioral coding from the Behavioral Research Blog. This curated summary lists some of our most useful and popular blog posts on psychology and behavioral coding. Content: We've picked the best blog posts on psychology from the Behavioral Research Blog and curated them together for you! This summary lists some of our most useful and popular blog posts on psychology, behavioral coding, and multimodal research. Psychology top picks Behavioral Research Blog Table of contents Behavioral coding: What and how 7 tips to make coding behavioral data more fun How to study developmental psychology Research examples of developmental psychology The power of multimodal research in human behavior studies How to easily apply multimodal measurement during research with children Understanding behavioral psychology with The Observer XT Behavioral coding: What and how The coding of your data is the first and most important step in data analysis when studying human behavior. For evaluation and conclusion-drawing, unprocessed data from (video) observations, surveys, or experiments needs to be refined and organized. In order to quantify qualitative data and provide raw data st... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-use-facereader-online Title: Why you should use FaceReader Online for your human behavior research Description: Facial expression analysis can help to get objective insights into the emotions of humans. A great tool to use for this is FaceReader Online. Content: If you are involved in any kind of research into human behavior, you’re likely wanting to get insights in how people feel. One way to do this is by choosing observational research, however, this form of research can be time-consuming and subjective. Facial expression analysis can help to get objective insights into people's emotions. A great tool to use for this is FaceReader Online. Why you should use FaceReader Online for your human behavior research Human behavior has fascinated us human beings, probably since our existence. Why do we act the way we do? And how has our behavior and lifestyle changed over the centuries? It's a topic that has been studied extensively. Nowadays, market research and studies into consumer behavior are popular as well, especially amongst anyone working in marketing. After all, don't we want to know how our customers feel and what they want? Using FaceReader Online in market and consumer research Consumer behavior research focuses on studying consumer acti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/scientific-theories-on-emotion Title: FaceReader and different scientific theories on emotion Description: In this blog post, Tess den Uyl, PhD, Peter Lewinksi, PhD, and Amogh Gudi, PhD from VicarVision outline how FaceReader is designed with scientific rigor and in accordance with responsible AI principles. Content: In this blog post, Tess den Uyl (PhD), Peter Lewinksi (PhD), and Amogh Gudi (PhD) from VicarVision outline how FaceReader is designed with scientific rigor and in accordance with responsible AI principles. FaceReader and different scientific theories on emotion Emotion has been a popular research topic for decades. This is evident by the vast amount of papers on the topic and the scientific debate surrounding it. For example, a well-known discussion is about the existence of a basic set of emotional expressions and whether emotions are universally similar or culturally diverse1. There is currently still not a singular theory on emotion that is widely accepted. Some critics also put doubt on the general idea of classification of emotion based on facial expressions2. We understand this leads to questions about the scientific foundation of FaceReader. In this post, we outline how FaceReader is designed with scientific rigor and in accordance with responsible AI principles, which allows al... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/black-box-research-tool-measuring-behavior Title: Why you shouldn’t use a black box to measure animal behavior Description: When studying animal behavior you should avoid using a research software tool that is a black box. What does that mean exactly? It should be easy and user-friendly, but also still flexible. Content: When studying animal behavior, as a researcher we want to rely on using video tracking tools that are reliable, insightful, easy to use, and most crucially to avoid using a research software tool that is a black box. Below we layed out a clear explanation of the potential risks and limitations of using a black box tool in behavioral research, along with questions you can ask your software supplier to make sure this isn’t the case! Why you shouldn’t use a black box to measure animal behavior Lack of transparency in data processing algorithms Blackbox tools often lack transparency in their algorithms, making it difficult for researchers to understand how the software processes specific readouts. But what does this mean? For example, if a blackbox software tool is used to measure anxiety in an elevated plus maze, the researcher might not have access to the specific algorithms (or settings) that the software uses to track and interpret the animal's movements, but more importantly in this e... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-measure-emotions Title: How to measure emotions Description: Measuring or assessing emotions is not always straightforward and easy. How do we view the nature of emotions in the first place? Content: In a previous blog post titled “How emotions are made”, I have outlined how neuroscience research in the past decades has shown that our brain gives meaning to our experiences/sensations through concepts such as emotions. So, emotions are created in the brain, rather than triggered by fixed brain circuitry in response to specific stimuli. In a follow-up post, “Why so angry? The role of context and function in facial expression analysis.” I explained how context is important when studying facial expressions. How to measure emotions The current blog post will be about how to measure emotions. What tools are available to us to, for example, measure the emotional response of a consumer to a commercial or different products? Can we rely on self-reports only, or do we also have to take into account behavioral measures (e.g., gestures, body position), physiological responses (e.g. heart rate, skin conductance), and facial expressions? In the current blog post, I will outline the concept of em... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-train-students-soft-skills Title: How to train students in soft skills: Tools and Techniques Description: It is essential to provide students with opportunities to develop their soft skills. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best tools and techniques for training students in soft skills. Content: Soft skills are a vital component of student success in both academic and professional settings. Soft skills involve a person's ability to communicate, collaborate, solve problems, manage time, and work effectively with others. These skills are often essential for success in the workplace and can help individuals develop strong relationships with coworkers, clients, and customers. Therefore, they are highly valued by employers, and they can make a significant difference in whether a student is hired or not. As a teacher, it is essential to provide students with opportunities to develop their soft skills. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best tools and techniques for training students in soft skills. FREE WHITE PAPER: Video feedback in skills education 10 Reasons why video feedback is essential in skills education. Benefits for students Advantages for teachers and trainers Practical examples Get your copy instantly Role-playing activities A great way to help students devel... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-emotions-are-made-angry-face Title: Why so angry? The role of context and function in facial expression analysis Description: Why do respondents show an angry facial expression when evaluating a website or product, when there is no reason to expect them to actually be angry? Read more in this sequel to the blog post "How emotions are made". Content: In a previous blog post titled “How emotions are made”, I outlined how neuroscience research in the past decades has shown that our brain gives meaning to our experiences/sensations through concepts such as emotions. So, emotions are created in the brain, rather than triggered by fixed brain circuitry in response to specific stimuli. I ended the blog with the question: “Why do respondents sometimes show an angry facial expression when evaluating a website or product, when there is no reason to expect them to actually be angry”? In the current blog post I will try to answer this question. RESOURCES: Read more about FaceReader Find out how FaceReader is used in a wide range of studies and how it can elevate your research! Free white papers Customer success stories Featured blog posts Resources Hint: context and function. Facial expressions have a function in social communication. Humans can ‘read’ a fellow human being’s face to infer the mental state of this other person. This might resu... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/handling-rodents Title: The impact of handling technique on rodent welfare and scientific accuracy Description: Proper handling technique is essential in not only ensuring welfare, but also for reliable results. Check out this blog to learn more about how to handle rodents in an experimental setting! Content: Ensuring welfare in laboratory animals is an essential part of keeping animals for research purposes. One major part of this is the interaction an animal has with caretakers and experimenters. Incorrect handling of the animals causes stress, which in turn may affect research outcomes. Therefore, it is important to educate experimenters on the correct handling of animals, and know the effect that different techniques can have on research outcomes. In this blog we will explore the impact of different techniques, their pros and cons, and how this can impact your research by looking at an example study. The pros and cons of different types of handling techniques Many different handling techniques exist, but there are three that seem to be the most prevalent in research with mice. These are tunnel handling, cupping and picking up the animal at the tail base. While, picking up the tail has been the most used method in the past, it also runs the risk of inducing anxiety in the rodents. Furthe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parent-adolescent-interaction Title: Examining parent-adolescent interactions during a career discussion Description: As an adolescent you have no idea what awaits you in working life, what you are capable of. Looking for answers to these questions is part of the vocational development, in which parents play a crucial role. Content: As a child, we all want to become a firefighter, kindergarten teacher, nurse, police officer, or astronaut when we’re old enough. However, nothing is more difficult than actually deciding which direction you want to take in your career the moment you are faced with that choice as an adolescent. There is so much to choose from and how can you be sure, at such a young age, what is and stays the most fun, challenging, and satisfying job to do? You have no idea what awaits you in working life, how it will go for you, what you are capable of. Looking for answers to these questions is part of vocational development. Effective vocational development requires adolescents to have a clear understanding of their interests, values, and strengths. Interactions always involve emotions Of course, your parents have lots of experience, so discussing career choices with your parents is a logical step in this phase. The interaction between parents and adolescents plays a crucial role in vocational develo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/breathing-danioscope Title: Breathe easy, a novel approach to monitoring respiratory activity in zebrafish Description: Researchers from the University of Heidelberg used DanioScope in a novel way to objectively measure breathing in zebrafish embryos and larvae. Content: Take a deep breath, nice, isn’t it? Breathing is an essential part of maintaining bodily function for all animals. Therefore, when oxygen homeostasis is disrupted, the body tends to react by adjusting the breathing parameters. However, measuring the breathing movements objectively has been proven difficult in small organisms like zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo/larvae. This blog will explore a novel implementation of our product DanioScope, by researchers from the University of Heidelberg. Nadine Kämmer and her colleagues used DanioScope to objectively measure breathing movements of zebrafish and compared this method to a manual assessment [1]. Why not just measure breathing manually? Maintaining oxygen homeostasis is very important, as oxygen is needed for the aerobic production of energy from oxidative phosphorylation to maintain cell metabolism). When exposed to a low oxygen environment (hypoxia) fish will tend to increase breathing movements in order to enhance oxygen extraction. Co... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/white-papers-psychology-research Title: Resources on Psychology Research: Case Studies, Webinars and White Papers Description: At Noldus, we have dedicated ourselves to make the best tools to advance human behavioral research for over 30 years and love to share our knowledge with you! Content: As a behavioral researcher, staying updated with the latest advances and resources in psychological research is crucial for expanding your knowledge and staying at the cutting edge of your field. Fortunately, there are many resources available that can provide valuable insights and practical guidance. In this blog post, we explore a variety of resources to help you on your path as a behavioral scientists. Let's jump in! Resources on Psychology Research Research into understanding human behavior and perception has been around for centuries. The science of behavior and mind was already studied by the ancient Greek philosophers. Nowadays psychologists rely upon data to make sense of the world. By exploring webinars, case studies, white papers, and other resources, you can enhance your knowledge, gain insights from real-life examples, and discover the latest advancements in psychology research. At Noldus, we have dedicated ourselves to make the best tools to advance human behavioral resear... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-optimize-facial-expression-analysis Title: 5 tips to optimize your facial expression analyses Description: Are you involved in emotion recognition and facial expression analysis? These 5 tips will guarantee the best results! Content: Are you involved in research with emotion recognition or facial expression analysis? These 5 tips will guarantee the best results! How to optimize your facial expression analyses Emotion data provides crucial insights that allow researchers to gain insight in complex human behaviors in greater depth. Facial expression analysis software like FaceReader™ is ideal for collecting this emotion data. Do you want to get the best results from your experiments? These 5 tips will help to optimize your facial expression analyses. 1. The whole face should be visible You may normally offer your test participants something to eat or drink during the test to make them feel comfortable. However, when eating or drinking, the test participant blocks part of the face with his/her hand and the cup/glass/spoon. So, make sure the test participant finishes his/her cup of coffee before you start the test… unless, of course, the purpose of the test is to see a reaction to a new food or beverage! There are stil... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-interaction-livemousetracker Title: Understanding mouse social interaction using objective measures Description: Measuring social interaction is an important, but due to technical limitations, often overlooked part of behavioral research. Live mouse tracker was designed to alleviate this problem. Content: Recently we released a new version of our state-of-the-art video tracking software, EthoVision XT 17.5. One of the main new features in this release is the ability to easily import and analyze data derived from the Live Mouse Tracker (LMT). LMT was developed by the Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions unit of Institut Pasteur, is a solution to a problem that has made measuring social interaction difficult, namely how do you track multiple animals’ behavior at the same time? Why measure social interaction? But, why is measuring social behavior important in behavioral neuroscience? In humans, social interaction is an important read out of many neurological disorders (like autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.). Therefore, when developing treatments for these disorder with animal models, it is important to also take social behaviors into account. Even though mice and rats are not humans, they are social animals and perform social behaviors. Measuring only individual paradi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotion-processing-antisocial-psychopathic Title: How do people with antisocial and psychopathic traits process emotions? Description: Understanding more about emotion processing in people with antisocial personality disorder and psychopathic traits can improve interventions. The team of researcher Kyranides studied how facial mimicry can help. Content: What happens when you're unable to show others how you feel, or to understand the emotions of other people? We need these social skills to function in society, work, or school, and to build interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, this is exactly what people with antisocial personality disorder (APD) and psychopathic traits have trouble with. Understanding more about how these individuals process emotions, and how to strengthen these skills, can help to improve interventions. That's why researcher Kyranides and her team studied how well people high in APD symptoms and/or psychopathy express and recognize emotions. In one condition of their study, they also asked participants to imitate facial expressions before performing their task. Curious about the effects? Read on to find out! Want to know about FaceReader's latest features? Check out what's new in FaceReader! What are psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (APD)? Antisocial personality disorder (APD) and psychopathy ha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-emotions-are-made Title: How emotions are made Description: Neuroscience research in the past decades has shown that our brain gives meaning to our experiences and sensations, through concepts such as emotions. Content: How to measure emotions of respondents I regularly get this question from clients: “How do we measure the emotions of our respondents?” At this point, I explain that in order to get a good picture of the respondents’ emotional responses, you can use The Observer XT to monitor their overt behavior, FaceReader to measure their facial expressions, and psychophysiological measures to get an idea of what occurs on the inside. To combine and streamline these multiple types of measurements on one platform, NoldusHub® is the way to go. After data has been acquired using one of these tools, another question often pops up: “Why does FaceReader measure so much anger?" Our product / website was not designed to elicit anger?!” FREE WHITE PAPER: FaceReader methodology Download the free FaceReader methodology note to learn more about facial expression analysis theory. How FaceReader works More about the calibration Insight in quality of analysis & output Submit to download How emotions are made Total... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/empathy-in-fish Title: Are fish empathic? Description: Ever wondered if fish can be empathetic towards each other? Find out in this blog how oxytocin plays a role in fish behavior! Content: Oxytocin is famously known as the 'love hormone' because it is released when people touch each other and it enhances bonding. It is also important in childbirth and stimulating milk production in new mothers. Moreover, it also affects social behaviors such as cooperation. Oxytocin enhances trust by suppressing activity in the amygdala, which is the area of the brain regulating anxiety. Oxytocin can also help counter negative reactions. For example, if a partner of a prairie vole dies, it shows depressive-like behavior. However, if that prairie vole is given oxytocin, then the depression is prevented [1]. Furthermore, oxytocin has also been shown to reduce anxiety in embarrassing situations. Oxytocin plays a key role in empathy, and it is that aspect which we will look at further in this blog. How does Oxytocin play a role in empathy? Empathy is the ability to recognize the emotions that other people have and to respond appropriately. It is why we smile when we see people who are happy... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/noldus-top-animal-blogs Title: Noldus top tips! Our latest must-read animal blogs Description: Dive into our latest collection of top behavioral research blogs! Discover fascinating studies and learn how Noldus tools can advance your research. Content: We regularly post about interesting studies, and how other researchers use Noldus tools to measure behavior in animal models. And although some setups are pretty straightforward, there are a lot of setups which definitely are not. At Noldus we aim to offer this flexibility through our product line, but also the expertise of our (scientific) staff to give you the best possible foundation for your research set-up and analysis. Our latest must-read animal blog posts So here you go! A carefully curated summary of some of our most popular blogs of the last few months you might have missed. Learn about how to set up your behavioral suite, to studying complex behavior in rats, and more. Take your pick! 5 steps to set up the perfect behavioral suite Unlock the key to setting up an ideal behavioral suite! We describe 5 crucial steps, such as camera selection for EthoVision XT compatibility, choosing a powerful workstation, integrating external equipment like optogenetics, selecting the right ma... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ux-research-tools Title: UX Research Tools for analyzing and visualizing your user research Description: Planning and conducting user experience tests can be time-consuming. With these UX research tools you can take your user research to a higher level and save valuable time! Content: UX Research and tools go hand in hand. Don’t we all want tools to make our daily work and life a little easier? While there are plenty of tools that would work for both work and daily life, I’d like to focus on UX research tools specifically for user researchers. UX Research Tools for your user research It is extremely important and interesting to know what happens to your users when they interact with your product, website, application, or tool. Testing that user experience includes everything the users see, hear, and do as well as their emotional reactions. Usability testing tools typically offer features such as screen recording, heat maps, and task completion metrics, making it easier to capture and analyze user interactions and feedback. Planning and conducting user experience tests can be time-consuming. With these UX research tools you can take your user research to a higher level and save valuable time! Miro: Online whiteboard Miro is an online collaboration platform that can b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/early-life-stress-and-the-onset-of-depression Title: Early-life stress and the onset of depression later in life Description: I had a chat with my old department at the University of Groningen to see what they are currently working on. Read more about their reseach into early life stress! Content: I am still in contact with my old lab in Groningen from graduate school. So, I recently asked about their current projects which resulted in this collaborative blog about the upcoming work of one of Prof. Jocelien Olivier’s PhD students: Mayerli Prado Rivera. Research at the Olivier lab in Groningen by Mayerli Prado Rivera Mayerli studies the vulnerability to depressive symptoms later in life, based on the fact that people with a history of early life stressful events are more susceptible to this. Pre- and postnatal early life stress So far, the majority of clinical and preclinical research has studied the role of prenatal and/or postnatal early-life stress (ELS) in the onset of depressive symptoms later in life. Remarkably, some of these studies indicate that stress experienced by the mother before conceiving the child can also be considered ELS, naming this pre-gestational or pre-conceptional stress. Yet resilience can be observed despite ELS exposure in those critical periods of dev... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facts-about-facereader Title: Facts about FaceReader and automated facial expression analysis Description: There have been many statements about using automated facial expression analysis to assess emotions. Let’s take a look at what is actually possible and impossible to do with FaceReader, through a game of true and false. Content: Facial expressions are widely associated with emotions. Emotions are mental states induced by neurophysiological changes. These mental states are often seen as indicator for how a person feels or thinks. Understanding emotions is immensely helpful for researchers and companies, as they can provide insights into behavior and user responses. Think of usability and user experience research, where products, services, or websites are being tested to discover if the intended use actually works out in practice. Or developmental psychology and parent-child interaction, for instance to study the role of mimicry in early development of social communication. Reliable analysis with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) Many researchers code muscle movements to learn more about how and why the facial muscles move. They use the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) which provides them with a technique for the reliable coding and analysis of facial movements and expressions. FACS coders describe every... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/eeg-measuring-epilepsy-in-phenotyper Title: The challenges of measuring epilepsy in rodents Description: EEG on freely moving rats? It's possible in the PhenoTyper. This was necessary to measure if delivering drugs directly to the brain could help epilepsy patients. Content: What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a disease (actually, a group of disorders) in which the patients experience a large synchronous discharge of electrical discharge in their brains - a seizure. Seizures often cause convulsive muscle contractions, which can cause accidents, broken bones and bitten tongues. (Here is what to do if you see someone having a seizure). Sometimes the seizure causes absences, in which the patient has decreased levels of consciousness. Those typically last about ten seconds, but it can be much longer. Epilepsy has a variety of causes include genetics (typically in younger people), brain trauma, and stroke (typically in older people). The blood brain barrier Over fifty million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy. Although there are working drugs, which can help most epilepsy patients, about 30% of patients cannot be helped by current medicines. One of the reasons for that is that the brain has a mechanism called the blood brain barrier (BBB) to protect it. The BBB i... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/multimodal-research Title: The power of multimodal research in human behavior studies Description: By implementing multimodal research, scientists are hoping to gain a more complete and nuanced understanding of human behavior than is possible through the examination of any single modality. Content: Understanding human behavior is no easy feat. So, it should come as no surprise that the study of human behavior is a complex and interdisciplinary field. It is also one that has challenged scientists and researchers since the beginning. While we have come a long way from simply observing people’s behavior, the field of human behavior studies will always keep evolving. What is the purpose of human behavior studies? So why do we study our behavior so extensively? The purpose of human behavior studies is to understand and explain the actions, thoughts, and emotions of individuals and groups. This field draws on theories and methods from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and other related disciplines to advance our knowledge of human behavior and the underlying processes that drive it. The goal of all this? To increase our understanding of the human experience and to apply this knowledge to support individuals and communities to achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. For exampl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-study-human-behavior Title: How to study human behavior Description: Many people are fascinated by human behavior. Why do we act the way we do? How is our behavior influenced, or measured? And why is behavioral change so difficult? Content: How to study human behavior Many people are fascinated by human behavior. Why do we act the way we do? How is our behavior influenced, or measured? And why is behavioral change so difficult? In this blog post, we describe several behavioral theories, as well as different ways to measure human behavior. Lastly, we discuss research fields in which human behavior analysis plays a central role, like psychology, health care, education, and consumer research. Table of contents Perspectives on behavior Qualitative versus quantitative research Observation Physiological measures Implicit measures Developmental psychology research Mental disorders Health care research Education & training User experience and human factors research Consumer behavior research Perspectives on behavior Influenced by prominent thinkers like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, behavioral psychology gained popularity between 1920 and 1950. With its focus on observable behavior instead of mental states, behaviorism provide... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-early-warning-system Title: Using zebrafish as an early warning system of neurotoxic substances Description: How can we use a zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model to detect possible neurotoxic chemical mixtures that are difficult to detect with normal chemical analyses? Content: Pollution of aquatic environments and the effects on (human) health Industrial, urban and agricultural activity produce chemical waste that eventually reaches lakes, rivers, oceans and other bodies of water. These aquatic environments are vulnerable to pollution, and many chemical substances may form mixtures that are difficult to detect with normal chemical analyses. Furthermore, these substances and mixtures can exert neurotoxic effects, thus may have neuroactive properties. This is not only harmful for the aquatic ecosystem, but could potentially harm human health as well through drinking water exposure and/or the ingestion of fishery products. Zebrafish embryos as a research model To measure this real impact of aquatic (neuro)toxicity, researchers from the Italian National Institute of Health aimed at verifying the feasibility of using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model. Zebrafish larvae and embryos make great models for managing ecotoxicity. This model is simple to utilize in... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parkinsons-disease-facial-expressions Title: How do people with Parkinson's disease express emotions? Description: A mask-like facial expression is an early symptom of Parkinson's disease. How can we understand the relation between changed facial expressions and disease severity? Researcher Yang and their team used FaceReader to find out. Content: Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions of people worldwide. It's a progressive disease that affects the brain and impacts a person's ability to control their movements. As a result, many everyday activities become a struggle, including walking, taking care of oneself, and communicating. Facial expressions are affected as well. In fact, a mask-like facial expression is one of the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease. But what is the relation between these changes in facial expressions and the severity of PD? Want to know more about measuring emotions? Watch this webinar on demand. Click on 'Replay Human Behavior Research webinars' and choose 'How to measure emotions'. The role of facial expressions in emotion Facial expressions are essential in communication and social interactions. Not only do we use them to express our feelings, but they also play a role in reading and sharing emotions. That's because we have subtle feedback mechanisms that mimic others' expressions, which helps u... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/alzheimers-dioscin Title: A plant-based treatment for Alzheimer's disease? Description: Researchers are constantly looking for new ways to treat Alzheimer's disease. Can Dioscin, a plant-based steroid, decrease the symptoms in mice? Content: Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease afflicting more than 30 million people over the world (WHO). Since Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects not only the physical state of a patient but also the mental state, it is a very difficult disease for patients and their close ones to deal with. Moreover, there is currently no cure for AD, and the detection of the disease is often late, in terms of pathology, since recognizable symptoms do not immediately arise. Researchers are therefore constantly looking for new ways to treat AD and this blog will cover an animal study that assessed whether or not Dioscin could be used for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease in a nutshell While dementia can take many forms, AD is by far the most common variant and contributes to roughly 60-70% of cases (WHO). As a neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s has a major effect on brain activity. It impacts many brain functions from memory and communication, to more motor function related areas coord... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-behavior Title: What is behavior? Description: What is behavior? Behavior is a fundamental aspect of human and animal life. In scientific terms, behavior is a subject of study within the field of behavioral research, which aims to understand different behaviors. Content: Behavior is a fundamental aspect of human and animal life, and includes patterns of behavior, reactions, and activities that individuals or groups exhibit in relation to their environment. The term 'behavior' refers to the observable and measurable activities of humans and animals, ranging from simple reflexive actions to complex cognitive processes. What is behavior? Simply put, behavior is all about exploring and discovering why we do the things we do. In scientific terms, behavior is a subject of study within the field of behavioral research, which aims to understand the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of different behaviors. Scientists observe and study different behaviors to learn what makes us behave the way we do. It includes a wide range of fields, such as psychology, neuroscience, animal behavior and ethology, sociology, and anthropology. Types of behavior When it comes to behavior, it can take on various forms and types, each with its unique characteristics and significa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/in-utero-alcohol-exposure Title: In utero alcohol exposure, the effects on brain and behavior Description: About 10% of women worldwide drink during their pregnancy. This could cause the fetus to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, which can lead altered tissue structures in the brain to motor deficits. Content: Fetal alcohol syndrome Still today, about 10% of women worldwide drink alcohol while pregnant, which can have a severe effect on fetus development. This is called prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), which could cause nongenetic mental retardation. One of the potential effects of this is the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and is the most severe form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Drinking alcohol can be harmful for the fetus at any stage of the pregnancy, and affects them throughout their body. However, especially the developing brain is highly affected, which can result in motor deficits and atypical brain structures. Lifelong consequences FASD can have a wide variety of, sometimes lifelong, consequences for an affected child. It’s hard to diagnose this syndrome, since there are no clear outward physical signs of it, meaning treatment is often applied with a delay. FASD mouse model A group of scientists from Rouen and Caen in France wanted to test the results of alcohol during... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/Diesel-fumes-mouse-cognition Title: Air pollution and brain development, mouse behavior gives insight Description: Air pollution can have major detrimental effects on health. But, what happens to brain development if a mouse is only exposed in early life. Researchers from the University of Washington studied just that. Content: Air pollution carries with it a major health risk for human health. Exposure to polluted air can increase the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Consequently, the World Health Organization estimates that air pollution contributes annually to 7 million deaths worldwide. Hence, it is important to investigate the effects that different types of air pollution can have on the body. Air pollution can impact the brain Previous research on the topic has shown that air pollution can negatively impact the central nervous system. It is important to know how certain polluting substances effect the brain at different life stages, and whether or not these changes persist later in life. Therefore, researchers from the University of Washington (Seattle, Washington, USA) conducted a study, where they investigated the effect of diesel fume exposure in early life on behavioral and biochemical parameters in mice [1]. They were particularly interested in the effect of diesel fumes on t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression Title: What is the connection between depression and rheumatoid arthritis? Description: Is depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis caused only by the pain, or is something else also going on? Content: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the joints swell up, causing pain and damage. An autoimmune disease is one where your own immune system attacks your own body, somehow confusing it with something like a disease-causing bacteria. There are about 100 autoimmune diseases including diabetes type I, Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). Whereas rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis is age-related. There are also many other less common forms of arthritis. Hand with rheumatoid arthritis (© James Heilman ). Depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients Many RA patients also experience depression, about two to four times as many as in the general population [2]. The large variance is due to the different ways of measuring if someone has depression. At first sight, that is hardly surprising. If you are in pain all the time, then that is likely to cause a negative mood and that can cause depression. Rheumatoid arthritis patients can also exp... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/communication-made-easier-with-eye-gaze-assistive-technology Title: How to make communication easier for children with severe motor impairments Description: A decrease in the ability to make contact with others leads to limitations in communication. A Swedish research team investigated whether eye tracking assisted therapy could help children with motor impairments communicate. Content: Communication has a central function in our life: body language, gestures, gaze direction, intonation, sounds, words, you name it. Every day we use words and sentences to communicate with each other. We ask each other how things are going, we tell each other what is on our mind, and talk about what keeps us busy. Verbal behavior is inseparably linked to communication. Making communication easier But what if speaking or making words is difficult or not possible? If you know what you want to say, but you can't say it? For example, if you are dealing with severe motor impairments due to cerebral palsy or a posture and movement disorder. This can result in limited oral motor skills or control over breathing, voice, or articulation. Besides, the mouth area can be very sensitive, causing strongly deviant mouth movements. Or due to Rett syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. This disorder particularly affects speech, purposeful hand use, and coordination, leaving individuals un... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/usability-ux-conferences-in-2023 Title: UX & Usability Conferences in 2023 (+5 reasons to attend a UX conference) Description: Conferences and events are a great way to get updated on the latest trends in your field, meet peers, or present your work. Discover some of the best usability and UX conferences in 2023 to attend. Content: Conferences and events are a great way to get updated on the latest trends in your field, meet peers, or present your work. Besides that, they can be the perfect place to update your know-how and connect with other professionals at the same time. Attending an international UX conference can provide many benefits for someone working in UX design. Which UX conferences should you attend in 2023? Depending on your personal goals and interest, you can decide which UX conferences are most interesting for you to attend. To help you out, we’ve created an extensive list of User Design and UX conferences and events taking place in 2023. Usability and UX conferences in Europe in 2023 European countries will host plenty of UX conferences where all aspects of usability testing and related user research will get the spotlight. Interaction 23 - February 25 –March 3, 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland - The interaction design conference that's built around a global community focused on current society and fu... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effects-modeling-collaboration-noncompliant-toddlers Title: How to deal with noncompliant toddlers Description: We’ve all been there: getting a toddler to do what you want is a real challenge. What should you do in this situation? Researcher Larzelere and his team studied how behavioral modeling and collaborating can help. Content: We’ve all been there: getting a toddler to do what you want is a real challenge. Especially when you’re clearing away toys. So, what should you do in this situation? Researcher Larzelere and his team studied how behavioral modeling and collaborating can help. Not just during the clean-up, but to improve children’s future behavior as well. Their mission? To provide enough detail with their research to really help parents. Modeling the right behavior Many examples of developmental psychology research have demonstrated the effects of modeling on behavior, including prosocial actions, antisocial behavior, and coping strategies. But what about noncompliant behavior? As we all know, it’s very common for young toddlers not to listen to their parents. To elaborate on existing theories of effective parenting, it would be valuable to know how best to respond to noncompliant children. The best way to do that, is to get really specific about what you’re studying. That’s why the researchers from th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cpc-zebrafish Title: Zebrafish behaviors shows true effect of chemicals on aquatic animals Description: Modern industrial processes, agricultural practices and domestic waste result in all sorts of chemicals getting into our waters. CPC is widely used. How does it affect the fish? Content: Modern industrial processes, agricultural practices and domestic waste result in all sorts of chemicals getting into our rivers and streams. Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can cause algal blooms and eutrophication, leading to severe reductions in biodiversity. Medicines can have all sorts of unexpected effects on aquatic animals. For example, metformin (a medicine commonly used to treat diabetes) changes the hormone levels in fish, causing disruption of the development of their sexual characteristics, so that some fish have both male and female organs. Chemicals in fresh water | CPC In addition, there are all sorts of other chemicals which we use which end up in freshwater. One of those is CPC, or cetylpyridinium chloride, to give it its full name. It has antiseptic, antibacterial and fungicidal properties, so it is used in a wide variety of products. You find it most often in mouthwashes, but it is also used in deodorants, shampoos, toothpastes, and dental plaque inhibitors. I... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/classical-music-dolphin-behavior Title: Classical music affects affiliative behaviors in bottlenose dolphins Description: Researchers from the University of Padova used The Observer XT to measure the behavior of dolphins when exposed to different types of enrichment. Content: Music can have a major influence on the emotional state of both humans and animals. In the past, studies in a variety of mammals have shown that classical music can decrease agitated behaviors and increase social behaviors. Therefore, it has been assumed that classical music can be used to improve the welfare of captive animals by decreasing their aggression and relaxing them. Studying behavior in bottlenose dolphins with classical music Scientists from the university of Padova studied the response of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) to classical music, by doing behavioral observations using The Observer XT. Different types of enrichment Enrichment is an important part of keeping animals in captivity. It reduces stereotypical behaviors and stimulates the animals to interact with the enrichment. In this study, aside from classical music, three other types of enrichment were utilized to control for any aspect of the classical music that could have elicited a behavioral response.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-behavior-coral-larvae Title: Measuring behavior of coral larvae in response to antifouling coatings Description: What effect do ship hull coatings have on coral viability and restoration? And how can non-toxic alternatives effect mobility behavior in coral larvae? Content: The pressure on tropical coral reefs and coastal areas due to climate change and human activity remains ever-increasing. Heat stress is a well-known example as one of these factors, but also antifouling agents from ships (mostly from ship groundings) can lead to heavy contamination of coral reefs. Toxic marine coatings Antifoulings, usually applied in by painting, are specialized coatings on hulls of ships (or other marine man-made structures) to slow down or even prevent the growth of (sub)aquatic organisms. This is aimed at performance and cost management of said ship. Historically, antifouling paints have been known to contain a considerable amount of toxic compounds, such as tributyltin (banned) and copper, greatly affecting marine life. Paint particles eaten by the smallest of organisms, such as (zoo)plankton, can trickle down into the food chain and cause bioaccumulation in larger species such as fish. The effect of antifoulings on coral reefs In coral reefs, antifouling agents h... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuroscience-conferences-2023 Title: Network and learn – our favorite neuroscience conferences in 2023 Description: We’ve put together a short list of the best (behavioral) neuroscience conferences for you to attend. Opportunities to meet up and talk science! Content: This list contains conferences for the year 2023. We have recently uploaded a blog about the 2024 conferences, which you can find here. It’s January, and last year was a tumultuous year to say the least. But, also a year in which we finally got to meet you face to face again at conferences such as Neuroscience 2022. Now, let’s look forward to next year. We’ve put together a short list of the best (behavioral) neuroscience conferences for you to attend. Opportunities to meet up and talk science! Meet Noldus at some of these neuroscience meetings this year! These 11 neuroscience conferences have been a stapler on many calendars for years. They have been some of our favorite meetings when it comes to meeting researchers and customers. We're looking forward to meeting you again in person and can't wait to see you at some of these neuroscience conferences! MITT-ANA 2023 | February 1 – 3 Budapest, Hungary The Hungarian Neuroscience Society (MITT) and the Austrian Neuroscience Association (AN... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/new-treatment-spinal-cord-injury Title: Extracellular vesicles from umbilical cords improve traumatic spinal cord injury Description: Spinal cord injury is crippling and hard to treat. Secondary injury caused by inflammation and scarring significantly impact motor function and locomotion. Extracellular vesicles can improve recovery. Content: Traumatic spinal cord injury could happen to anyone, and it is a very crippling neurological disorder. Spinal cord injury treatments Available treatments are not bad, but a group of scientists from Austria and Croatia thought they could still be improved significantly. They developed a new version of a potential treatment, which decreases the consequences of secondary damage after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Inflammation and scarring The initial injury triggers inflammation in the body, causing secondary damage. This happens very soon after the injury, so any treatment needs to be applied as soon as possible. Usually, the local inflammation is maintained by the body, which on one hand helps repairing the damage done, but on the other hand is suspected to block healing. The latter seems to be caused by the forming of fibroglial scarring at the injury site. Basic treatment with extracellular vesicles Once someone has received a traumatic spinal cord injury, they usually receive a sys... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotions-risk-perception Title: How the ability to manage emotions shapes perception of risk Description: Can our ability to recognize and control our emotions determine how dangerous we perceive certain hazards to be and whether or not we think we are at risk? Content: Contributors Andrea Pittarello, PhD – Hofstra University, Frank G. Zarb School of Business Enrico Rubaltelli, PhD – University of Padova, Psychology Department Elisa Tedaldi – University of Padova, Psychology Department Acknowledgment – Bhavana Surapaneni - Hofstra University, Frank G. Zarb School of Business How the ability to manage emotions shapes perception of risk Should you buy stocks or bonds? Should you quit your job to pursue a new one? How about purchasing flood insurance? In one way or another, we encounter these dilemmas daily. And although we want to think that we are rational decision makers (Ariely, 2008), it turns out that most of our choices are driven by emotions (Lerner, Valdesolo, & Kassam, 2015). That is, we rush to buy flood insurance because we read a telling story about a couple who lost their property because of water damage. Truth is, the actual odds of this hazard in our area are almost nil. Similarly, we might install an alarm system just because someone bro... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/simulation-based-training Title: Simulation-based training – it’s just like the real thing! Description: By conducting training sessions, students in a simulation lab develop and maintain knowledge, skills, and competencies such as interviewing skills, working with certain equipment, and teamwork procedures. Content: A simulation lab is designed to provide a lifelike point-of-care learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students, specialists, and experts. Real-life circumstances are simulated for learners to practice tasks and processes using models such as manikins, or virtual reality. By conducting simulation-based training sessions, students in the lab develop and maintain knowledge, skills, and competencies such as communication skills, working with certain equipment, teamwork procedures, and so on. All this can happen without any risk of, for example, patient harm. Focus on patient safety and quality of care Simulation is a technique for practice and learning that can be applied to many different disciplines and types of trainees. It has been widely applied in fields such as aviation, the military, and healthcare. In a clinical setting, for instance, simulation helps to augment patient safety and improve patient care. Teamwork training conducted in the simulated environment may offe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mouse-olfactory-testing Title: How to analyze different characteristics of olfaction in rodents Description: Correct analysis of olfaction is crucial for an accurate interpretation of mouse social behavior. Today's guest article describes how to analyze different characteristics with the olfactory habituation/dishabituation test. Content: Today we are honered with a great contribution to our blog from Betty Hornix. She is about to get her PhD and works at the lab of Martien Kas, at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). She describes with great detail how to set up and perform a mice olfactory test with EthoVision XT video tracking. Enjoy! Olfaction and behavior Interaction between people and between animals depend on proper olfactory processing. When something is off in this processing this could affect proper social behavior (Hornix et al., 2018). Correct analysis of olfaction is crucial for an accurate interpretation of various mouse behaviors, especially when looking at social behavior. Below we will describe how to perform the olfactory habituation/dishabituation test. We will explain how to DIY your own test cage, which preparations are necessary, how to perform the test, and how to analyze the videos using EthoVision XT. The olfactory habituation/dishabituation test The olfactory habituation/dishabituatio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/suture-anchors-rotator-cuff-injuries-new-animal-model Title: Suture anchors for rotator cuff injuries: a new animal model Description: Almost half of the people over the age of 60 have a rotator cuff tear in the shoulder. Research is aimed at improving surgical techniques, but techniques used in animal models differ from those applied on humans. Content: Rotator cuff injuries are quite common and have significant consequences. Almost half of the people over the age of 60 have suffered a rotator cuff tear, causing pain and decreased usability of the shoulder. These limitations also seriously impact quality of life, and if the tendon has torn completely, it needs to be repaired surgically. The tears often heal poorly, and overall further research is warranted to improve surgical techniques. Suture anchors vs transosseous surgery In rats, the most commonly used surgical technique in rotator cuff tear research, the transosseous bone tunnel technique, is not the primary technique used on humans. A group of researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong aim to develop a new rotator cuff repair model, based on suture anchors. Suture anchors are used in the actual human surgeries that patients receive nowadays. In the current study, a version of the suture anchors is developed that is suitable for use on rats and can be compared to the t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/hypothalamus-and-locomotion Title: The Hypothalamus is involved in locomotion? Complex dopamine circuitry uncovered Description: By measuring locomotion and investigating dopaminergic neurons, complex dopamine circuitry is uncovered. How are amphetamine and our biological clock involved in this? Content: Behavior serves as an essential proxy for brain function. Where and how this is regulated is not always as simple as finding the appropriate wire going from point A to point B. Complex circuitry, many neurotransmitters and hormones, and multiple brain areas are usually involved. Piece by piece researchers are gaining a full picture of the brains’ inner workings. Behavior is essential in neuroscience This blog post touches the surface of such a topic, and partly dissects a recent paper in Nature communications by Korchynska et al [1] on locomotion control from a brain area that is primarily associated with homeostatic body functions; the hypothalamus. The hypothamalus: our smart thermostat The hypothalamus is a brain structure that is often referred to as a smart control center of your body. By controlling and coordinating hormones and/or nervous system signaling it functions to regulate physiological parameters such as sleep, mood, body temperature, hunger/thirst, blood pressure, and o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/debriefing-steps-to-evaluate-training-session Title: 3 debriefing steps to evaluate a training session Description: Debriefing digs into what and why things happened and explores implications for the future. You will gain insights in what to repeat and what to change. Content: In one of our webinars, the host kicks off with explaining how we actually learn. For that, he used this philosophic quote: “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.” The quote talks about how easy it is to understand and learn something when you put the time into “doing” it. If you simply study from a book, you will never fully understand what it’s all about. Watch this webinar on demand. Click on Replay Human Behavior Research webinars and on Simulation-based training: Why and how. Debrief, evaluate, and get feedback But what if we add a fourth way of learning? I evaluate and I gain insights. Debriefing digs into why things happened and explores implications for the future. When you debrief your soft-skill training session, role-play scenario, simulation-based training, or any other experience, you will truly understand root causes of your successes and failures. You will gain insights in what to repeat and what to change. There really is value in doing that... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-behavioral-psychology Title: Understanding behavioral psychology with The Observer XT Description: What causes you to procrastinate, eat junk food, or form a habit? Questions like this, about the connection between our minds and our behavior, are studied in behavioral psychology. Content: Have you ever wondered why we behave a certain way or what drives your actions? For example, what causes you to procrastinate, eat junk food, or form a habit? If so, you’re pondering about behavioral psychology – the study of the connection between our minds and our behavior. Understanding behavioral psychology with The Observer XT That’s where we come in – Noldus’ The Observer XT software has been designed specifically to help gather and analyze observational data, making it a perfect tool for studying people and their emotional responses to their social and physical environments. FREE TRIAL: Try The Observer XT yourself! Request a free trial and see for yourself how easy behavioral research can be! Work faster Reduce costs Get better data Free Trial What is behavioral psychology? Some background on behavioral psychology. Behavioral psychology is also known as behaviorism, which is a psychological school that was established by the American psychologist John B. Watson. In 1913, Watson... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/in-home-naturalistic-observational-study Title: The New Jersey Families Study: unlocking the black box Description: Families are children's first teachers and home is their first school. Often we wonder or guess how such teaching is going. The NJFS, performed by the University of Princeton, offers insights. Content: In the first years of their life, parents, caregivers, or other persons in a custodial role are the most influential when it comes to a child’s general development. Providing encouragement, support, and access to activities that enable the child to learn key developmental skills is one of the parent’s responsibilities. It helps children get off to a strong, healthy start in life. Families are children's first teachers, and home is their first school. However, often we wonder or guess how such parenting and teaching is going. We do not know exactly what goes on in a family at home and how parent-child interactions go. Kind of a black box idea. FREE WHITE PAPER: Parent-child interaction This free white paper informs you how on to facilitate a parent-child study and how to set up your experiment. Perform tests in a lab or in-home Collect data with video Design a coding scheme Get your copy instantly An in-home naturalistic observational study To be able to unlock this black box, a researc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/well-plate-size-zebrafish-behavior Title: Does well plate size matter? A methodological study in zebrafish Description: The DanioVision observation chamber is a versatile research tool to study Zebrafish embryos and larvae by using well plates. Does the size of the wells in these plates affect study outcomes? Content: The DanioVision observation chamber is a versatile research tool to study zebrafish, Danio Rerio, embryos and larvae by using well plates that fit in the device. Well plates can vary from 6 wells all up to 384 wells. The standard well plates used in zebrafish studies have 24, 48 or 96 wells. Does well plate size matter? A methodological study with DanioVision Wolter and Svoboda described in a Neuroscience Methods paper how they used DanioVision to investigate if circadian rhythms, based on locomotion, change depending on which well plate size was used [1]. For obvious reasons: more wells in a plate means less space (to move in). Increasing the number of wells you use for your study increases throughput of your study, but you might be at risk of decreasing the robustness of your outcomes. RESOURCES: Read more about DanioVision Find out how DanioVision is used in a wide range of studies and how it can elevate your research! Free white papers and case studies Customer success stories Rece... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ViS4M Title: New method for early detection of Alzheimer's disease Description: The color x-maze can be used to pick up symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in AD-mice months before traditional cognitive tests. Content: Almost everyone reading this will know someone who has Alzheimer's Disease, or a similar form of dementia. Six millions Americans (1) and 10 million Europeans (2) are suffering from the disease. Many countries have an aging population, so if no progress is made in prevention and treatment, it will only get worse. That means that there has been a huge volume of research done in the last decades in this area, both with human subjects and with animal models of the disease. It is hard to investigate in humans, not only because sometimes invasive techniques are unavoidable, but simply due to the timescale. To understand how the disease works and how to treat it, it is necessary to see what is going on in its early stages. With people, that can be many years before those who have it become aware of its symptoms. However, animals like mice only live a few years, so they can go from adult to elderly within the time of one experiment. In this blog, we explore how a new type of test enables scie... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/5-animal-blogs Title: 5 Animal blogs not about rats, mice or zebrafish Description: The scope of measuring behavior goes beyond rats, mice and (zebra)fish. As behavioral experts we love to also highlight research in animals such as mites, elephants, dolphins and shrimps. Content: Cover image credit: Oregon Zoo The scope of animal behavior goes beyond rats, mice and (zebra)fish. At Noldus we are behavioral experts, which applies to all animals. Behavioral solutions such as EthoVision XT and the Observer XT offer the flexibility to also be used for elephants, dolphins, numerous types of insects and even shrimp (and much more). 5 Animal blogs not about rats, mice or zebrafish | measuring behavior Take a look at a collection of blogs we’ve assembled for you about these other types of animals! Video tracking insects to study behavior There are many reasons why researchers study insect behavior. Fruit flies like Drosophila melanogaster, which are easily manipulated to produce genetically distinct strains, have a genetic structure that is quite comparable to that of the human genome. This makes them a highly useful model for learning about the influences of genes on behavior in neuroscientific studies. But in another field, insect pest resistance research, EthoVision... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/home-cage-tests-epilepsy-stargaze-mice Title: Home cage behavior and epilepsy in the Stargazer mutant mouse Description: Using long-term home cage behavioral research, scientists successfully created a behavioral characterization of Stargazer mutant mouse, a model often used in epilepsy research. Content: Epilepsy is not just seizures. Many childhood-onset genetic epilepsies also cause motor disabilities and neurobehavioral impairments. To study such complex neurological profiles, standard short-term tests might not suffice. This is where long-term home cage analysis can help, a method that is relatively new and uncommon in epilepsy research. Scientists from the Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) used this to study the Stargazer mouse model for epilepsy. Stargazer mice in epilepsy research Stargazer mutant mice have a genetic disruption of the Cacng2 gene, making them suitable for research to precision genetic treatments. This disruption causes problems with walking and balance and absence-like spike-wave seizures. A battery of tests vs home cage testing To monitor mouse behavior and responses to both specific objects and environment changes over time, the researchers decided on prolonged video analysis and instrumented home cage monitoring. Behavior is followed more or less co... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/examples-human-behavior-research Title: Examples of Human Behavior Research Description: We humans are an intriguing species and it's no wonder researchers have always been fascinated by human behavior. Here are some examples of human behavior research over the years. Content: We humans are an intriguing species and it's no wonder researchers have always been fascinated by understanding human behavior. We recently wrote about how to study human behavior, and different ways to measure human behavior. Examples of Human Behavior Research On our Behavioral Research Blog, there are plenty of examples of human behaviors and research on behavior. In this blog post we are highlighting some examples of human behavior research and behavior studies. Table of contents What is human behavior? Cognitive neuroscience Autism research in infants Adolescent research On-site observational research Doctor-patient interaction Healthcare research examples Emotion analysis Sensory science and eating behavior Consumers' food choices and emotions User experience research What is human behavior? In science, human behavior commonly refers to the way humans act and interact: the actions, thoughts, and emotions of individuals and groups. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from p... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-tiny-transparent-fish-with-ethovision Title: Tracking tiny transparent fish with EthoVision XT Description: Danionella cerebrum, a recently discovered cyprinid fish, has the smallest known vertebrate brain. What are the behavioral differences or similarities to their zebrafish relatives? Content: Cover image credit: Dr. Ralf Britz, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research What can we learn from the smallest known vertebrate brain? Isn’t bigger better? Sometimes it is easier to see when structures are larger. However, in the case of the recently discovered Danionella cerebrum, a new window (of opportunity) is opened through which we can take a live look into a working and developing brain. Read further on how the latest technology is applied in this rapidly growing niche of behavioral neuroscience. Tracking tiny transparent fish with the smallest known vertebrate brain Danionella is a genus of small freshwater cyprinid fish. Recently, a new species within this genus was discovered in a mountainous range in Myanmar: Danionella cerebrum. This newly discovered fish got its name (cerebrum: Latin for ‘brain’) by having the smallest currently known adult vertebrate brain. This new species of Danionella was previously misidentified as Danionella translucida, since the two species share... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-infant-behavior-diagnosis-of-autism Title: The importance of measuring infant behavior for early diagnosis of autism Description: Most efforts to detect autism before the age of two rely on parental reports rather than infant behavior. Content: Most efforts to detect autism before the age of two rely on parental reports rather than infant behavior. However, directly measuring infant behavior provides vital information that may enable diagnosis of autism in infants as young as 12 months. Understanding autism The last 50 years have seen a radical shift in the understanding and attitudes towards autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). What was once a narrowly-defined and rare disorder of childhood onset is now a well-publicized, broadly advocated and intensively researched lifelong condition. Autism is now understood to be both extremely heterogeneous – that is, its characteristics and severity can vary greatly from person to person – and not uncommon. The core features of autism are problems with verbal and nonverbal social communication, as well as restricted or repetitive sensory-motor behaviors [1]. Most of the times autism manifests in infant behavior and is believed to be strongly associated with a number of genetic comp... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/history-and-technology-of-catwalk-xt Title: What you need to know about the CatWalk gait analysis method Description: Let's take a little step back and talk about the history and technology of the CatWalk system. What was the reason of creating this gait analysis system for rats and mice? How does it work? Content: We have talked a lot about gait analysis lately, particularly about methods in animal research and the pros and cons of different systems. Today, I would like take a little step back and tell you about the history and technology of the CatWalk system. CatWalk and models Ok, so let’s start with the name. When hearing the word catwalk, you might think of fashion models strutting down a runway. Actually, that’s not that far off, as it is a runway made for rodents. Only we’re not talking fashion here, but scientific research. In a nutshell: CatWalk XT is a system for automated gait analysis in rodents. It was originally created for research on rat models for spinal cord injury and is mostly used for rats and mice, but has expanded to other species, such as marmosets as well. Turn-key gait analysis The basic idea is that the animal freely traverses a walkway from one side to the other. This is a glass plate with green LEDs running through it. A technology called Illuminated Footprints captu... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/multi-method-approach-infant-behavior Title: The importance of a multi-method approach in infant behavior research Description: The study of infant behavior provides incredible insight into the field of psychology, developmental biology, neuroscience, and other social and life sciences. Content: The study of infant behavior provides incredible insight into the field of psychology, developmental biology, neuroscience, and other social and life sciences. A primary method of conducting infant behavior research is observation. Various research tools are available to improve the quality and efficiency of behavioral data acquisition and analysis. The Observer XT behavioral research tool is one such example that helps researchers gain insight into infant behavior and includes data integration options to take a lab to the next level. Advantages of combining research methods for infant behavior studies Various methods exist for studying infant behavior, including recording videos, measuring physiological markers, and analyzing facial expressions. Often, researchers choose to combine these methods [1]. Combining research methods gives researchers the opportunity to gain a more comprehensive view of infant behavior. For example, using multiple methods ensures that the collected data is n... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/using-video-tracking-operant-behavior Title: Using video tracking to study operant behavior in rodents Description: What is operant behavior? And how can we use software such as EthoVision XT to increase our understanding in the learning and memory processes involved in these studies? Content: Within the field of learning and memory research lies operant behavior, also called operant conditioning. On the first hand this form of learning and memory seems straightforward to study. However it can become quite complex when trying to interpret certain responses in an animal that are linked to a certain degree of emotionality in humans. In this blog we explain what these types of behaviors are, and how they are effectively measured in rodents using video tracking tools. What is operant behavior? The term "operant" was first used in B.F. Skinner's book The Behavior of Organisms, in 1938. In operant conditioning, three main types of stimuli are used to reinforce behavior: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment. It is called operant because it produces some type of consequence that can be understood and learned. In classical conditioning, Pavlov’s dog could not control it’s salivation. With operant behavior, also called operant conditioning, as a result of rewa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observational-research-to-capture-parent-child-interaction Title: Using observational research to capture parent-child interaction Description: Researchers examined whether a combination of child and parental factors, such as the child's emotional temperament and parents' controlling feeding practices, influence food fussiness. Content: As a parent, you want your child to eat well. When a child gets an adequate variety of food and gets enough nutrients, you can be sure of a healthy foundation to grow. But what if your child won’t eat? If that happens sporadically, it is annoying but not a huge problem. However, if it is structural, it will become problematic and will cause great concerns for parents. Not to mention the extent to which this can frustrate parents. Eating problems in children Food fussiness is a common feeding problem: the child is very selective about which foods he/she is willing to eat. As a child, I used to fish out the onions my mother put into the meal. No way was I going to eat that. I did not like the taste and texture. Same goes for mushrooms, yuck. All kinds of factors can play a role when a child does not want to eat. For example: Physical problems such as swallowing difficulties, allergies, intestinal complications, or an abnormality of the esophagus. After the first year, children grow less... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/dopamine-amygdala-social-adversity Title: (Un)social rats: the role of dopamine and the amygdala in social adversity Description: With optogenetics and behavioral testing, researchers found a link between infant social adversity and decreased social behavior in the circuitry of the amygdala. Content: (Un)social rats: the role of dopamine and the amygdala in social adversity Many psychiatric and developmental conditions, including autism, anxiety, and depression, often have a common denominator: disrupted social behavior. Though researching the influence of the brain on behavior is not easy, scientists from various institutes in the USA and Canada have come up with an interesting approach [1]. They used viruses and optogenetics in an attempt to link certain brain circuits to social deficits. Badly-functioning neural circuits are known to be capable of causing social interaction deficits, often occurring in psychiatric conditions. Technical limitations so far made it difficult to study those circuits, so not much is known yet about their development, be it typical or pathological. Amygdala and dopamine in development The researchers in this current study used the TH-Cre rat model (useful for studying neurodegenerative conditions), and wild type rats as a control. The main focus was o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tips-better-horizon-proposals Title: 5 Tips for writing better Horizon Europe grant proposals Description: Noldus has been a partner in many research projects, which means that we have a lot of experience writing grants. Read our tips for writing better grant proposals, based on our own practical experience. Content: Experience with grant writing Noldus has been a partner in dozens of funded EU projects, as well as many more regional and national ones, about 140 in total. That means that we have a lot of experience writing grant applications. The tips below are all based on our own practical experience from reviewers' feedback, as well as from being reviewers ourselves. Horizon proposals are very competitive, with almost 90% not being funded in Horizon 2020. As well as the tips below, we can help you personally with our grant assistance program. 1. Consortium composition is crucial It is tempting to invite the people who you happen to know to join the consortium. However, to succeed, you should aim to have the best in their field. You must also have enough diversity, with all the disciplines necessary to carry out the research and to achieve the impact you will claim. Include SMEs and possibly large industry partners. If scores between projects are equal, gender balance, geographical diversity (num... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/the-effects-of-housing-on-stress-in-mice Title: Better together or happier apart? The effects of housing on stress in mice Description: Does housing mice on their own affect animal welfare and reduce experimental validity? How was EthoVision XT video tracking software used to automate this investigation? Content: Better Together or Happier Apart? Investigating the Effects of Housing on Stress in Mice Does housing mice on their own affect animal welfare and reduce experimental validity? Researchers at the University of Brussels (Buckinx et al) investigated this question using EthoVision XT video tracking software to automate their experiments [1]. Housing Strategies for Mice Research has shown that animal welfare is a key factor in animal experimentation, not only for minimizing stress in animal subjects, but also to ensure the validity of scientific results gained in this way [2, 3]. Since mice are the most commonly used animals for biomedical research, the question of how best to house laboratory mice in order to minimize the amount of stress they experience is an important consideration in biomedical research [4]. Since mice are social animals, group housing or pair housing are the recommended default housing conditions. However, aggression between male mice frequently means that single housi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/music-emotions-and-learning Title: How music affects children’s development Description: Researchers dove deeper into building an understanding of the relationship between music and emotions and how music affects children’s development. Content: Do you remember the first time you listened to music? Or when you sang your first song? Where does this take you: a memory of your parents singing you to sleep, a birthday party with friends or maybe the start of a school day as a young child? Or maybe something completely different? Children’s facial affect in musical imitation and improvisation Wherever this question might take you down memory lane. If you went there in your thoughts, did you notice anything? Maybe a little smile appeared on you face. Maybe you are surprised, how well you remember a specific song after all these years. The implied connection here between music, emotions, and learning is more than a hunch. In fact: “Some scholars suggested that children learn to sing prior to speaking (Malloch & Trevarthen, 2018; Stadler Elmer, 2011). In addition: “Social experiences in early childhood contribute to an understanding of emotions and appropriate responses. These experiences become the foundation for social competence, w... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-observe-adolescents-in-a-classroom Title: How to observe adolescents and teachers in a classroom Description: Many researchers focus on classroom interaction to learn more about group dynamics, teaching behavior, and student engagement. One of the research methods used is behavioral observation. Content: Many researchers focus on classroom interaction to learn more about group dynamics, teaching behavior, and student engagement. One of the research methods used is behavioral observation. By using video and audio recording equipment placed in a classroom, researchers collect the material they need to improve teacher-student interaction, evaluate interventions, and much more. Here are three examples of how researchers observe adolescents and teachers in a classroom using the latest tools and techniques. Example nr. 1: Teacher training Marie Bocquillon of the University of Mons, Belgium explains how she uses technology like IP cameras, microphones, and software from Noldus in order to improve the training of teachers. “We are observing things like: what kind of questions are said, what kind of feedback do the future teachers use in front of their students? Do they check for understanding? Are they talking with each student, and not only with the two or three good students? Things like tha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-interaction-in-fish-and-rodents Title: The social interaction test: effortless and dependable with EthoVision XT Description: What is the social interaction test? This blog dives into this topic for fish and rodents. Why is social interaction important to measure, and how do we go about doing it? Content: Social interaction in fish and rodents: effortless and dependable with EthoVision XT What is the social interaction test? First things first: what is a social interaction test? A social interaction test is the study of behavioral interaction between two or more individuals. These behaviors can be directed at each other, thus mutual, but also one-sided, for example when there is specific interest in a novel individual. Social interaction can be studied in different types of set-ups and the behavior of interest can vary from sexual and mating behavior to agnostic behavior, maternal behavior and so on. Engaging in social interaction Social behavior is conserved in many animal species. It has a clear evolutionary benefit in terms of food seeking behavior, predation risk, caretaking, and many more related to survival and fitness. In general, all creatures like to live in groups, although for certain species this (social) preference is particularly strong. This is because for some species it... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parenting-practices-nutrition-risk Title: How do parenting practices relate to children’s nutrition risk? Description: Nutrition plays a vital role in children’s growth, development, and health. Researcher Walton and her team observed family mealtimes to gain a better understanding of children’s nutrition risk. Content: Nutrition plays a vital role in children’s growth, development, and health. Good nutrition supports their cognitive development and decreases the risk for many diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. Sadly, millions of children around the world suffer from malnutrition. Malnutrition occurs in different forms, ranging from shortages in food intake or specific nutrients to overweightness and obesity. Because dietary patterns develop early in life, improving eating behaviors in young children is key to preventing malnutrition. Food parenting practices As the primary source of influence in young children’s lives, it has been suggested that parents play an important role in establishing healthy eating patterns. Indeed, evidence suggests that food parenting practices are related to children’s dietary intake and nutrition risk. However, findings in this field of study are inconsistent. For example, while some studies indicate that restricting access to unhealthy foods results in highe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/setting-up-the-perfect-behavioral-suite Title: 5 steps to set up the perfect behavioral suite Description: Noldus is your partner in research, and with versatile tools such as our state-of-the-art video tracking software EthoVision XT, we can help you achieve that next crucial goal in your animal experiment(s). Content: Noldus is your partner in research, and with versatile tools such as our state-of-the-art video tracking software EthoVision XT, we can help you achieve that next crucial goal in your animal experiment(s). 5 steps to set up the perfect behavioral suite The perfect set up is very much achievable, but we need to review a few topics before we get there. When you are setting up a new behavioral suite, there are many decisions to make that can ultimately impact the quality of your data. Here are a couple of components that you might not have considered: 1. What camera are you going to use to capture videos? When deciding what camera to use, consider if you plan to record live by hooking up the camera to EthoVision XT during the experiment, or if you plan to record the videos first, and run them in a batch through the software. If you are connecting the camera directly to EthoVision XT during the experiment, then you want to make sure it is a camera that EthoVision XT recognizes. We recommen... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/viso-lab-train-students-become-professional-counselors Title: A story told: using an AV lab to teach skills for counseling psychology Description: Creating a great clinical space to train students was what Dr. Audrey Ervin, psychologist and teacher at Delaware Valley University, wanted to achieve. Read the story about how she handled this. Content: Do you remember why you wanted to become a teacher? Probably because you thought it is cool to be able to teach other people something. That you can transfer your knowledge to someone else. You probably already saw yourself standing in front of a class with students that are eager to hear what you have to say. You may have already imagined how grateful the students are for all the new and useful information you can provide them with. After all, you know it is your job and responsibility as a teacher that students get to learn more about their chosen specialty, the profession itself, and the skills needed for their future job. Figuring out the best way of teaching Ideally, you want the students to be satisfied with what they can learn from you. However, maybe this idea actually frightens you. Because how on earth do you do that? How do you match everyone's level in a classroom with those entirely different students? Will you be able to cover everything they have to learn in the limited... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/true-or-false-10-statements-gait-analysis Title: True or false? 10 statements about gait research in rodents Description: There are many ‘facts’ going around about rodent gait research tests and systems. How well they work, drawbacks, what they can and cannot measure. In this article, we get some of the facts straight. Content: There are many ‘facts’ going around about rodent gait research tests and systems. How well they work, drawbacks, what they can and cannot measure. Jason Rogers is an expert in this field, and in this article, he helped me get the facts straight, so you can, too. Measuring gait in rodents is important True. Of course it is! (You knew that.) Locomotion is a major behavioral endpoint that has important applications in many fields of research. Changes to locomotor behavior, measured by the rat’s or mouse’s gait, can be affected due to age, genetic variation, or from changes within the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, or from the muscles or bones themselves. Measuring gait should be done with ink and paper False. Observational scoring is traditionally done with ink and paper or the BBB method (Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan invented this scale for open field locomotion). And of course, we all know the running wheels. But research has evolved and automated methods offer an o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-measure-facial-expressions Title: 5 tips on how to measure facial expressions Description: It may sound very simple, but recording video and playing it back enables more detailed analysis of facial expressions. 5 useful tips on how to measure facial expressions! Content: Facial expressions are an important form of non-verbal communication, used by humans and some animals. They convey personal emotions and are often analyzed by researchers who study human behavior. But how to measure facial expressions? We share 5 tips! What are facial expressions? First of all, you might wonder what facial expressions are. They are a non-verbal behavior, created by muscle movements beneath the skin of the face. For researchers that study human behavior, emotions can provide crucial insights into why people do what they do. Facial expressions can be measured and analyzed in several ways. One way is to observe a person and manually code any facial expressions. Another way is by automated facial expression analysis, using a scientific software tool like FaceReader. FaceReader cannot be used for identifying people, but it can recognize facial characteristics and expressions, and classify facial movements like head orientation, or whether a person has their eyes open or clo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/horse-riding-and-gardening-increase-quality-of-life-in-dementia Title: How horse riding and gardening improve quality of life for people with dementia Description: Quality of life is an important aspect of dementia care. Horse riding and gardening may provide positive emotional experiences and even enhance daily functioning. Content: Today’s post is a little personal to me. My mom has a rare type of early-onset dementia. A type that does not allow her to communicate verbally anymore, and even from her behavior it’s hard to tell what she wants, likes, and needs. I feel like she has a good quality of life, but how can I really know? A couple of weeks ago, a pony visited her care facility. She seemed to love it, as she was smiling and laughing, actively walking the pony around the garden, petting it as they went. Her behavior indicated to me, this was an enrichment to her day. As a horse-owner myself, I have seen and experienced how interacting with horses has a very beneficial effects on our wellbeing. A recent publication by Rebecca Lassell and her colleagues from Colorado State University underlines this. What is quality of life? Quality of life is an important aspect of dementia care, but it has many definitions and can be difficult to assess. Lassell used behavioral observations to mark indicators of quality of l... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mites-trichomes-walking-speed-ethovision Title: The circle is complete: Mites, trichomes, walking speed and EthoVision XT Description: In my previous life as Entomologist, I was a pioneer in video tracking with extremely small creatures. I worked with mites, which are about 0.5 mm in size. In fact, I was an overall pioneer in video tracking. Content: In my previous life as Entomologist, in the ‘90s of the previous century, I was a pioneer in video tracking with extremely small creatures. I worked with mites, which are about 0.5 mm in size. In fact, I was an overall pioneer in video tracking, I worked with one of the first versions of EthoVision. The application was running on DOS, which was a challenge in itself. But, that challenge was negligible compared to detecting the tiny mites on leaf discs that had all sorts of shadows and reflections from plant nerves and trichomes. However, somehow I managed, and one of my first publications was on the effect of trichomes on the walking speed of predatory mites, in relation to host plant resistance to spider mites, their prey. [1] The same topic, 25 years later Now, 25 years later, after having been a Noldus employee for almost 13 years, I am writing a blog on the research by Patrice Jacob Savi and his colleagues about trichomes, host plant resistance, walking speed, mites, and EthoVision... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/having-a-look-at-operant-behavior Title: Guest blog: Having a look at operant behavior Description: Scientists from Idorsia Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland provide an expert view on operant behavior, and how we can improve our understanding of this complex behavior with the help of video tracking. Content: Giorgio Bergamini and Sean Durkin are highly skilled scientists from Idorsia Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland specializing in (pre)clinical behavioral paradigms in rodents. In this blog they provide an expert view on operant behavior, and how we can improve our understanding of this complex behavior with the help of video tracking. Having a look at operant behavior: the benefits of video tracking What is operant behavior? And how do you test it? Operant testing has been widely used to study emotional and cognitive functions in laboratory animals. It is based on the concept of operant conditioning in which an animal’s behavior is maintained through the scheduled delivery of reinforcers (e.g., food rewards) according to a specific rule (reinforcement schedule). A typical example of operant test is the five-choice serial-reaction time task (5CSRTT), which has been extensively used to study attention and impulse control. In the 5CSRTT, animals are presented with 5 apertures, and for each tri... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ted-talks-on-emotions Title: Must-see TED Talks on emotions Description: Emotions are fundamental in understanding human behavior. Do you want to get a better understanding of emotions? We’ve put together a list of must-see TED Talks on emotions. Content: We have written our fair share of blog posts about emotions, and what role they play in our daily life. Our face is often the best indicator for our emotional state, as our facial expressions can be observed by others and convey emotions without saying a word. For researchers, emotions are fundamental in understanding human behavior, as they are a crucial part in non-verbal communication and a rich source of social signals. 6x Must-see TED Talks on emotions Do you want a better understanding of emotions? We have put together a list of must-see TED Talks on emotions. Watch and learn! Are there universal expressions of emotion? Facial expressions are created with the help of muscle movements beneath the skin of the face. Back in the 60’s, the American psychologist Paul Ekman identified several core expressions, that we now identify as universal. These so-called universal expressions are: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. Since then, researchers have proposed additio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/summer-reading-list-rodent-gender-differences Title: Gender differences in rodent research Description: Gender differences matter in research. Many studies focus on male mice, but female representation is crucial for accurate, inclusive, and impactful science. Content: Gender differences matter in research. Many studies focus on male mice, but female representation is crucial for accurate, inclusive, and impactful science. From love and heartbreak to alcohol and drugs, these thought-provoking articles shed light on the ways we think, feel, and make decisions. Gender differences in behavioral studies Everybody is different, and that is a good thing. We also see specific differences in mice. In character, probably, but today we address gender differences. Males and females are biologically not the same, and that is an important factor to take into account in scientific studies. Most studies are done in male mice. Mostly because it is easier, as the estrous cycle of females often presents cofounding factors. This is slowly but surely changing in the last years. And that is a good thing, because why study heart problems in male mice only, while heart (& vascular) disease is the leading global cause of death for human females? And why study depression in... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/MARIN-human-factor-research Title: Behind the scenes at MARIN: research into human decision making Description: One of the world's leading maritime research institutes: MARIN, took us on a tour in their ship bridge simulator. A great customer success story that highlights the importance of human factor research. Content: Right in Noldus’ backyard in Wageningen (in the Netherlands) lies MARIN, one of the world’s leading (applied) research institutes in the maritime domain. Their history in the Dutch maritime industry dates back to 1873. And their goal is to contribute to a more sustainable use of the sea with cleaner, smarter and safer maritime structures and operations: better ships, blue oceans. Although they are mainly a commercial player in the maritime industry, their backbone is scientific research. Thus, not surprisingly, MARIN loves to collect data. And with the help of Noldus, they have implemented a human factor research toolkit to collect hard data on the human element of all kinds of maritime operations. What is human factor research? Human factors (and ergonomics) are defined as the use of psychological and physiological principles in the engineering and design of goods, services and systems. The emphasis herein lies on the interaction between the person and the object (or technology) of in... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-neuroscience-circular-economy-zebrafish Title: Behavioral neuroscience in the circular economy: the contribution of Zebrafish Description: 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. Content: The use of zebrafish, in all life stages, is increasing in popularity considering its use as a bioassay. This small, versatile and easy to study fish provides valuable information on (eco)toxicity questions/issues , whether on a behavioral or morphological level. We highlighted a recent study by Camilla Della Torre et al, that use the zebrafish to study the (eco)toxicity of sewage sludge in soil. The contribution of Zebrafish in sewage sludge processing: Behavioral neuroscience in the circular economy. To combat soil loss with sustainable practices, sewage sludge (SS) is often used as a soil supplement or substitute to also increase nutrients and soil resilience. There are however concerns about using sewage sludge related to toxicity of certain compounds. Although wastewater treatment processes removes the bulk of the harmful materials, there are still toxic chemicals in sewage sludge that pose a risk to terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal life. To overcome this, and implement ci... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/morris-water-maze-alzheimers-2 Title: Part 2: How researchers use the Morris water maze to find treatments for AD Description: In this second part of a two-part mini series, we highlight two more studies on potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments that are investigated using a Morris water maze. Content: In this second part on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), two more papers are explored. A brief recap: in each of the four papers, both in this blog and the previous one, researchers test the effectiveness of potential AD treatments using the Morris water maze. If you have not yet read the previous part of this blog, you can read it here. The studies in this current blog were conducted by scientists from Rostock in Germany, who tested caloric restriction as a treatment, and from Qiqihar in China, who chose a treatment using probiotics. The potential influence of food on Alzheimer’s is very interesting in my opinion, which is why I chose these papers. The Morris water maze test In each paper, the water maze test was used in order to test mice’s spatial memory (in other words, how good they are at not getting lost!). The exact testing- and training method can be found in the previous blog post. Just like in the other papers, each study used Noldus EthoVision XT. Water maze tests are especially us... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/should-you-buy-ethovision-xt-an-honest-customer-review Title: Should you buy EthoVision XT? Reviews from our customers Description: Are you wondering if EthoVision XT might be the right tool for your study? In this blog we sum up some of our favorite and honest customer reviews about EthoVision XT. Content: Are you wondering if EthoVision XT might be the right tool for your study? Our video tracking software EthoVision XT has been used in a variety of studies and has been published in over 30,000 publications, so there might be a chance it could be of good use for you as well. In this blog we sum up some of our favorite and honest customer reviews about EthoVision XT. EthoVision XT user opinions In a survey we did in 2021, we asked the users of EthoVision XT to rate the advantage in saving time when using EthoVision XT for data acquisition. The options ranged from ‘no advantage at all’ to ‘vital advantage’. The option ‘big advantage’ definitely stood out with 55% of the EthoVision XT users. Even 30% of the users saw a vital advantage with EthoVision XT. Are you interested in building your own rodent neurobehavioral core? Download this free guidebook on how to build a rodent neurobehavioral core and learn more about the why, who, what and how. EthoVision XT helping in research against bipo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/morris-water-maze-alzheimers Title: How researchers use the Morris water maze to find treatments for Alzheimer's Description: In this first part of a two-part mini series, we highlight how potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments are being investigated using a Morris water maze. Content: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia in the USA and western Europe. Therefore, research is being done continuously in order to find potential treatments, and some look quite promising. I would like to highlight four recent studies. Two in this article, and another two in a second post next month. Every study used the Morris water maze (MWM) for testing the effectiveness of their potential treatments. The studies in this blog were conducted by scientists from Shenyang in China, who tested a molecule called SPG302, and from California in the USA, who chose vitamin D as a treatment. I personally think it is impressive that vitamin D might actually help with AD! Spatial memory and the Morris water maze test All four studies used an AD mouse model. The treatments described below were tested for effectiveness through various paradigms, including the MWM. This test was used to survey the animals’ spatial memory, as a reference... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/y-maze-learning-and-memory-testing Title: WHY use a Y-maze? Automating learning and memory tests in rodents Description: Y-maze testing is exactly what you would think: a maze with three arms that maze rodents have to navigate on their way to food, shelter, or another reward. It is often used to test spatial learning, but why? Content: You are on a deserted island and you are hungry. As you start to explore the island you decide to go right side of the island and you find trees filled with fruit. You eat some, then return to your shelter for the night. The next day you wake up hungry again. Where do you go? Yeah, right. Because your spatial memory is functioning just fine. In many neurological diseases, spatial memory is affected. Imagine you forgot where to turn right. Or, once you ate all the fruit, you forget to not return there because there is nothing left. Not so beneficial for your survival. This basic principle is the base of the Y-maze test in rodents (and nowadays, also zebrafish). It is a way to study cognition and navigational strategies, something that is of great importance in discovering brain mechanisms and possible treatments for a wide range of disorders. What is a Y-maze? Like the names suggests, the Y-maze is shaped as a Y, consisting of three arms of the same length positioned at 120 degrees to e... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/radial-arm-maze Title: Radial Arm Maze: The Basics Description: The radial arm maze is an apparatus consisting of a circular center compartment from which 8 equally spaced «arms» extend. Researchers use it to measure two forms of memory known as “reference memory” and “working memory.” Content: Enjoy reading this guest blog by Andrew Scheyer and Shuhan He from Maze Engineers. It shows you all the technical ins and outs of the Radial Arm Maze, a maze that is used to measure two forms of memory known as 'reference memory' and 'working memory' often in combination with video tracking software EthoVision XT. Radial arm maze: the basics Table of contents Radial arm maze: the basics How it works History and usage Basic research Disorders and treatments Conclusions What is a radial arm maze? The radial arm maze is an apparatus consisting of a circular center compartment from which 8 equally spaced «arms» extend. Each arm is an elongated column of equal distance, the far end of which may contain a reward (most often food-based) not visible from the center compartment. How does a radial arm maze work? Rodents (mice or rats) are placed in the center compartment and allowed to explore the arms in search of this reward. Throughout an experiment, the animal must remember which arms have b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotional-communication-infants Title: How does communication with strangers develop? Description: Various factors contribute to shaping social-emotional developmental trajectories, such as familiarity of the interaction partner, the child’s age, but also individual predispositions, such as temperament. Content: As a parent, you offer your child structure, and you give your child a lot of attention and positive affection. As a result, your child becomes attached to you, feels safe with you, and learns that it can rely on you. Your child will increasingly notice the difference between familiar people he knows and trusts and strangers. At first, strangers may trigger some fear because of the novelty and uncertainty. However, despite this fear, eventually your child will engage in social interactions with strangers. How does this develop? Social interaction development Social interaction development concerns the child’s experience, expression, and regulation of emotions, and the ability to interact with others while learning social skills. This leads to social and emotional well-being, which are important conditions for children to function and learn well. Various factors contribute to shaping social interaction developmental trajectories, for example, the familiarity of the interaction partner -... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/viso-tool-for-effective-video-feedback Title: 10 reasons why AV tool Viso is beneficial for video feedback [INFOGRAPHIC] Description: Receiving real and honest feedback can be considered as a main source of learning. It will help evaluate your own learning process and identify gaps, which results in better achievements. Content: Receiving real and honest feedback can be considered as a main source of learning. Whether you want to learn how to have a conversation with a patient or a staff member, what the best way is to pitch your new product or service, how to best communicate with your team through CRM, or if you need to learn a technical skill, for example CPR. Feedback will help evaluate your own learning process and identify gaps, which results in better achievements. Developing more effective learning strategies Feedback allows knowing where and how people can improve their skills by letting them confirm, correct, fine tune, or restructure their knowledge or beliefs. Effective feedback can boost the motivation to improve. One of the main features of effective feedback is understandability and clarity. Video-based feedback provides these features. Studies indicate that video-based feedback is: personal and motivating to revise easier to understand and more detailed which makes it more useful supportive for... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/determining-the-best-housing-strategy-for-mice Title: Determining the best housing strategy for mice Description: When using animal models for scientific research, their welfare should be a priority. Here, we're looking at the effects of different housing strategies for mice, and how PhenoTyper provides researchers with insight. Content: When using animal models for scientific research, their welfare should be a priority. Here, we're looking at the effects of different housing strategies for mice, and how PhenoTyper provides researchers with insight into animal well-being. There is, of course, a strong ethical argument for maximizing the well-being of animals used in research. William Russel and Rex Burch famously laid out this case in their 1952 paper The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique; in which they provided a blueprint for animal welfare considerations in science.1 Hopefully, the value of minimizing unnecessary suffering and distress in animals is readily apparent to most. But the argument for animal welfare goes deeper than this. A large volume of research shows that animals whose well-being is compromised are likely to exhibit physiological and behavioral abnormalities.2,3 As such, factors that contribute to an animal's well-being – insofar as that can be assessed – should be carefully controlled to e... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-emotions-evaluation-website Title: The relevance of emotions on the evaluation of a transactional website Description: A UX test is a method of evaluating a product or service by having users test it. Researchers studied how emotions influence opinions about a website by conducting UX tests. Content: This article was written by Gabriel Bergeron-Proulx, a master's student in marketing at the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It explains the usefulness of a facial expression analysis software in the context of a customer retention mandate for a company's digital environment (digital marketing). Marketing Retention Mandate Customer retention is defined as a company's ability to keep its customers, i.e. to make them loyal so they continue to use the services over a given period of time. Therefore, customer retention is a strategic objective. Usability testing (UX Test) In order to conduct a retention quality analysis of a lifestyle company's digital environment, we evaluated its website, its Instagram social network, and a promotional email. We randomly selected 12 volunteers to conduct user testing (UX research) of the company's digital media. Usability testing is a method of testing the functionality of a website, app, or other digital product by observing real users as they... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/top-5-consumer-behavior-research-blog-posts Title: Top 5 Consumer behavior research on the Behavioral Research Blog Description: Observational research is becoming more and more popular in consumer science and market research. From on-site behavioral observations in supermarkets to advanced multimodal lab studies. Content: Observational research is becoming more and more popular in consumer science and market research. From on-site behavioral observations in supermarkets to advanced multimodal lab studies, researchers are more and more familiar with measuring and observing participant behavior. Researchers combine for example the measurement of behavioral and physiological data in order to get a more complete picture of the person’s response. Top 5 Consumer behavior research blog posts This Behavioral Research Blog post features the top 5 blog posts about consumer science, market research, and neuromarketing that were published in recent months. Consumer behavior research: On-site or in a lab? When you need to follow your subjects while they choose items in a store, you can code behaviors on a mobile device such as a tablet, and use an eye tracker to follow the gaze of the participant. Eye tracking glasses, for example, allow your test participants to move and look around freely. An observation lab allow... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/3-ways-to-use-rodent-gait-analysis-in-CatWalk-XT Title: 3 ways to use rodent gait analysis in CatWalk XT Description: CatWalk XT has been used for gait analysis in multiple studies and has helped experimental procedures for a number of neurological disorders and in lesion models. These 3 blogs tell you more about that! Content: CatWalk XT has been used for gait analysis in multiple studies and has helped experimental procedures for a number of neurological disorders and in lesion models. The great benefit of this gait analysis system is that it lets mice walk freely without being forced. With the Illuminated Footprint Technology and a high-speed camera this system gives you an accurate and automated analysis of the locomotor ability of your rodents. 3 ways to use rodent gait analysis in CatWalk XT In this blog post I’ll tell you about three studies where the CatWalk XT gait analysis has been of great help. 1. A new sensory and motor scale for CIA arthritis mouse model thanks to gait analysis of the CatWalk XT Rheumatoidarthritis (AR) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases. Even though numerous therapeutical approaches are used to alleviate symptoms, disease remission is very rare. Therefore, there is need to better characterize the pathology in order to develop new therapies. In the study of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-anxiety-elevated-zero-maze Title: 3 high impact papers about measuring anxiety in the Elevated Zero Maze Description: 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 Content: image credit: Maze engineers Measuring anxiety in the Elevated Zero Maze: 3 high impact papers 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. The EZM is an elevated ring-shaped arena with two open and two closed quadrants (with elevated walls), and has been described as valid test for anxiety-like behavior in rodents as early as 1994 [1]. Benefits of the elevated zero mazed compared to the elevated plus maze The first benefit of the EZM, as already mentioned, is the removal of the center square. This takes away the availability of a logical starting point while also removing any ambiguity in the interpretation of the time spent in the center of the maze. Secondly, Tucker and McGabe describe an experiment in which they compare the EPM and EZM in male and female C57BL/6J mice [2]. They found that the EZM encourages greater exploration of the anxiogenic regions (open quadrants), while also finding cons... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/eye-tracking-lab-set-ups Title: 3 Examples of eye tracking lab set-ups Description: Can you imagine, in the 19th century the study of eye movements for instance was done by means of direct observations? Luckily, nowadays eye tracking can easily be automated. Content: Wouldn’t every researcher want to automate certain measurements and save valuable time? In the 19th century, the study of eye movements for instance was done by means of direct observations! Can you imagine the time investment? 3 Examples of eye tracking lab set-ups Fortunately, the process of measuring the point of gaze or the motion of an eye relative to the head - shortly called eye tracking - can now easily be automated. Direct observations are nowadays used to observe the surroundings or specific behaviors of the test participant where necessary. These observations add extra information to the eye tracking data. Automated measurements Eye trackers, mobile or stationary, have proven to be effective and reliable tools to assist researchers in answering questions about for example attention processes. They enable you to see what exactly your test participant is looking at, and is not looking at, or missing during interactions. Find out more: What can you use eye tracking for? Eye tra... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/quantifying-locomotion-in-rats-using-catwalk Title: Quantifying locomotion in rats using CatWalk XT Description: Gait analysis is a powerful tool in evaluating behavioral and physiological changes in clinical and pre-clinical rodent models. Content: Gait analysis is a powerful tool in evaluating behavioral and physiological changes in clinical and pre-clinical rodent models, providing valuable insight into pathology and experimental treatments for a wide range of health conditions. The CatWalk XT provides detailed, accurate, and fully automated gait analysis, enabling researchers to easily quantify footfalls and locomotion in rats and mice. The power of gait analysis The concept of gait analysis is not new. Following developments in the understanding of the anatomy and mechanics of walking throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the first human and quadrupedal gait patterns were recorded by Edward Muybridge in the late 1800s.1 In the 20th century, the amount of information that could be gained from gait analysis was enhanced by the introduction of force-measuring plates and an improved understanding of kinetics. With the first clinical applications pioneered in the 1970s, it soon became apparent that gait analysis was a rich sourc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/five-ethovision-xt-webinars-for-you-to-watch Title: 5 EthoVision XT webinars for you to watch Description: In this blog you’ll find five webinars on EthoVision XT from five different angles. Each webinar will get you more in depth on how to use EthoVision XT in your own study or research. Content: Video tracking software EthoVision XT is a great tool to help you track and analyze behavior, movement and activity of any animal. In the last 25 years EthoVision XT has evolved from video tracking software into a software platform with a wide variety of application possibilities in different researches. Even though EthoVision XT makes it easy for you to track and analyze data, it is a software that can be widely applied. Can’t see the forest for the trees? Our EthoVision XT experts have come to the rescue! 5 EthoVision XT webinars for you to watch In this blog you’ll find five webinars on EthoVision XT from five different angles. Each webinar will get you more in depth on how to use EthoVision XT in your own study or research. 1. Hiding in Plain Sight: EthoVision XT and Hidden Zones If you’re a beginner or intermediate user of EthoVision XT this webinar could be of good use for you. In this webinar Matt Feltenstein covers everything you need to know about hidden zones in the video tra... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/analyze-variations-in-gait-performance Title: Using CatWalk XT to analyze variations in gait performance in adolescent mice Description: Rodents are the most common model organisms in biomedical research. Automated gait analysis provides a precise and objective means of analyzing behavioral and physiological changes in rodent models. Content: Rodents – particularly mice and rats – are the most common model organisms in biomedical research. Over the last century, rodent models have been instrumental in gaining insight into a staggering range of medical conditions, enabling researchers to explore pathologies and discover new treatments for injuries and disease. Rodent Models and Gait Analysis Analyzing motor and coordination dysfunctions is a key part of assessing rodent models. Just like humans, rats and mice alter their gait in a predictable manner in order to protect injured limbs from pain due to loading and/or movement, or in response to peripheral nerve damage or neurological disease.1–3 Indeed, motor and coordination dysfunctions, including gait abnormalities, are the main diagnostic criteria for a number of CNS disorders, including Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. However, the majority of rodent motor function tests – including manual gait analysis techniques such as BBB scoring, running wheels, and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/designing-behavioral-coding-scheme Title: Designing a behavioral coding scheme to identify complex trauma Description: In order to contribute to the development of diagnostic tools and a better understanding of the effects of complex trauma, Ana Granados and her team proposed a new coding scheme and tested its validity. Content: When you delve into the subject child maltreatment, you most likely come across the key facts the World Health Organization mentions on their website. It is quit shocking to read that nearly 3 in 4 children, aged 2-4 years, regularly suffer physical punishment and/or psychological violence at the hands of parents, caregivers, or other persons in a custodial role. And that is just the beginning of the list with key facts. Concept of complex trauma Child maltreatment includes all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence, and commercial or other exploitation, which results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power. A very serious problem, which needs serious attention. Especially because of its life-long consequences. Therefore, researchers have developed the concept of complex trauma (CT). It refers to both the exposure and the wide-ran... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-the-barnes-maze Title: What is the Barnes maze? A dry-land environment for testing learning and memory Description: 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? Content: Carol Barnes designed this behavioral paradigm in 1979 to test memory deficits in aging rats [1], while only being adapted to mice as late as 1995 [2]. It is often referred to as an alternative to the Morris water maze, which relies on swimming behavior potentially confounding learning and memory readouts. What is the Barnes maze? A dry-land environment for testing learning, memory and cognitive flexibility At this point in time, the Barnes maze is a well-established behavioral paradigm, and is used to test learning and memory in rodent models for autism spectrum disorder [3], Alzheimer’s disease [4] and ageing [5], to name a few. The Barnes maze is constructed as a circular table with circular holes around the circumference. The goal of this test is that the subject (rat or mouse) reaches an escape box that is positioned beneath one of the holes. This task relies on visual cues, which thus prompts spatial learning and memory. Essential in such a protocol is learning the position of th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mb2020 Title: 6 reasons to go to the Measuring Behavior conference Description: Not sure if you want to go to MB2022? Read on... Content: This spring the 12th edition of the Measuring Behavior conference will take place. Over the years it has grown from just a small workshop, to a fully-fledged international scientific conference with a high reputation. There are so many conferences to go to. What makes Measuring Behavior special? Why you should attend the Measuring Behavior conference 1. Multidisciplinary conference Behavior is a wide concept encompassing many disciplines. In practice neuroscientists, psychologists, UX researchers, ethologists, and all the other specialties represented at Measuring Behavior have their own traditions and ways of doing research. However, often they face the same problems and can learn a lot from each other. One of the great strengths of the meeting is that the conference has both sessions which go into depth for researchers focusing on one topic, as well as broader symposia in which delegates can take advantage of the knowledge of other disciplines. 2. Joint meeting The coming meeting wil... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/examples-animal-behavior-research Title: Examples of Animal Behavior Research Description: Researchers in ethology are interested in understanding all aspects of animal behavior. We have highlighted some great examples of Animal Behavior Research on our Behavioral Research Blog. Content: Animal behavior research can involve a wide range of animal species and research subjects. In ethology, animal behavior is studied under natural conditions. Ethology has its roots in the scientific work of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), as well as Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907-1988). Ethology combines laboratory and field science, and also has strong relations to other disciplines, such as neuroanatomy, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Researchers in this field of study are interested in understanding the functions, causes, development, and evolution of animal behavior. Examples of Animal Behavior Research In this blog post we describe several examples of animal behavior research. Want to read even more? Please visit our Behavioral Research Blog! Table of contents Observing monkey behavior Interactive enrichment for great apes Behavioral observation of new zoo habitat for elephants Neuroscience research with guinea pigs Domesticated vs wild animals Chicken welfare Spatial beh... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-simulation-training Title: What is simulation-based training? Description: Simulation-based training provides learners with an opportunity to test out different scenarios to see what works and to understand how they arrived at the right and wrong answers. Content: The word “simulation” implies an imitation of a real-life process in order to provide a lifelike experience in a controlled environment. It can be thought of as somewhere to learn from mistakes without doing any damage. What is simulation-based training? Simulation trainings are used as a tool to teach trainees about the skills needed in the real world. Simulation-based training replicates real-world scenarios for immersive, risk-free practice. It helps learners refine skills, build confidence, and make better decisions, bridging theory and practical application effectively. This provides a lifelike point-of-care learning experience, and has been widely applied in fields such as aviation, the military, and healthcare. The added value of simulation-based training A well-constructed simulation allows trainees to answer the question, “If I do this, what happens?" It provides learners with an opportunity to test out different scenarios to see what works and to understand how they arrived a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/7-ways-to-continue-research-from-home Title: 7 ways to continue your research from home Description: We have gathered lots of ideas and ways to facilitate working from home and to continue research projects. In this blog post, we will list these seven approaches for you. Content: In the past two years, many of us have become accustomed to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, we have gathered lots of ideas and ways to facilitate working from home and to continue research projects. In this blog post, we have listed seven approaches for you. 7 ways to continue your research from home 1. Remotely access the coding and analyzing software As a researcher, you may still have a large database of videos that have not yet been annotated or analyzed. Or perhaps you have some other or even new research questions drawn up which you want to answer with the data that were collected in the past. It is possible to continue your video annotation, data analysis and/or facial expression analysis work remotely. Both The Observer XT and FaceReader support software-based licensing, which ensures that no hardware key is needed to access the software. FREE TRIAL: Try The Observer XT yourself! Request a free trial and see for yourself how easy behavioral r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/unobtrusive-observations Title: Unobtrusive observations Description: Would you like to learn more about how to build an AudioVisual lab? Check out this ‘how to’ guide! Read tips & tricks to learn more! Content: A question researchers ask themselves is: Where and how should we observe test participants in order to collect reliable data? Unobtrusive observation is seen as a reliable and effective method. Comparing it with participant observation, it is seen as more effective because the observer’s presence could influence the situation. Observation lab with ceiling cameras An observation lab is designed to allow researchers to observe test participants unobtrusively, in an environment similar to natural surroundings like a living room, kitchen or office space. Of course, test participants first give written permission to participate in the test and allow researchers to make recordings. Portable lab set- ups For some participant groups, for example elderly living in a nursing home, transfer to a stationary lab can be stressful or even impossible. In these situations, a portable observation lab would be ideal. An empty office space or the communal area can be turned into a lab in no-time. How to... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-video-tracking Title: Studying zebrafish behavior using video tracking software Description: When it comes to studying zebrafish behavior, video tracking software is the ideal tool. Here we highlight five recent posts about studies on zebrafish behavior where researchers applied video tracking software. Content: When it comes to studying zebrafish behavior, video tracking software is the ideal tool. Every aspect of zebrafish behavior, in both adults and larvae, is easily measured using EthoVision XT video tracking software with additional tools like DanioVision and aquatic mazes. These aspects include social interaction, anxiety-like behavior, exploration, swimming patterns, or just general activity. Studying zebrafish behavior using video tracking software In this blog post we highlight five recent posts about studies on zebrafish behavior where researchers applied video tracking software. Want to read even more? Please visit this interesting page of our Behavioral Research Blog. Table of contents Attracting zebrafish with 2D images All zebrafish are different What is DanioVision? Zebrafish exposed to cannabinol Zebrafish create insight in neurological diseases Attracting zebrafish with 2D images Zebrafish are social animals that interact with each other in numerous ways. A recent study by Dr... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-use-video-tracking-behavioral-research Title: 5 blogs on why you should use video tracking in behavioral research Description: In this blogpost you can find an overview of our top 5 favorite blogs on why you should use video tracking in your behavioral research. Content: Video tracking in behavioral science can be used in a variety of studies. Video tracking means detecting an animal in a video file or from a live video feed, distinguishing it from its background, and tracking its whereabouts and movements. With our EthoVision XT we created a software that fits the bill for all of your experiments. 5 blogs on why you should use video tracking in behavioral research EthoVision XT is used in over 10,000 publications, which of some, we wrote blogs about. In this blog you can find an overview of our top 5 favorite blogs on why you should use video tracking in your behavioral research. 1. EthoVision XT video tracking software in combination with the radial arm maze For over 40 years, the radial arm maze has been used extensively for memory testing in a variety of conditions. This includes the effects of psychoactive drugs and medication, as well as research into behaviors related to autism spectrum disorder and brain injury. It has also been used to charact... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-sex-differences-zebrafish-shoaling Title: Zebrafish attracted to superfish: video tracking sex differences in shoaling Description: Are images enough to evoke a shoaling response in zebrafish? Do males and females respond differently to shoals or the opposite sex? A recent study finds out. Content: Social behavior is disrupted in a number of psychiatric disorders and disabilities. In an attempt to develop therapies and treatments, we need to find out more about the biological underpinnings of these behaviors and how they are disrupted. Social genes We know that rats, mice, and even zebrafish are genetically similar to us in many ways. I wrote about a mouse model for macrencephaly/autism last week, a study that showing promising results for late intervention therapies. This week, we will focus on zebrafish – like rats and mice, very social animals. They show clear social preferences, shoaling attraction, and even copy each other’s motions. How animals communicate Let’s take a look at social cues. We know that chemical communication is important for zebrafish. Females produce pheromones and males are attracted to them. Visual communication is another very important aspect, and one that is easily manipulated in a variety of ways. Researchers have done so in many studies. Animated so... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/environmental-enrichment-rescues-autism-mouse-model Title: Environmental enrichment rescues autistic-like behaviors in mice Description: A recent mice study from The Scripps Research Institute shows that behavioral therapy might still be successful in later diagnosis of ASD with macrocephaly, laying groundwork for successful late interventions. Content: As we know, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has no cure. There is no pill to take to make it go away, but there are several behavioral therapies that seem to help people with varying degrees of autism. Early diagnosis of autism Generally, behavioral therapy is most effective when started early. The sooner the better, so early diagnosis of ASD is important. Unfortunately, many children are diagnosed when they are a couple of years old. By that age, neuro-anatomical abnormalities are already established, and behavioral therapy might be less effective. Groundwork for effective therapy A recent study done by a group of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (Florida) gives new hope. Using a mouse model, they show that multi-modal intervention can at least partially rescue the behavioral abnormalities. These are promising results, laying the groundwork for the development of new effective therapies, even in late ASD diagnosis. Brain overgrowth and ASD As we know, autism is a spectrum... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-hand-preference-infancy Title: Early infant behavior development of hand preference Description: There are many reasons to study the development of hand preference in infants. For one thing, being left-handed can be an advantage in one-on-one sports such as tennis. Content: The development of hand preference In learning about objects and their parts, transporting objects to new locations, and sharing objects with others, the hands are essential. Infants discover how to control each hand and how to use the hands together. They learn to distinguish the left and the right side of the body. The cooperation between the two halves of the body becomes more and more coordinated. Eventually a hand preference develops: the preferred hand performs the fine motor actions and the other hand assists. Why measure handedness There are many reasons to study the development of hand preference in infants. For one thing, being left-handed can be an advantage in one-on-one competitions, in sports such as tennis, baseball, and combat sports. For example, Rafael Nadal is a left-handed player and with this natural advantage, he became a star tennis player with many successful matches to his name. The advantage being in a population with a left-handed minority and a right-handed... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-build-a-consumer-behavior-research-lab Title: How to build a consumer behavior research lab? Description: In order to get off to a good start, it is best to describe the research or tests that are going to be performed in detail. Content: Really knowing your customer is very important. It's widely known that emotions define our mood, and our mood has a great impact on our buying behavior. No wonder researchers, advertisers, and marketers are interested in understanding emotions. They play a key role in non-verbal communication and are essential to understanding human behavior. How to build a consumer behavior research lab? Measuring consumer behavior enables you to really know your customers and get key insights into consumer preferences and buying behavior. A Consumer Lab is designed to allow you to observe your test participants unobtrusively. But how do you build a consumer behavior research lab? In order to get off to a good start, it is best to describe the research or tests that are going to be performed in detail. How will you measure the consumer behavior? For instance, will you just show pictures of food items, or do people actually get to taste them? Will you be looking into facial expressions, or do you want... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-research-elephants-new-habitat Title: Behavioral research shows how elephants like their new habitat at the Oregon Zoo Description: The elephants at the Oregon Zoo got a new and improved place to live. This 4-year study described in detail how the animals adapted and liked the new features of their habitat. Content: When I was just a little kid, my parents took me and my younger brother to the zoo on a regular basis. I used to love those trips. Funny monkeys, colorful flamingos, and impressive elephants. I grew up loving animals, and ended up studying Animal Sciences at Wageningen University. As I traveled for my internship at the Smithsonian Institute and later for my job here at Noldus, I visited different zoos in Europe and across the US. I got some peeks behind the scenes and participated in a couple of small projects. This is where I learned how behavioral research not only benefits the welfare of zoo animals, but also impacts the conservation of species and wildlife management. Behavioral research shows how elephants like their new habitat at the Oregon Zoo In this post, I want to share a recent study in which researchers used The Observer XT behavioral analysis software to monitor the transition of an elephant herd to their new zoo habitat at the Oregon Zoo (Portland, OR, US). This study, r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/multimodal-data Title: Five studies showing the power of multi-modal data in behavioral research Description: The advantages of using multimodal data over a single modality are that it reveals deeper insights and also if one modality fails there can be enough redundancy in the data to still make sense of it. Content: In recent years, a major trend in behavioral research has been the adoption of multi-modal measurements. Whereas in the past an observation, or even computer-aided video observation, might have been sufficient to answer the research question, today’s scientists need to gain deeper insights. Multi-modal data can help with that. Case studies showing the power of multi-modal data collection An observation can tell you what someone is doing, but the insights into mental states given by physiology can tell you why they are doing it. For example, eye tracking can reveal patterns of interest that the subject themselves are not even aware of and EEG can give insights into detailed brain processes. One reason that researchers use multi-modal methods more than in the past is that modern solutions like The Observer XT, or the newly released all-in-one platform NoldusHub, make it easier to integrate and synchronize different data streams and harness the power of multimodal research. Here are five... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/predicting-behavior-from-non-verbal-communication Title: Predicting behavior from non-verbal communication Description: Suppose a darts player is ready to throw a dart while showing a smile on his face. Would he hit the attempted number of points as opposed to missing the shot if he looked grumpy? Research has been done to figure this out. Content: In several blog posts that I’ve written, an important topic is communication. Let me highlight a few sentences from those posts to illustrate that: The face is probably the first thing we look at when we meet each other. One of the social functions of a face is communicating non-verbally . It is very natural to look at someone's face when we have a conversation . Often, we do this without thinking, unconsciously. Human beings are sociable creatures, and we have developed many ways to communicate our messages, thoughts, and feelings with others. Communicating is a natural behavior and everyone shows this behavior. One cannot not communicate, we exchange information with each other almost continuously. Verbal and non-verbal communication We distinguish verbal communication, which involves communicating with words, and non-verbal communication, which involves communicating with body language. The latter includes facial, vocal, and postural expressions, as well as touch, proximity, and gaz... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/citizen-science-zebrafish Title: Citizen science in research: studying contaminated drinking water with zebrafish Description: 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. Content: Almost half of the residents from New England states Maine and New Hampshire depend on private wells for drinking water. Due to natural and human causes, well water in New England often contains contaminations with metals such as cadmium, lead and even uranium, but also arsenic. This causes an important public health concern since chronic or high level exposure to these contaminants have been associated with multiple diseases such as cancers and even impaired neurological development. Toxic drinking water Arsenic levels that exceed 5 μg/L has been shown to affect IQ in children. Shockingly, Arsenic levels in 1/3 of wells in Maine tested exceeded 10 μg/L. Early lead and cadmium exposure has also been linked to lower IQs and behavioral disorders in children. Determining the drinking water quality in Maine and New Hampshire however is limited by two main factors: homeowner participation in water testing and the lack of information related to metal mixture effects and the difficulty commun... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parent-child-interaction-research Title: Parent-child interaction – research in a lab and on-site Description: Early in life, children are not capable of filling out a complete questionnaire or talking to an interviewer. Content: Early in life, children are not capable of filling out a complete questionnaire or talking to an interviewer. In that case, observing behavior can provide valuable information in combination with parental interviews. We share an interesting list of examples of child development observations. How to study parent-child interaction: examples of research in a lab and on-site Child development observations: Lab or natural setting? Researchers can choose to observe behavior in a laboratory setting or in a natural setting such as a family home. When 100% control of the situation is required, a laboratory setting is the most favorable option. But, in a study that needs to answer questions about behavior in its natural context, an unobtrusive set-up in a daycare center, family home, or shop is preferred. In both cases, the researcher can record the interaction on video and code behaviors in great detail. By using video, researchers don’t lose any information and can test their coding scheme and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/7-tips-for-behavioral-coding Title: 7 tips to make coding behavioral data more fun Description: Coding behavioral data helps to understand what your data represents. But let's face it, it isn't much fun to do and it takes a lot of time. Here are 7 tips to make the coding process more effective. Content: Human behavior consists of many aspects, which are worthwhile to investigate. Doing research is to understand why things happen and what relationships between phenomena are. For example, parent-child interactions, language development, handedness, and mealtime behaviors are well-known topics in developmental psychology research. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly As a researcher who works with children and their parents or caregivers, you know that part of your job is to record the experiment, review the sessions, and code numerous videos of your participants. Especially the coding part is a time-consuming, but necessary activity. Why is coding behavioral data important? Coding videos will help you summarize and highlight important pieces of information that are essential for the analysis of the observe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-collect-data-in-an-observation-lab Title: How to collect high quality data in an observation lab Description: Controlled conditions and accurate data recording are key in scientific success. A stationary observation lab provides these controlled conditions while allowing scientists to observe test participants unobtrusively. Content: Observational research is often best carried out in a stationary lab. Controlled conditions and accurate data recording are key in scientific success and a stationary lab provides these controlled conditions while allowing scientists to observe test participants unobtrusively. How to collect high quality data in an observation lab Behavioral researchers have developed a refined methodology to evaluate behavioral change that depends upon accurate measurement of behavior. Direct observation of behavior has traditionally been the pillar of behavioral measurement. Consequently, researchers must attend to the psychometric properties, such as interobserver agreement, of observational measures to ensure reliable and valid measurement (source). Interobserver agreement refers to the extent to which two or more independent observers report the same observed values after measuring the same events. Furthermore, interrater reliability is the extent to which two or more raters (or observers, coders,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/3d-printing-and-deep-learning Title: Advancing the novel object test: 3D printing and deep learning Description: 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? Content: Recently, we updated our white paper on novel object recognition. This white paper also approached the dilemma of the use of the actual objects, and the many inconsistencies and lack of object standardization that exists within and between labs. This is exactly what Spry et al tried to tackle in a recent publication by investigating the use of 3D-printed objects [1]. 3D-printing capacitive objects Spry et al provide a proof-of-principle demonstration that employing 3D-printed capacitive objects is a cost-effective, reliable, and precise way to perform object recognition tasks when compared with manual scoring. This novel approach could ultimately contribute to a more standardized approach to object recognition tasks, which would greatly improve reliability in basic and applied neurobehavioral research. Quick recap Object recognition typically involves familiarizing a subject animal with a set of objects and then presenting a novel object or displacing an object to a novel location. Tim... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/anxiety-and-autism Title: Anxiety and Autism Description: The EU-AIMS and AIMS-2-TRIALS projects have carried out some interesting studies teasing out the causes of anxiety in children with autism. Content: Autism is a condition which is characterized by difficulties in social communication (e.g. avoiding eye contact), restricted and repetitive behaviors (e.g. body rocking, rituals) and sensory anomalies (e.g. insensitivity to pain or hypersensitivity to noise). Those characteristics are used in the diagnosis of children with autism. That can be difficult though because they are very variable (it is not called the autistic spectrum for nothing), and also communication difficulties can mask other factors. FREE WHITE PAPER: Autism Research Download the free White paper to learn how and why observational research methods are used in autism research. Why observe behavior How to observe behavior in a structured way What research tools are available Download Anxiety and autism In addition to those diagnostic features, autistic children experience other problems, including anxiety, much more than other children. In general, 27% of children experience problems with anxiety, but in children with a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/aggression-in-dolphins Title: Using the Observer XT to measure aggressive behavior in Dolphins Description: 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. Content: Although we commonly write about behavioral quantification in rodents or zebrafish, other animal research models should not be forgotten! Volker and Herzing, from the Florida Atlantic University, recently published an article in ‘Animal behavior and cognition’ on aggressive interactions between Dolphins [1]. This is part of the Wild dolphin project, which has been collecting underwater data since 1985. Using the Observer XT to measure aggressive behavior in Dolphins Sympatric species Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) are a sympatric species, meaning they are very closely related while also inhabiting the same geographic region, in this case, the northern Bahamas. These species are known to travel and forage together but they also engage in aggressive interactions. Research area in the Bahamas Intra- and interspecific aggressive interactions Throughout the animal kingdom, animals express aggression towards another. This can be be... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parent-child-interaction-autism-play-behavior Title: Parent-child interaction in autism: play behavior Description: Stephanny Freeman and Connie Kasari observed play behavior in an observation lab. They invited parents with their children to their observation lab and coded behavior in great detail. Content: Stephanny Freeman and Connie Kasari of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior observed play behavior, in particular to which extend parents of young children with autism match and support their child’s play. They explain that it is important to provide these parents with the necessary tools to properly stimulate engagement. In this blog post I’ll explain why engagement is important and how this research was designed in an observation lab. Play behavior The study examined the extent to which parents of young children with autism match and support their child’s play. The researchers concluded: “playing within the child’s zone of development (at or just above their mastered play level) resulted in greater engagement and increased children’s play level and diversity of play”. Parents need to understand the level at which their child plays in order to either match or extend beyond their current level. Parents follow or match their child’s play behavior when they respond at... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/open-field-behavioral-staple Title: The open field test: A staple in behavioral batteries Description: 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. Content: The open field test The open field test is a behavioral paradigm that has become a true staple in behavioral batteries. The arena is quite self-explanatory: an open field (enclosure), which is usually a round, square or rectangular ‘box’ with raised walls (to prevent escape) in which animals can move freely and are recorded from the top. Size depends on the research model: rats or mice, or on other specifics relating to the desired output parameter. History The earliest recording of this test dates back to the 1930s, where Calvin Hall observed that rats behave differently in this arena when food or no food is present [1]. Food obviously being a strong motivational que, the behavior in this setting was centered around the ability to reach and encircle the location of this source. However the finding that is most applied today is that when no food is present the animals were less eager to explore the central part of the arena, increased whole-field exploration, but tended to stick close... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/students-engagement-motivating-teaching-behavior Title: The influence of teachers' motivation behaviors on students' engagement Description: The presence or absence of engagement determines the difference between success and failure. Does motivating teaching behavior keep students' focused and engaged? Content: Engagement is a positive state, a happy feeling, the sum of powerful parts. It ensures that people become proactive, energized, focused, and that they feel more connected with what they are doing. When people are engaged, their motivation, productivity, and performance improves and there is no stress. The presence or absence of engagement determines the difference between success and failure. That is why this phenomenon is important in all kinds of places in society. At work, in social interaction with others, in marketing, and also in education. How do you know someone is feeling (highly) engaged? Dayenne Sarkol-Teulings created a custom expression in FaceReader to measure the level of engagement: learn more about her validation study by replaying the webinar 'How to measure engagement from facial expressions'. Students’ engagement and motivating teaching behaviors As a student, I was sometimes tempted to stare out the window during class to see what was happening there. That could be... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/home-cage-monitoring-reviewed Title: Scientific collaboration at its best: Home cage monitoring reviewed Description: 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! Content: Noldus is here to advance your research. This is not only realized through innovative technology, but academic contributions as well. Last week a multi-author review of PhenoTyper studies has been published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, which is a co-production of 29 authors with a team of experts on home cage behavior from Noldus. Home cage monitoring reviewed Reproducibility crisis Grieco et al [1] address the reproducibility crisis (or replication crisis) in biomedical research, diving into several known and unknown sources of confounding environmental factors that add variance. This often leads to the inability of reproducing, or duplicating, the results of a prior study. Two major contributors to this are human interference and novelty-induced anxiety. To ameliorate this, automated home-cage monitoring systems like Noldus’ PhenoTyper have been developed that integrates with the powerful video-based tracking software: EthoVision XT. This makes it possible to perform prol... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/critical-view-forced-swim-test Title: A critical view on the Forced swim test Description: 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 Content: The forced swim test (FST) was first introduced as the ‘behavioral despair test’ by Porsolt et al. in the 70s [1,2]. As a common test for the evaluation of depressive-like state, this test has been extensively used, although modified from its original form, in the behavioral neurobiological field. Depression As depression is the world’s most predominant mental health problem [3], affecting approximately 280 million people worldwide, it is no surprise there is need for an adequate depression testing model. The development of new, but also the testing of existing, antidepressants often rely on tests like the forced swim test to predict their efficacy. The basics of the FST The forced swim test involves placing a rodent in a container filled with (lukewarm) water. The rodents naturally tries to escape, however fails to do so as is the design of the test. As animals give up after a certain period of time, and become immobile, they are removed from the container. Parameters such as activity... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/influence-ad-evoked-emotions-brand-attitudes Title: The influence of ad-evoked emotions on brand attitudes Description: Can brand authenticity generate positive emotions among consumers and turn into a positive brand attitude? Content: This blog post was written by two guest bloggers: Juliette Geerts and Jade Kraan, both graduated for their Master in Communication Sciences at the Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The influence of ad-evoked emotions on brand attitudes Two studies on the influence of ad-evoked emotions on consumer brand attitudes were conducted using FaceReader Online. This blog post explains the design and results of both studies, and explains how FaceReader Online offered a solution for obtaining new insights. Study 1: The effect of brand activism ads on consumer emotions Consumers today expect brands to speak out on social issues and do not accept it when brands remain silent on these issues1,2,3,4. This has led to the emergence of a new marketing trend, with advertising at the intersection of politics, commerce, and activism5. These brand activism ads seem to be the ultimate opportunity to start a conversation with the target group. However, experts indicate that there is a brand activ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ultraviolet-light-enhances-sexual-behavior Title: Sunshine and romance: ultraviolet light enhances sexual behavior Description: Ultraviolet B rays in sunshine enhances our romantic passion. How this actually works is still largely unknown. Research at the Tel Aviv University provides new insights. Content: Sunshine makes me happy. And apparently, it also makes us romantic. Maybe that is why sunny afternoon strolls are part of so many romantic movies… Well, unlike many things that only happen in movies, sunlight enhancing romance is a scientific fact. It’s the UV So, it’s the sun that makes us all lovey-dovey? It is actually the ultraviolet (UV) light that makes us act this way. It enhances our romantic passion. How this actually works in our body is still pretty unclear, but we do see a lot of similarities in other species. A group of researchers at the Tel Aviv University, Israel set out to investigate. Their results were recently published in Cell Reports. How our skin dictates our behavior The UV light in sunshine affects the production of hormones and our behavior. Researchers found specifically UVB rays are responsible for this. While our skin is often the target of hormones, it is also a source of hormones. In this way, it is implicated in sun-addiction and stress-related behaviors... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/virtual-reality-in-neuroscience Title: Why use Virtual Reality in Neurosciences? Description: Virtual Reality may become an easy way to calibrate or standardize complex tasks in immersive environments. How can researchers easily apply VR? Content: This blog is written by Professor Stéphane Besnard. He and his colleagues from the University of Caen, Normandie, France, developed a tool to measure cognitive functions in a virtual reality environment. If you are interested in using such a tool, please contact Arjan Veenboer (arjan.veenboer@noldus.nl). Why use Virtual Reality in Neurosciences? Investigating human behavior is challenging, especially if you want to do this in a natural or realistic environment. Studying social interactions, investigating the ergonomics of a workstation, or monitoring a patient at home for follow-up purposes or for early screening of disease symptoms are a few examples of that. Within this kind of research obstacles such as technological challenges, expansive costs, and a lack of standardization remain. Measuring specific and complex brain functions When we want to test even more specific and complex brain functions like spatial cognition, multitasking skills, and cognitive saturation in an active way,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expressions-emotional-mimicry Title: Entrepreneurs’ facial expressions & emotional contagion during investor pitches Description: What is the influence of emotions in a decision-making process? Dinkla and Liebregts wondered if displaying joy and emotional mimicry play a role during pitches. Content: This blog post was written by two guest bloggers: Daan Dinkla and Werner Liebregts from Tilburg University, the Netherlands. Raising funding is crucial for most startups to realize their growth ambitions and become successful. Convincing investors to fund your startup can be difficult as large information asymmetries exist. Investors are typically generalists and the entrepreneurs usually know more about their startup, motivation, commitment and target market than they do. Therefore, investors partly rely on signals provided by the entrepreneur to reduce this asymmetry. These signals consist of concrete actions like the entrepreneur committing personal wealth, but also certain emotions displayed by the entrepreneur like passion or joy for solving a problem are shown to help convince investors. Investigating mechanisms behind emotions This might sound like a familiar topic to you. A few months ago, the blog post: “The role of entrepreneurs’ facial expressions to gain financial support”... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-daniovision Title: What is DanioVision? A brief insight in zebrafish tracking Description: In this blog we provide a quick refresh on the topic of zebrafish, and how DanioVision contributes to this field. Content: A small fish might not be the first thing that comes to mind in (neuro)biological studies. Nonetheless, the zebrafish (Danio rerio), a tropical fish native to Southeast Asia, has been used as a model organism since the 1960s, although only gaining popularity since the 1990s/2000s. The zebrafish: is small and robust reproduces, and grows, at an extremely fast rate is cheaper to maintain than mice These are among the many advantages of the use of the zebrafish as a model organism, but most importantly, the complete genome of the zebrafish has been sequenced, which uncovered 70 per cent shared genes with humans. What is DanioVision? A brief insight in zebrafish tracking The zebrafish combines some of the best features of other model organisms. But one extremely useful characteristic is it’s transparent embryonic and larval stage. This makes it possible to label specific cells (for example with GFP), allowing researchers to externally examine the internal development of blood vessels, musc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/altruism-in-rats Title: Altruism in rats, suspiciously human Description: 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. Content: Do you sometimes feel like you have the social functioning of a rat? Probably not. But if you have, there is good explanation for that! We as humans share 99% of our genes with rats. It is indeed no secret that rats and humans share a large amount of anatomical, physiological and genetic properties, which (partly) explains the use of rats as a model organism in (bio)medical research. The latest in these shared properties was identified in a very recent publication by Bartal et al, explaining a shared neural mechanism in altruistic behavior [1]. Altruism in rats, suspiciously human Helping behavior Their publication focusses on prosocial behavior, particularly uncovering the neural mechanisms responsible for mammalian helping behavior. Their study starts with their uniquely designed ‘Helping behavior test’ (HBT). This test determines whether there is emphatic concern in rodents, more simply put: if they are capable of ‘helping behavior’. A trapped cagemate is used as the motivator, resc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-induces-emotions-moods Title: Do your emotions and moods change as you get older? Description: Are emotions affected differently for younger than for older people? Researchers used FaceReader to complement self-assessments and objectify mood changes to answer this question. Content: All kinds of things affect in what kind of mood we are. For example, the situation of having diner and discovering new dishes that surprise you. Or, when you’re asked to give a presentation to many important people for the first time - which scares you - makes you nervous. Our mood can also be influenced by certain circumstances, such as a bad night’s sleep, being in a new and unfamiliar place, or facing a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mood is what one feels inside, whether pleasant or unpleasant. The factors that influence our mood are personal. Everyone is sensitive to certain factors in their own way. The same circumstances can affect other people differently. What is great for one person can be terrible for another. Are emotions affected differently for younger than for older people? Listening to music or watching a movie induces or intensifies mood states as well. Researchers wondered what the difference would be between young and old persons. Would the mood induction... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/microbiome-brain-research Title: Furthering behavioral studies for understanding microbiota-brain insights Description: How and to what extend do microbes in the gut affect the brain and behavior? Discover how they do this kind of research at UCLA. Content: Today we are pleased to share with you a guest blog post by Dr. Christine Ann Olson from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Enjoy reading! Behavioral Implications in Microbiome-Brain Research The gut microbiota is collectively defined as the microbes present in the gastrointestinal tract. Current research demonstrates in rodent models that disrupting the microbiota through germ-free rearing or antibiotic depletion results in changes to cognitive, social, communicative, and stress-related behaviors (Vuong et al., 2017). While these models are of course artificial, these findings raise the question: to what extent to microbes in the gut affect the brain and behavior? Since many neurologic disorders, including neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, have unknown or multifaceted origins, one question is whether the gut microbiota could be partially responsible for disease states. Our laboratory (Elaine Hsiao, PhD) at UCLA focuses on whether microbes affect these dise... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ethovision-morriswatermaze-tipsandtricks Title: EthoVision XT and the Morris Water Maze: expert tips and tricks Description: Neuroscientist Colleen McSweeney, Ph.D. shares her expert knowledge on using EthoVision XT and the Morris Water Maze. From a brief history to valuable tips and tricks, here is all you need to know on automated tracking. Content: The Morris Water Maze, developed in 1981 by Richard Morris [1], is a tried and true method for assessing spatial learning and memory in rodents. What is the Morris Water Maze? The task involves a large circular pool filled with opaque water (typically colored with milk or nontoxic paint). A platform is than placed somewhere in the maze, below the level of the water so the rodent cannot see it. There are a variety of protocols for how to run this test, but typically the protocol involves placing the rodent in the water from varying entry points, then measuring the amount of time it takes to reach the platform. If the animals do not reach the platform in 60 seconds, they are guided towards the platform and removed. After a certain number of these training trials, a probe trial is completed. In the probe trial, the platform is removed, and the amount of time the rodent spends swimming near the platform is quantified. Tracking and visualization: from 1981 to 2021 When Richard Morris first... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/5-ways-to-measure-spatial-learning-rodents Title: 5 proven ways to measure spatial learning in rodents Description: 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. Content: Imagine your local supermarket having a complete renovation. Coming into the new and improved store, you suddenly have to deal with finding your favorite coffee or cereal again. A task that used to be easy, even mostly on auto-pilot, needs to be completely re-learned. This is where spatial learning comes in. What is spatial learning? Spatial learning basically refers to the association or representation of an organism (you) in a three-dimensional environment (the supermarket). If we translate this to basic animal research terms: An animal learning its position in a given space. This task highly relies on visual cues and/or landmarks, whether in humans or animals. Why is spatial learning relevant in neurosciences? Apart from being very practical to be able to find your favorite coffee, spatial learning is vital for humans and animals alike. In humans, spatial learning is an important form of declarative memory, which refers to remembering names, places, events etc. (also called working... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-diver-behavior Title: Diver behavior captured with wearable cameras Description: Observing the actual wreck diver behavior using video recordings made with wearables cameras, researchers aimed to enhance effective management strategies for underwater cultural heritages. Content: When you descend below the surface of the water, you are welcomed into a world that is full of color, life, and beauty. There is a lot to discover in the underwater world, for example turtles, coral and reefs, old shipwrecks, and many fish. Diving is adventurous, makes you feel like you are flying without the danger of falling, and you will experience an ultimate peace and quiet, which enables you to unwind and relax. Wreck diving is, just like ice and cave diving, one of the specialties in diving. It is exciting to dive into a historic site, and view something that once floated on the surface, now shelters marine life. Each wreck dive offers a chance for a new discovery. Wrecks are fascinating windows to the past. It is beyond dispute that the underwater world must remain as well protected as possible. However, the divers' behaviors can unintendedly pose risks to the integrity of site cultural heritage. Understanding actual diver behavior Cultural heritage sites are often fragile and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/decision-making-mouse-model Title: Mimicking human decision-making in a mouse model Description: Choosing the appropriate behavioral test can be a challenge, but is very important. And sometimes, researchers will have to develop their own. Content: Assays to test the cognitive behaviors in animals have been widely used for decades. The choice of the appropriate behavioral test is arguably one of the most important factors for measuring the desired behaviors and parameters. Testing cognitive behavior in animals There are many different paradigms, including mazes and operant chambers, to test an animal’s cognitive function, learning and memory, as well as anxiety and other disorders. On rare occasions though, researchers have to develop a new paradigm to test questions that have not been explored in experimental animal laboratories yet. Decisions to eat or drink One of those questions, that is especially relevant in our society with ever growing obesity rates, is how humans make decisions to either eat or drink. This is a complex question that involves many different variables, including the time and size of the last meal, internal hormones, daily routines, and the external environment (e.g. being at a social dinner with friends).... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/robust-reliable-measuring-anxiety-elevated-plus-maze Title: Robust and reliable: Measuring anxiety in the Elevated plus maze Description: Screening of anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze becomes more reliable with Ethovision XT combined with the standardization of testing parameters and common practices. Content: Animals models of anxiety often rely on the simply designed ‘elevated plus maze’. Two open and two closed arms allow researchers to look into a number of anxiety related behaviors with great speed, efficiency and reproducibility, which further standardization can improve. Lighting conditions, circadian rhythmicity, housing conditions, habituation methods, scoring methods and observer bias are all topics of debate among the scientific community. EthoVision XT Automated tracking software, such as Noldus’ EthoVision XT, has already provided a great step in removing observer-bias and standardizing scoring methods in order to increase reliability and reproducibility of this test. Researchers in various locations can use shared setups and software settings to accurately compare the outcomes and reduce inter-laboratory variation of this test. In order to achieve this ‘universal template’ however, a few considerations have to be made. FREE TRIAL: Try EthoVision XT yourself! Request a free tria... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-measure-consumer-behavior Title: How to measure consumer behavior Description: Measuring consumer behavior enables you to really know your customers and get key insights into consumer preferences and buying behavior. We highlight four of these ways for you in this blog post. Content: Measuring consumer behavior enables you to really know your customers and get key insights into consumer preferences and buying behavior. There are several ways how consumer behavior can be measured. We highlight four of these ways for you in this blog post. How to measure consumer behavior Measure eating behaviors and consumers liked and dislikes with facial expressions Measuring shopping behavior Testing consumer behavior in a natural environment Neuromarketing research Measure eating behaviors and consumers likes and dislikes with facial expressions One way to measure consumer behavior is to record facial expressions of participants, and examine their food preferences. Food scientist Prof. Susan Duncan from Virginia Tech focuses on sensory evaluation, the way people interact with food and the way their senses capture this reaction. She uses FaceReader to record facial expressions, as they demonstrate how we react to a particular food. If something smells disgusting, if a weird color... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/analyzing-challenging-play-behavior Title: Challenging play behavior: does it still exist? Description: Although children tend to spend more time indoor in sitting activities, they need feelings of exhilaration for behavioral development. Researchers investigated how risky play behavior can be encouraged. Content: When I was little it was common to play outside, build a hut out of branches and leaves, find frogs in a ditch, climb walls that were just a little too high, and play a ball game with the neighbor children on the street in front of our houses. From time to time, we pushed the limits and looked for thrilling situations, which created healthy tension. We engaged in risky play. Nowadays, my teenage children mostly watch YouTube, TikTok, or Netflix, and play on the PlayStation. Admittedly, this may say something about my parenting skills. However, it is also a trend of the present time. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for Infant Studies Download the free White paper to learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Video observations to capture behaviors Coding behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Download Risky play beneficial for children’s development Over recent decades, children are left with fewer opportunities for free play, especially outdoors. Children spen... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/green-roofs-research-biodiversity Title: How we turned our office into a living lab with a green roof Description: Green roofs are becoming more and more popular around the world. These living roofs transform buildings into ecological systems that benefits its surrounding environment. Content: Green roofs are becoming more and more popular around the world. These living roofs transform buildings into ecological systems that benefits its surrounding environment. A green roof, or living roof as it’s also called, is a roof of a building that is (partially) covered with vegetation that is planted over a waterproofing membrane¹. It goes beyond the average container gardens where plants are usually maintained in pots. While the installation of a green roof initially takes investing time and money, there are plenty of advantages. The advantages of a green roof A green roof provides extra insulation, so cooling in the summer, heating in the winter, and saving on energy costs at the same time. A green roof contributes to the retention of rainwater, thus reducing the burden on the sewer system, which is an important theme in urban environments these days. A green roof extends the life of the bitumen roofing. And last but not least: a green ‘living’ roof provides for a beautiful natura... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/investigating-facial-expressions-asd-bpd Title: Investigating facial expressions in autism and borderline personality disorder Description: Within two specific populations researchers investigated the role of facial expressions on social interactions. Content: This blog post is a guest post by Dr. Stephanie Van der Donck and Prof. Dr. Bart Boets of the Center for Developmental Psychiatry of the KU Leuven in Belgium. Facial mimicry in children with autism spectrum disorder Facial mimicry, which can be defined as the unintended, unconscious reproduction of the facial expressions of the interaction partner1, plays an important role in social interactions. It has been found to facilitate affiliation between interaction partners2, foster affective and cognitive empathy towards each other3, and boost prosocial behavior4. However, this natural tendency to automatically mimic the facial expressions of the interaction partner may lack in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)5,6, who are characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction7. Although contradicting findings have been observed8,9, previous studies have reported reduced or delayed automatic facial mimicry in adults10,11 and children12,13 with ASD as compared to con... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mice-spinal-cord-crush Title: Mice walking again after a complete spinal cord crush Description: Researchers from the University of Bochum achieved significant scientific results by making mice walk again after a complete spinal cord crush! Read more about it in this blog post. Content: Spinal cord injury leaves permanent disabilities Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a damage of the spinal cord that often occurs after a car accident, a fall from a great height or from a non-traumatic disease, for example tuberculosis. No matter how it happens, it often leaves the individuals with severe and permanent disabilities such as paraplegia or tetraplegia. Since the damaged axons do not regenerate naturally, researchers from all over the world search for different therapeutic strategies that would enable functional recovery in people with SCI. Major break-through in search for a cure Researchers from the University of Bochum recently achieved a major break-through in their search for a potential therapeutic approach for SCI. In their study, they discovered that a protein called hyper-interleukin-6 (hIL-6) stimulates signaling and axonal regeneration. Although they injected hIL-6 into the sensorimotor cortex in the brain, which is easily accessible, they observed the regeneration of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-entrepreneurs-facial-expressions Title: The role of entrepreneurs’ facial expressions to gain financial support Description: As an entrepreneur, attracting financial support is essential to get your start-up of the ground. How can positive facial expressions help to be more successful in a funding pitch? Content: As an entrepreneur, attracting financial support is essential to get your start-up of the ground. However, entrepreneurs typically face tremendous challenges in convincing investors to fund their early-stage ventures. Many researchers have pointed out that displaying positive emotions during a funding pitch can help persuade investors. But how exactly does this work? How can positive expressions help entrepreneurs be more successful in their funding pitch? Jiang, Yin, and Liu (2019) researched this by looking at joy as a positive emotion, to answer the question: Does displaying positive emotions (e.g. joy) during a funding pitch help an entrepreneur gain more financial support? Emotions as temporally dynamic and not static Since gaining financial support is critical for an entrepreneur, many researchers have looked at the roll of an entrepreneur’s positive emotional display on funding support. It turns out that it is the displayed emotions and not the experienced emotions that the audi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/insect-resistance Title: Screening plants for resistance to insect pests Description: EntoLab is a computerized system for automated screening of plants for resistance to sucking insects. It can accurately screen many different plant lines in a high-throughput manner. Content: Sucking insects, such as thrips, aphids and whiteflies, can have devastating effects in agriculture and horticulture due to both direct damage and virus transmission. Traditionally, these insect pests are controlled by repeated spraying of insecticides. However, the recent bans on neonicotinoids (neuro-active insecticides) in Europe and the United States, and health concerns about pesticides in general, are creating urgent calls for alternatives. The loss in yield from piercing, cell-feeding insects can be greatly reduced if crops are better equipped with natural defense mechanisms. For this reason, breeding for host-plant resistance to sucking insects has gained much interest in recent years. A crucial element in the breeding process is the accurate estimation of the resistance level of segregating plant populations (crosses or accessions) and to correlate this to the genetic information (SNPs or QTLs). This requires robust phenotyping systems that can accurately screen many different... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-and-coding-behavior-siblings Title: Observing and coding the behavior of siblings Description: Would it help if your brother or sister is sitting by your side when you're in pain? Would that ease the pain, or provide some distraction? Content: Suppose you are asked to keep your hand in a bowl of ice-cold water for as long as possible. Kind of like an ‘ice bucket challenge,’ but slightly different. You know in advance that this experiment will be unpleasant, and that it might even be painful. Would it help if your brother or sister is sitting in front of you to support and encourage you? Would that ease the pain, or provide some distraction? This likely depends on the quality of the relationship between you and your sibling. How do parents or siblings best support a child in pain? Usually, when children need to be supported or are in pain, we naturally ask their parents to provide that support. Also, research on family factors in pediatric pain has mainly focused on parents. For example, in the OUCH lab (Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt laboratory) in Toronto, researchers primarily focused on understanding how caregivers and children interact within the context of pain. But what about the role of siblings? Approxima... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/vestibulopathy-investigated-rat-model Title: Vestibulopathy: movement and balance issues investigated in rats Description: It is hard to diagnose vestibulopathy, so a rat model was developed to study the progress of symptoms, from day one to day 30 after ear injury. Results can improve future human diagnosis and therapy options. Content: Many people suffer from vestibular pathologies, which are often caused by damage to the inner ear. Symptoms consist of, a.o., affected eye movement (bouncy vision) and weaker posture control (e.g. balance problems), and can cause cognitive deficits. However, it is hard to diagnose these disorders. Diagnosing vestibulopathy A collaboration was started between the university of Marseille and the French society of vestibular kinesiotherapy. The researchers analyzed symptom evolution of vestibular disorders in a rat model with Noldus EthoVision XT, and then compared the results to similar data obtained from humans. This data could help diagnose the condition better, especially in dynamic situations, which is very useful when it comes to treating vestibulopathy. Movement difficulties This research yielded some insightful results. For example, people with a vestibular disorder typically feel they are unable to run, because of their balance issues. Unexpectedly, the injured rats in this study... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gammarus Title: Nearly impossible to video track: small shrimp Description: Gammarus shrimps are exceptionally difficult to track, but Noldus solved the puzzle, resulting in interesting insights into its ecology. Content: Scientists at the University of Salento in southern Italy have published [1] an interesting study on the ecology of tiny aquatic shrimps called Gammarus insensibilis. In order to carry out the study they had to overcome some challenging technical hurdles, but in the end they succeeded, and it produced fascinating results. Optimal foraging Finding enough food whilst not wasting too much energy looking for it, is a key problem that all animals have to solve. There is a strong evolutionary pressure to be good at that. If you can forage more efficiently than your neighbor, you will have more time and energy left over for other activities, and so you will have a higher evolutionary fitness. That means that many studies have found that foraging strategies of animal species are often mathematically close to optimal. However, what is optimal is very different for different types of animals. Size, metabolism, and position in the food chain (predator/prey) are among the important factors. Aquati... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-analyzing-infants-handedness-language-abilities Title: How does handedness relate to infant language development? Description: Developing motor skills appears to be related to language abilities. The research team of Sandy Gonzalez investigated whether consistency in handedness predicts receptive and expressive language. Content: When you talk about handedness, the first question that comes to mind is ‘What hand do you write with?'. In addition, movements such as combing your hair or throwing a ball are tasks that uncover your hand preference. We usually perform these activities with one hand. There are also a lot of tasks we fulfill using both hands. For example, cutting a piece of paper, unzipping a bag, peeling a sticker from its backing, or unscrewing a lid from a jar. These skills are called Role Differentiated Bimanual Manipulation (RDBM). Fine motor skill development is key Role-differentiated hand use can be defined as a bimanual manipulation skill in which each hand performs a different action, but these actions unite in the manipulation of an object. The different actions of the two hands have complementary functions; one hand has a supporting, or stabilizing role as the other manipulates or explores the object. Thus, the one hand holds the paper steady, while the other hand cuts it in half with a sci... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/repetitive-movements-infants-detect-autism Title: Observing and analyzing repetitive movements in infants to detect autism Description: To examine if a specific repertoire of repetitive movements was present in children with autism, researchers used home videos to code the behaviors of the infants. Content: Making the same movement multiple times, or making repetitive movements, is an important step in the development of a newborn child. In the first year of life, an infant learns how to use his or her arms, legs, mouth, hands, and fingers and discovers a wealth of possibilities. In the beginning, their movements are reflexes, but soon they develop into conscious, voluntary movements. Now, the infant really wants to move his or her hand to the toy and grab it. Or, the infant consciously waves repeatedly to his or her dear grandmother. Repetitive movements and motor development Repeating these movements is typical for motor development; it lays the foundation for the ability to adopt the acquired repertoire of movements in order to function properly and to expand variability. However, an increased frequency of repetitive movements has been widely described in neurodevelopmental disorders as well. One of the core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the frequency and persistence of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-consumer-choice-behavior Title: Measuring consumer choice behavior Description: Two recent projects provide new insights into how best to measure the choices that we make. Content: Imagine that you are sitting in a laboratory. You're surrounded by bright white and stainless steel surfaces. Someone wearing a lab coat comes in with a white plastic tray in his or her hand. On the tray there is a small square of chocolate, which is offered to you. You pick it up and eat it. Later that day you are at home, on a comfortable chair, listening to your favorite music, in front of a warm fire. When a friend offers you some chocolate, do you think you might enjoy it more that the one you ate in the sterile laboratory environment? Of course you will! However, even though this is a well-known fact to scientists studying consumers' responses to food, still the majority of experiments carried out today are done in conditions like the first example. The influence of control The advantage of a laboratory is that everything is controlled and uniform. If you do the experiments in people's homes, everyone's living room will be different, there is the problem of privacy, and it will p... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-mimicry-development-social-communication Title: The role of mimicry in the development of social communication Description: Children learn from interacting with others, especially their parents. For example, reproducing the emotions that others express is part of that. Content: Child development is an exciting process to study. Thanks to all kind of research, we have discovered that this development is without any doubt linked to daily living with people. Children learn from interacting with others, especially their parents. For example, reproducing the emotions that others express is part of that. Mimicry important for social development You smile at your baby and your baby smiles back! Copying facial expressions is one of the great milestones in the social development of a child. This way, the child learns what is funny and nice and discovers how to communicate non-verbally. Moreover, it fosters social bonding since mimicry tells the other that ‘I am like you’ and ‘I feel you’. Still, little is known about the mechanisms controlling the early development of emotional mimicry. Therefore, the research team of Eliala A. Salvadori, of the University of Amsterdam, conducted a study to investigate three things: Infant emotional mimicry of strangers’ facial expres... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/learn-about-people-observing-them Title: Learn about people's behavior by observing them Description: An observation or usability lab allows researchers to observe test participants unobtrusively, in an environment similar to the participant’s natural surroundings. Content: Everyone is unique; everyone behaves differently. What is more fun than sitting somewhere - on a park bench, at the beach, or on a terrace, and watch people go by? Postures, movements, nonverbal and verbal behavior - all can be observed. Watching people, seeing their behaviors, looking at their performance, is interesting for many reasons. It’s fun, but it is also very revealing. Knowing what motivates people, why they do what they do, and how they respond to influences around them will lead to improvements in terms of quality of life. If you want to control as much of the environment as possible, to prevent your observation from being interrupted by a rainstorm, or a barking dog, the best place to perform your observations is in a laboratory where you have full control. FREE WHITE PAPERS: How to build a research lab Do you want to learn more how to set up a research lab? Read on for the perfect tips & tricks! Which requirements do you need? What equipment is needed? Download 3 free 'h... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/custom-expression-engagement-validation-study Title: Creating a custom expression for engagement: a validation study with FaceReader Description: The concept engagement is gaining more and more attention. Many companies are looking for ways to increase consumer engagement. But, how do you know a consumer is feeling engaged? Content: By Dayenne Sarkol-Teulings, graduate student at Applied Cognitive Psychology at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. During my 3-month graduate research internship project for my master Applied Cognitive Psychology at the University of Utrecht, I was asked to create a custom expression for the emotional state engagement. In this blog, I will briefly tell you the highlights of this fun and interesting project. Why engagement? Over the last years, the concept engagement has been of increasing interest within multiple domains: organization behavior, marketing, social psychology, and education [1]. For example marketing is very interested in engaged consumers, especially since research has shown that highly engaged consumers spend 60% more in each transaction, make 90% more frequent purchases, and are four times more likely to advocate for the brand [2]. No wonder companies are extremely interested in finding ways to increase their consumers’ level of engagement. What does an engage... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/robust-results-intra-individual-locomotor-patterns-zebrafish-larvae Title: Getting robust results: one zebrafish is not like the other Description: Zebrafish larvae locomotor behavior often has a high variability, which can have a big impact on your results. Still, it is one of the most used parameters. So how can you make your study more robust? Content: Today, let’s talk about zebrafish. You know, one is definitely not like the other and that can have a big impact on your study. Especially if you are performing a high-throughput study. So, what does that mean, and how can you prevent variability? Zebrafish locomotion as an important indicator We can safely say that the zebrafish is an excellent model for a wide range of human psychiatric diseases, but also in toxicology and drug discovery studies. Larval locomotor behavior, the most popular and seemingly straight-forward behavioral endpoint, is used as an indicator for nervous system development and functioning. Not the same fish Thousands of studies focus on the activity and swim patterns of larvae, mostly in multi-well plates for high-throughput. A major challenge, like in many fields of research, is that results can vary. Literature shows that there is a high rate of variability between individuals, and while this is normal for natural populations, it can be problematic when interp... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotional-responses-winning-medal Title: Emotional responses to winning a paralympic medal Description: Guest blogger Jeffrey J. Martin conducted a study to examine the emotional reactions of Paralympians right after winning a medal, using automated facial expression analysis. Content: Jeffrey J. Martin, Ph.D. at the Division of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Studies, at the Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, USA studied the emotional reactions of Paralympians right after winning a medal. It became clear that not all wins and losses are equal and it’s not only the medal color that matters to athletes. Emotional responses to winning a paralympic medal Sport psychology research examining Paralympic sport is limited and in particular few researchers have examined what Paralympian’s feel after winning a medal [1, 2, 3]. More specifically, researchers examining Olympic and Paralympic athlete’s emotional reactions tend to ignore important criteria (e.g., self-referenced standards such as time) that athletes use to judge performance, and instead, focus on common objective standards like place and medal won. The current study extends the knowledge base on the psychology of the Paralympics by examining emotional reactions while considering the subtle nuances of com... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/core-facilities-advance-behavioral-research Title: How behavioral core facilities advance research Description: Behavioral cores benefit universities as well as science in general. Recent cases show improved reproducibility of tests and protocols to assess a more complex phenotype of model animals. Content: Recently we sponsored an Inside Scientific webinar called Lessons From The Core: Longitudinal Assessment vs. Point Sampling of Behaviors in Mice In this webinar Lior Bikovski and Shivang Parikh talked about today’s home cage monitoring technology and how it compares to other standard tools in the field of behavioral research. If you missed it, be sure to watch it on demand. Managing a behavioral core Prof. Lior Bikovski manages the Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility at the Tel Aviv University. He recently collaborated on a publication in Journal of Neuroscience Methods that highlights the benefits of behavioral cores. It contains a couple of great examples that show how behavioral research advanced in four behavioral cores in Sweden, the UK and Tel Aviv. Are you interested in building your own rodent neurobehavioral core? Download this free guidebook on how to build a rodent neurobehavioral core and learn more about the why, who, what and how. The importance of behavioral cores The m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/clear-masks-essential-for-clearer-communication Title: Why a clear mask is essential for clearer communication Description: For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, it is essential to be able to see the movements of the mouth while communicating. With the help of clear masks they can access the full facial expressions. Content: It is very natural to look at someone's face when we have a conversation. Often, we do this without thinking, unconsciously. After all, it is pleasant to look your conversation partner in the eye. Besides, seeing how someone's mouth moves when he or she is talking helps to listen and understand. The COVID-19 pandemic increasingly forced us to wear face masks in all kind of situations, in order to protect ourselves and to prevent spreading the corona virus. For example, when we travel by public transport, when we are in public places, and of course when we provide care to patients. Earlier this year, my colleague Patrick Zimmerman wrote a blog post about face masks and non-verbal communication. He described how wearing a face masks affects communication since we then have to rely on facial signals that are visible, which are the eyes and eyebrows. Barriers to communication For people who are deaf or have hearing impairments, it is essential to be able to see the movements of the mouth.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understand-consumer-emotions Title: Three ways to understand consumer emotions Description: Many companies are seeking ways to understand consumer emotions in order to predict product acceptability. Here are three ways you could set up your study to assess consumer emotions. Content: Many companies are seeking ways to understand consumer emotions in order to predict product acceptability. Here are three ways you could set up your study to assess consumer emotions. Learn more about innovative methodologies for Consumer Behavior Research - Replay our free webinar now! 1. Multi-sensory research In order to understand consumer emotions, you can use a variety of different technologies. In one recent project, a company claimed to have developed shampoo and hair serum (PIVOINE range, KLORANE) that would have superior relaxing effects. However, they wanted (and according to EU law, needed) proof! Understanding consumer emotions Using the Noldus toolkit (which has behavioral metrics along with physiological measurements such as blood pressure, electro-dermal activity, and heart rate) together with the customer, we found out that the relaxing shampoo and serum both had physiological and behavioral effects that pointed to relaxation. The serum had an impact on blood pressure... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/arthritis-new-scale Title: A new sensory and motor scale for the CIA arthritis mouse model Description: Dr. Bonnefont and her colleagues at IRMB in France just recently proposed a new ArthriSM scale to predict motor and sensory functional deficits in arthritis mouse model. Read more about it in her blog post! Content: Today we are happy to share with you a guest blog post by Anne-Laure Bonnefont in which she explains how she and her colleagues developed the ArthriSM scale - a new sensory and motor scale to predict functional deficits in arthritis mouse model. Enjoy reading! Rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease, of unknown etiology that affects 1% of the adult population worldwide, making RA one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases. RA is characterized by chronic joint inflammation and progressive destruction of cartilage and bone that lead to debilitating joint pain and severe disability1. Although numerous therapeutical approaches are currently used to alleviate symptoms, disease remission is very rare, highlighting the needs to better characterize the pathology in order to develop new therapies. Animal models of RA The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model is extensively studied because it shares several pathological and immunological f... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-recording-used-in-psychology Title: Video recording used in psychology Description: Understanding behavior during an interaction becomes much easier with video observations, and enables students to watch and learn. Content: Much of psychology education deals with the challenge of how to effectively teach and evaluate skills professionals need in certain interactions. For example, think about conversational skills psychologists need in interactions such as a parent-child interaction, group discussion, or an individual counseling meeting. In these cases, the feedback given by the expert to the student is of crucial importance. However, having a teacher sit in on the interaction might have an unwanted effect on the situation at hand. What can we do to improve the learning experience of the student and make the process run as smoothly as possible for the teacher? What if I were a teacher? Record interactions on video Understanding behavior during an interaction becomes much easier with video observations. You as a teacher can comment on video images, and the student can watch him/herself over and over again to learn skills he/she needs. The possibility to see exactly what is happening during a training sessio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/learning-experiences-nursing-students Title: Exploring learning experiences of undergraduate nursing students Description: Simulation-based training sessions are essential in healthcare education. How do nursing students experience the use of a virtual interactive digital simulator compared to a human patient simulation? Content: Years ago, when I was trained as a nurse, my fellow students and me were regularly found in an exercise room, standing next to a hospital bed with a plain manikin, or just one of us, in it. We practiced all kind of technical skills, such as measuring vital functions and lifting techniques. I experienced this as a pleasant way to learn skills and to gain confidence in my own abilities. Gaining confidence is an important goal of simulation-based training and an essential part of education. Fortunately, many improvements have been made to these simulation-training courses in the meantime. For example, virtual reality is now being implemented. In my time this didn’t even exist… such a pity! FREE WHITE PAPER: Video feedback in skills education 10 Reasons why video feedback is essential in skills education. Benefits for students Advantages for teachers and trainers Practical examples Get your copy instantly Performing simulation-based training in healthcare Healthcare simulations aim to educ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cincinnati-water-maze Title: Studying spatial learning and memory with Cincinnati Water Maze Description: Studying spatial learning and memory is important to develop treatment for Alzheimer's and other diseases influencing on orientation and navigation. One way to study it is with Cincinnati Water Maze. Content: Spatial learning and memory plays an important part in our everyday lives. Orientation in space, finding a path to our desired destination, and remembering where different objects or buildings are located, seems natural to most of us. Unfortunately, some diseases like Alzheimer’s, Cushing’s, or epilepsy make spatial orientation and navigation a lot more difficult. Research on spatial learning and understanding specific brain areas involved in spatial memory is therefore important in order to develop new treatments for these types of diseases. Brain regions responsible for memory The brain is a complex and dynamic network. Even though there is no brain region responsible for only one specific function, the hippocampus appears to play a crucial role in spatial memory. With its connections to the medial temporal lobe, and links to the retrosplenial cortex and parietal cortex, it allows an organism to navigate and orientate in its environment. The importance of the hippocampus Interestingl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-can-you-use-eye-tracking-for Title: What can you use eye tracking for? Description: Eye tracking is a technique which records what you are looking at. With more complex analysis, it can give all sorts of information about a subject's mental state. Content: Eye tracking is a technique which records what you are looking at. At its simplest, it records if someone looked at a given object or not. With more complex analysis, it can give all sorts of information about a subject's mental state and the tasks they are carrying out. When you are reading a page of text, you don't see all the words in focus at once, just the one you are reading at that moment. As your eye skips from word to word, your brain builds up a picture of the total scene and as soon as we pay attention to particular area, it springs into sharp focus. That area of focus corresponds to a small point on the retina of your eye called the fovea (about 2° of vision), and eye-tracking equipment uses that to determine what you are looking at. Where we stop and pay attention to a word, that is called a fixation and where we skip, that is a saccade. During a saccade, no visual information is transmitted to the brain. Fixations and saccades don't just occur during reading, they happen... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/relationship-between-social-hierarchy-social-stress Title: The relationship between social hierarchy and social stress Description: Today, Deepika Patel kindly shares her research on social structures with us. She investigated rat behavior in detail, using several test paradigms. Content: Today, Deepika Patel kindly shares her research on social structures with us. During her PhD at GELIFES (University of Groningen), she investigated rat behavior in detail, using several test paradigms. Congratulations with your thesis, Deepika! A key feature of group living is the establishment of dominance relationships in competition for resources. The competition for a high rank is often accompanied with social conflicts due to a natural result of interactions between individuals, which can be a source of chronic stress leading to stress-related psychopathologies. Social structures Animals live together in groups with a hierarchical structure installed with dominant, subdominant and subordinate males. According to various studies this can induce chronic social stress of subordination [1]. The social dominance structure in humans is more complicated compared to the animal kingdom. Looking at the socioeconomic status (SES) however, the stepwise descent predicts increased risks of card... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/intensity-emotional-response Title: Measuring the intensity of emotional response to political advertisement videos Description: To convince voters, all kinds of strategies can be used to stimulate the electorate. Researcher Dias and his team evaluated how voters respond to changes in the scenario of videos of political propaganda. Content: To convince prospective voters to choose you as a candidate, all kinds of strategies can be used to stimulate the electorate. The use of videos is most common, mainly because the internet makes sure the videos are universally accessible and shared widely and freely. Valence of emotion The research team of Carlos Magno Machado Dias, from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, conducted a study to evaluate how voters responded to changes in the scenario of videos of political propaganda. They used four different background scenarios in the videos: Completely white background Library Luxury house Popular house The images shown here are not the original images used in the study, but are meant to give an impression of the scenarios. The researchers compared the emotional valences found among individuals who watched the political propaganda videos, whose only difference was the scenario in which the candidate presented himself. The data collected in this study was obtained by meas... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/a-to-z-on-optogenetics-and-video-tracking-studies Title: A to Z on optogenetics and video tracking studies Description: Optogenetics allow researchers to either activate or inhibit neurons in the brain. To see how this affects behavior, you need to record that behavior and synchronize it with the stimulation. Here's how. Content: Today, I’ve snuck into the blog from the Noldus Support and training department to talk about EthoVision XT. One of the things that keeps my job interesting is that scientists always want to try something new. Existing tools get applied to new problems in new ways. Optogenetics provides a great example. Optogenetics Optogenetics is a transformative technique which allows researchers to either activate or inhibit neurons in the brain, in order to determine the function of those brain cells. This technique is applied in living fruit flies, nematodes, zebrafish, and mice and rats. The technique of optogenetics In an optogenetics experiment, neurons are treated in various ways to incorporate light sensitive receptor proteins in their cell membranes. A fiber optic cable is implanted in the animal to bring light to the targeted cells. (In case of developing zebrafish, for example, no implants are necessary as larvae are transparent.) When these cells are exposed to light of the correct wavel... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-facial-expression-emotion-joint-activities Title: The role of facial expression of emotion in joint activities Description: How does emotion expression guide interactive value learning and interactive corrective action selection? Dr. Robert Lowe investigated this and shares his findings in this guest blog post. Content: By Robert Lowe, Associate Professor at the Division of Cognition & Communication at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The role of facial expression of emotion in joint activities Robert Lowe’s group at the University of Gothenburg have been researching the role of processing facial expression of emotion on cognitively demanding tasks. Their focus has been on whether and how emotion expression guides: interactive value learning, and interactive corrective action selection. The researchers have carried out different social interaction-based studies on the differential outcomes learning paradigm and an interactive map navigation task requiring corrective action selection. The researchers’ broader interest concerns the use of emotion in joint activities. MEASURE YOUR EMOTIONS: What does your face say? Curious what emotions your face shows? Upload a photo here, and our FaceReader software will test it for emotionality. Enter a url or browse for an image Use passport photo like pictures... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/discussing-uncertainty-during-cancer-genetic-counseling Title: Discussing uncertainty during cancer genetic counseling Description: Getting screened preventively to find out whether a genetic predisposition increases the chance of developing cancer, causes great uncertainty. Which communication manners help to deal with this? Content: By Niki Medendorp, researcher at the Department of Medical Psychology of the Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands. Background of research project Multigene panel testing In approximately 5% of all cancer patients, cancer is caused by an underlying genetic predisposition. Cancer patients or their relatives (i.e., counselees) can undergo genetic testing to find out if they carry a genetic predisposition that increases their chance of developing cancer during their lifetime. Until recently, genetic testing consisted of the sequencing of individual genes associated with the cancer(s) in the family to identify genetic predispositions. Technological developments within the genetic field have resulted in the possibility to sequence multiple genes associated with cancer simultaneously. This is also called ‘multigene panel testing’. Multigene panel testing increases the diagnostic yield as it involves a higher probability to identify genetic predispositions. As a result, counselees can undergo preven... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/studying-shrimp-feeding-behavior Title: Studying shrimp feeding behavior and why it’s important for aquaculture Description: Shrimp is a popular dish, and these crustaceans are a very large part of commercial aquaculture. Especially Pacific white-leg shrimp, as they grow fast and are able to adapt to a wide range of environments. Content: Shrimp is a popular dish, and these crustaceans are a very large part of commercial aquaculture. Especially Pacific white-leg shrimp, as they grow fast and are able to adapt to a wide range of environments. How shrimps feed The downside of these shrimps is that they can be slow feeders, which has a lot more consequences than you might expect. For example, when food is left, it is not only a waste of money, it also contaminates the water. You can imagine that finding the optimal way to feed shrimp can make or break profitable farming. This is why investigating the best feeding protocols has gained more interest lately, and a big part of that is looking at feeding behavior. In fact, understanding the basics of shrimp behavior is a crucial fundament to the refinement of feeding practices. Wasting food Food waste may occur if there is simply too much food to take in, but also when it is of low quality and shrimp are not attracted to it, cannot detect it, don’t want to eat it, or it partial... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fathers-affect-offspring-fitness Title: Father’s genes affect their offspring’s future success Description: The early life environment of male bank voles can influence their offspring significantly. Both social stress and nutrient supply have an effect on the chances of survival for two generations. Content: A research group from Jyväskylä University in Finland has studied the fitness of rodent offspring, and what role the early life environment of their father could play. Far-fetched as it sounds, previous studies have already found evidence that fathers can ‘relay’ those experiences to their offspring. As a model species, the researchers chose the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), a common rodent in Finland. Intergenerational effects Bank vole fathers are not involved in rearing their offspring, meaning fathers can only influence their offspring through DNA. Examples of these early life environments could be the amount of nutrition available, diseases and population density. Paternal effect In general it is easy to study the mother’s influence on offspring, since they are the ones raising the young. They influence the pups directly, through for example nutrition and social care. The indirect influence of the fathers is possible through various markers in DNA. Those can change through environ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/screening-insecticides Title: Screening insecticides for efficacy or tolerance Description: Maarten Jongsma and colleagues use EntoLab to detect changes in insect behavior that provide a sensitive method for identifying and quantifying resistance development. They tested this approach with pyrethrins against aphids. Content: Screening repellence of pyrethrin pesticide formulations Pesticides against aphids are often primarily focused on behavior modification rather than on causing mortality post-ingestion of host plant material in order to prevent virus transmission. To prevent persistent virus transmission, it is usually essential that the insects don’t probe for a sustained period of time and reach the phloem. That process usually takes about 3 minutes so any formulation that can reduce this residence time to less than 3 minutes potentially works well to prevent transmission. Pyrethrins have the property that once applied to a leaf surface they don’t kill but tend to repel the landed insect. Yet formulations are further improved to enhance this feature by adding co-factors. This was tested at Wageningen Plant Research, where researchers could show that, relative to a control formulation, pausing events (~probe duration) on test leaves lasted indeed less than 3 minutes. The experiments were conducted usin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/screening-insect-resistance-aphids Title: Identification of an aphid resistance gene in Arabidopsis Description: Karen Kloth used EntoLab in her research on the genetic basis of plant resistance to aphids. Genome-wide association mapping of aphid behavior on 350 natural Arabidopsis accessions led to the discovery of a new gene. Content: Aphids are a huge problem in farming systems, as they transfer plant viruses and drain precious nutrients and sugars from crops. Plants have a plethora of natural defense mechanisms against these herbivorous insects, but crops are often devoid of them and extra vulnerable as they are grown in monocultures. Therefore, insecticides are applied on a large scale. Now the use of many insecticidal compounds is becoming restricted due to their detrimental impact on the environment, there is an increasing demand to breed crops that have natural defense mechanisms against aphids. But for this, the genetic basis of plant resistance to aphids needs to be known. In a quest to identify plant resistance genes, we were faced with the vast task of screening hundreds of Arabidopsis plant lines for resistance to aphids. Initial setup for video tracking used by Kloth et al. (2015). In the current EntoLab assay plates, larger leaf segments are used to maintain better phloem turgor, and up to 300 instead o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/screening-beneficial-insects Title: High-throughput screening of beneficial insects Description: Jessica de Bruijn used EntoLab for automated high-throughput screening of parasitic wasps in individual olfactory 2-choice tests. Various behavioral parameters were measured to compute a memory retention index. Content: Memory retention in parasitic wasps Insects are important models to study learning and memory formation in both an ecological and neuroscience context due to their small size, behavioral flexibility and ecological diversity. Measuring memory retention is often done through simple time-consuming set-ups, producing only a single parameter for conditioned behavior. This calls for higher sample sizes with more individuals and parameters to measure olfactory memory retention more efficiently. EntoLab fulfills this need. It offers automated high-throughput screening of wasps in up to 126 individual T-mazes, in a plexiglass stack of plates of 215x215 mm, where each individual wasp can choose between two artificial odors. Various behavioral parameters, relevant to memory retention, are acquired in this set-up: first choice, residence time, giving up time and zone entries. From these parameters a performance index is calculated as a measure of memory retention. De Bruijn et al. (2018) used the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/screening-insect-resistance-thrips Title: Identification of thrips resistance in Arabidopsis Description: Maarten Jongsma explains how he used EntoLab to facilitate insect choice assays and automate the acquisition and analysis of movement tracks. Two Arabidopsis accessions were tested for resistance to western flower thrips. Content: Host-plant resistance to insects like thrips and aphids is a complex trait that is difficult to phenotype quickly and reliably. Jongsma et al. (2019), building on the work of Thoen et al. (2016), have designed a novel hardware and software system, named EntoLab, to facilitate insect choice assays and automate the acquisition and analysis of movement tracks. Since the original prototype, assay plates have evolved into designs that hold 20x60mm leaf segments and as many as 126 two-choice (T-maze) arenas. Thanks to an ingenious release mechanism, all insects are simultaneously released from their individual cage below each T-maze with choice of two leaf disks under a video camera. Insect movement tracks are acquired with computer vision software (EthoVision XT) and analyzed with EthoAnalysis, which allows for automated reporting of highly detailed behavior parameters and statistical analysis. To validate the benefits of the system, two Arabidopsis accessions that were previously analyzed... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/research-human-participants-covid-19 Title: How to conduct research with human participants during COVID-19 Description: Are you going to pick up research with human participants again? Here are some useful tips to ensure safety and hygiene in a corona-proof lab. Content: The current COVID-19 outbreak and resulting pandemic has had a big impact on all of us. In the past few months, many adjustments in our daily life and work were necessary and have been made. Some were easy to accomplish, while others took more effort. Labs closed, projects were put on hold, we had to work from home in order to keep physical distance from each other, and the circulating virus may have created uncertainties about our own health and that of our families. Particularly the physical distance made many things impossible. In some cases experimental data were lost because of the interrupts. Resuming research with human participants We are now a few months later, and although a lot of research work could continue using a site license, we feel that the need to do experiments in a physical lab again is growing. Luckily, restrictions have slowly been lifted, but the questions remains how to safely conduct an experiment with human participants nowadays? What needs to be done differe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/decoding-memories-during-day-and-night Title: Decoding memories during day and night Description: Unraveling the role of protein synthesis in memory storage across the day and night in a mouse model - how researchers are gaining insights into sleep deprivation and its consequences. Content: Today we have a guest article by Frank Raven, who just finished his study on the effect of sleep deprivation on memory and plasticity at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES). His thesis describes a series of experiments to characterize specific changes in the brain and how this helped him gain insights into sleep deprivation and the underlying mechanisms. In the future, Frank hopes to further his research on the neurobiology of sleep. Congratulations with your thesis, Frank, and thank you for contributing to the Noldus Behavioral Research Blog! Day and night rhythms in memory processing Human beings and most other species of the animal kingdom have the fundamental ability to form, store, and later retrieve memories. Memory processing is very delicate can be affected by many different factors. One of those is day and night rhythmicity. Such a rhythmicity can arise from rhythmic variation at the cellular, neurobiological level, or behavioral level, for example... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-analysis-tbi Title: CatWalk XT: Valid tool for objective gait analysis in TBI mice model Description: Many people suffer from TBI and consequently also long-term gait and motor function deficits. For this reason, functional outcome became the focus when developing new treatment strategies for TBI. Content: Researchers all over the world are conducting studies to better understand the lasting effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and develop treatments and therapies associated with the best outcomes in people who suffer from this type of injury. Up until now, medical treatments that showed a promising neuroprotective effect in animal models unfortunately did not translate to a successful therapy in clinical trials in humans. With this in mind, an important question arises: How could we improve this? Translation of experimental results into the clinical practice In order to enhance the outcomes of research on animal models, a pre-clinical drug-screening consortium for TBI was established: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy. The latter reevaluates potential neuroprotective drugs in animal models of TBI by investigating drug effect on different pathophysiologic aspects of traumatic brain injury. However, there is another important aspect that would help to improve this translation further: pr... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/voice-assistants-future-of-marketing Title: Alexa, Siri, Google – Are voice assistants the future of marketing? Description: Voice assistants – they are found in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Elaine Mathe studied how users interact with voice assistants and what emotions they show in response to played ads. Content: This is a guest blog post by Elaine Mathe. Elaine used FaceReader during her study about voice assistant marketing. Enjoy reading! Alexa, Siri, Google – Are voice assistants the future of marketing? Voice assistants – they are found in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Asking Siri about the weather, telling Alexa to play music, and setting a reminder simply by saying ‘Hey, Google’; while these interactions might have seemed strange in the beginning, they have become the norm these days as the growing number of voice assistant users suggests [1]. With more active users, the marketing potential of these digital assistants increases [2] alongside the uncertainty about the new communication tool [3]. Voice assistant marketing? Yes! But how? Little research has been done on this topic [4] particularly with regard to user acceptance, so there are still considerable gaps in knowledge in this field. Methodology To address this issue, I have designed a study with the objective of assessin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/simulation-training-improving-response-coronavirus Title: Simulation-based training in times of crisis Description: Simulation can be a useful tool in the development of new standard operating procedures and policies needed to respond to crises like COVID-19. Content: The coronavirus has greatly affected our lives and our work the last few months. The pandemic that began in March 2020 put high pressure on hospitals, emergency services, and healthcare institutions, among others. The coronavirus is still wandering and continues to cause infections. Can simulation-based training play a role in preparing for another outbreak or other similar crises? Why organize simulation-based trainings in times of crisis? Researcher Dieckmann and his team published an article in the journal Advances in Simulation in which they describe the potential of simulation to prepare and improve hospital responses to outbreaks like COVID-19. Practice through simulation can reduce the cognitive load of the staff involved in patient care, thereby helping to reduce errors in times of pressure and exhaustion. Moreover, findings from such training sessions can help in identifying and shaping learning goals, staff preparedness, improving systems and protocols, and ultimately patient... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/eyes-important-part-communication Title: The eyes have it: face masks and non-verbal communication Description: When seeing another person wearing a face mask, humans have to rely on visible facial signals, which are the eyes and eyebrows. Looking someone in the eye is an important part of communication. Content: It is safe to say that the coronavirus pandemic has changed our world, in many different ways. As I write this (July 2020), in The Netherlands, restrictions continue to be lifted, but we must still adhere to socially distancing from people not from our own household and wear face masks on public transport and other situations in which you cannot maintain a distance. How does wearing face masks affect communication? As a trainer & consultant at Noldus IT, I spent the last 4 months in my home office doing remote training courses instead of traveling the world. It turned out that technically it is perfectly fine to remotely explain how our behavioral observation systems work. PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Behavioral research solutions Download our free product overview and find out which Noldus products are suitable for your research. Divided into research areas Find the solution for your research Trust our 30 years of experience Download However, as many people have experienced using programs such a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-cuttlefish Title: How to unravel the long-term memory of cuttlefish: automated video tracking Description: Did you know that cuttlefish have three hearts, have such an advanced vision that they can see what’s behind them, and can count to five? Content: Did you know that cuttlefish have three hearts, have such an advanced vision that they can see what’s behind them, can count to five, and that males can make half of their body colorful to attract females and display subdued female colors on the other half of to avoid competition with other males? [1] Amazing creatures, right? Intelligent little creatures And there is more. Cuttlefish are intelligent; they are able to learn. When they know that their favorite food will be ‘served’ in the evenings, they will eat less of the less tasty food during the day [2]. They also learn to stop chasing a prey when they can see it but are unable to reach it [3]. That is what this article is about. RESOURCES: Read more about DanioVision Find out how DanioVision is used in a wide range of studies and how it can elevate your research! Free white papers and case studies Customer success stories Recent blog posts Resources Interesting model for behavioral research Now why is this interesting? Cuttlefish... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/internet-of-things Title: The Internet of Things, LoRa, 5G, and measuring behavior Description: New techniques for connecting sensors will provide opportunities for researchers measuring behavior. Content: When the pioneers of behavioral science, Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz, and Niko Tinbergen did their research which would result in their Nobel Prize in 1973, more or less the only tools they had available to help them was a notebook and pencil. Later, such research was supplemented by video cameras and computer-aided observation (the basis of The Observer XT from Noldus). In recent years a whole load of new sensors have come onto the market which can measure all sorts of things about the subjects of such research including their position, fine movements, physiology, gaze, muscle movements, brain activity, and levels of chemicals like glucose and hormones. Sensor measurements have three main advantages over pure observations; they are completely objective, they save a lot of time, and they can measure things which you cannot measure just by looking. Field observations There is one aspect to measuring with such sensors which, until very recently, meant that they were less flexible than... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/learning-software-for-video-tracking-in-animals Title: Learning how to use software for video tracking in animals Description: A couple of months ago, we had the pleasure to visit the University of Groningen to record a customer success story. Content: A couple of months ago, we had the pleasure to visit the University of Groningen to record a customer success story. Over 2000 sites around the world work with video tracking software EthoVision XT and we regularly visit customers to see how they use this software in their research or education. Today, I would like to share how EthoVision XT helps young researchers to learn more about behavioral testing in a practical course. University of Groningen, The Netherlands As a professor in developmental behavioral neuroscience, Jocelien Olivier works at the University of Groningen, at the GELIFES Institute. In the minor Neuroscience, she and her colleagues show students what neuroscience is all about. For example, she wants students to get in touch with 'how do we score behavior'. Practical 'Tracking behavior' with EthoVision XT During the practical ‘Tracking behavior’, the students analyze movies of completed open field experiments in EthoVision XT and investigate whether treatment with flu... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cfi-exceptional-opportunities-fund-covid19 Title: CFI Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19 Description: The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has issued an Exceptional Opportunities Fund (EOF) in the fight against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, known as COVID-19. Content: The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has issued an Exceptional Opportunities Fund (EOF) in the fight against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, known as COVID-19. Through this EOF, the CFI will invest up to $25 million to support equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19. Unlike other competitions, this particular EOF will cover up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of a project! The deadline for proposal submission, Monday, July 6, is approaching rapidly. Fortunately, Noldus is here to help with your submission. Please join us on Tuesday, June 30, at 1pm EDT, for an informational webinar on Noldus’ Grant Assistance Program followed by a presentation of our solutions and tools for the fight against COVID-19. This webinar is open to all; however, it is limited to the first 100 registrants. Program description The threat of infectious disease is on the rise. COVID-19 has proven to be a global concern for humanity and has taken a significant toll on the healthcare system and eco... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ux-neuroscience-lab-in-the-spotlight Title: UX / Neuroscience lab in the spotlight Description: After a successful launch in June 2019, the LabUX team has been designated the innovation of the year for the digital transformation at Desjardins. Content: Marie-Laure Di Fabio is a senior User Researcher at Desjardins Group, Canada’s leading financial cooperative group. One of my colleagues had the pleasure to meet up with her in Montreal end of 2019 to discuss their UX research and UX / Neuroscience lab. Desjardins Group entrusted Marie-Laure with implementing its new research laboratory, the LabUX. After a successful launch in June 2019, the LabUX team has been designated the innovation of the year for the digital transformation at Desjardins. Congratulations from the Noldus team! UX / Neuroscience lab in the spotlight So what brought about this prize? Let’s have a look at this innovative laboratory in Montreal, Canada where they find out what the real user experience is. UX Research at Desjardins Group Desjardins Group aims to offer the best online experience possible. When developing digital solutions like a website or an app, the value for the final customer needs to be maximized. Improving the user experience for end users of any p... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/comorbidity Title: Researching comorbidity in patients with autism spectrum disorder Description: Patients with autistic spectrum disorder also tend to have other disorders like epilepsy. Why is that and how can understanding that help us understand autism? Content: The word 'morbid' in normal English is normally used to mean an unhealthy interest in death and disease, so the medical term comorbidity comes across as rather gruesome. However, medically, 'morbidity' simply means 'of disease' so comorbidity is about diseases occurring together. For some common diseases and disorders, that is a big problem, and made worse by the way that our health care is normally organised, being split up into departments dealing with different diseases separately. In recognition of the magnitude of the problem of comorbidity, the EU put out a call to further research the issue and the CANDY project is a response to that. The scientists in that project are investigating why it is that people with autism spectrum disorder (which I'll simply call autism in the rest of this blog) have ten times the chance of also having epilepsy as the general population does, and that it is even higher if they also suffer from intellectual disorder. Coincidence? If two things occur at... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/consequences-of-opioids-during-pregnancy-on-rat-pups Title: Taking opioids during pregnancy: short- and long-term consequences in rats Description: Women worldwide are suffering from opioid addiction. Many receive so-called opioid-maintenance therapy using bup, but consequences for both mother and baby are largely unknown. Content: Throughout the world, many women of a reproductive age are addicted to opioids. When they are pregnant, this could cause severe consequences for the mother, the pregnancy, and the unborn baby. Opioid-maintenance therapy Many undergo so-called opioid-maintenance therapy, despite not all of the consequences being known. A group of researchers from the Wayne State University in Detroit (Michigan, USA) went to find out the short- and long-term consequences of this treatment, testing the drug buprenorphine (BUP) on rats. The behavior of pups was assessed using video tracking. Developmental impact An opioid addiction can have various effects, like infants being born prematurely or lacking oxygen during birth. On top of that, they might be more sensitive to opioid addiction later in life. Treatment with BUP potentially reduces several of those effects, though not all consequences of BUP-use are known yet. Studying buprenorphine Most studies only administered BUP after conception and stopped b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/homology-and-analogy-in-behavioral-neuroscience Title: Homology and analogy in behavioral neuroscience Description: The point of this blog is to encourage you, as researchers, to ‘double think’, which is to say think like a scientist and think like an animal. Content: Behavioral experiments employ a variety of animals, such as fish, pigeons, rats, monkeys, and humans, to name a few (for a discussion of invertebrates see here1). The decision of which animal model to use has many factors2, but is it valid to compare data from that animal without first considering the anatomical homology or behavioral analogy? To that end, what does that even mean? Having a shared origin According to the National Human Genome Research Project3, mice and humans share a remarkable homology: approximately 85% of protein-coding regions of the mouse and human genomes are identical. Between rats and mice, there is approximately 83-100% overlap4. Campbell and Hodos5 suggest “structures and other entities are homologous when they could, in principle, be traced back through a genealogical series to a stipulated common ancestral precursor irrespective of morphological similarity”. This makes sense as humans, mice, and other mammals share a common ancestor some 80 million years a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/grant-assistance-program-north-america Title: Noldus Grant Assistance Program launched in North America Description: Grant funding is the lifeblood of academic research. Is successful funding the best path to securing future funding? Content: Grant funding is the lifeblood of academic research. In the United States, the pinnacle of research awards is the NIH R01 grant. At many universities, getting a R01 is the key to getting tenure1; however, according to data provided by NIH, only 16.3% of applicants get awarded on the first submission, and 31.7% get funded on the first resubmission2. Furthermore, funding rates have remained relatively stable for the past ten years (see Figure 1). The Canadian equivalent of such an award is provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). In the science sector, only 18% of proposals were funded in 20173. Moreover, there is ample evidence to support the idea of a “Matthew Effect”4, meaning that successful funding is the best path to securing future funding. Where does that leave new researchers, professors at smaller institutions, and especially minorities5? There are proposed solutions6, but one thing is clear: There is an obvious need to help academics in the path to funding. As o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ethovision-xt-let-the-software-work-for-you Title: Let the software work for you! Description: Why spend extra time on tedious tasks? Instead of manually checking behavior tracking data for errors, streamline your workflow with the right tools. Gain accurate insights effortlessly and focus on what truly matters: your research and discoveries. Content: Why do more work than you have to, am I right?! While I was on the sales team at Noldus, I used to say, “Let the software work for you, don’t get stuck working for the software”. It was my poor attempt at a catchy sales pitch, but the message I wanted to convey was genuine. Because ask yourself this; do you really want to be stuck behind your computer scouring over your behavior tracking data to make sure there aren’t any missing samples or tracking jumps between frames? No. You just want it to work, so you can focus on other things. Noldus software tools to the rescue Within all of the Noldus software packages, there are always built-in tools or features that are designed to make the data collection process and subsequent analysis as painless as possible. EthoVision XT in particular is full of these for virtually every phase of the experimental process. In this article, I would like to highlight some of the ones that I think can take your EthoVision XT workflow from potentially tediou... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optimizing-safety-efficiency-or Title: Organized chaos or well-oiled machine? Optimizing safety & efficiency in an OR Description: Dr. Joseph and her team searched for solutions to minimize flow disruptions in Operating Rooms and make them as safe and efficient as possible. Content: Hospital operating rooms (OR) are spaces in which medical personnel performs often complex surgeries and tasks with many interactions between humans and equipment. Even though to the casual observer an operating room may come across as organized chaos, it’s meant to be a well-choreographed sequence of procedures. Any issues with regard to teamwork, communication, workflow, and equipment design are known to lead to complications and increased mortality. Dr. Anjali Joseph and her team use a Portable Noldus Observation Lab, behavioral coding with The Observer XT, and computer modeling to qualify and quantify the goings on during surgeries in real operating rooms, not simulated versions of one. Their goal is to identify flow disruptions, determine what’s causing them, and come up with solutions to minimize them and make ORs as safe and efficient as possible. Are you ready to kick start your research? Want better insights and faster results? Contact us now to learn how we can help you! Dire... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/toxicometabolism-and-behavior-of-zebrafish-exposed-to-cannabinol Title: Toxicometabolism and behavior of zebrafish exposed to cannabinol Description: THC and CBD are well-know compounds of cannabis (Cannabis sativa), use for recreational purposes or health benefits. We have less knowledge of the effects of another active compound: CBN. Content: I had the pleasure of working on this article with Ieremias Chousidis (University of Ioannina). He studied the effects of CBN, a lesser known compound of Cannabis leaves, in order to investigate the impact of cannabis on organisms. Cannabis use and abuse Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) leaves are amongst the most abused drugs in human history due to their psychoactive effects. Various products and extracts of cannabis have gained great interest due to beneficial/therapeutic effects for a series of syndromes, including Dravet syndrome, epilepsy, anxiety, schizophrenia, chronic pain, even for cancer, as well as for recreational purposes e.g. euphoria. While in most countries the medical and recreational use is illegal (except for Canada, Israel and 16 EU countries), the cannabis world market today is reaching 30 billion dollars, with the profits made from illicit trafficking being even higher. Active substances Cannabis leaves have several compounds, or cannabinoids, that cause the effects th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/stay-at-home Title: STAY AT HOME! Description: What is the best way to communicate an important message such as 'Stay at home'? The research team of Mauri compared the emotional reactions to three short videos containing this message using FaceReader. Content: This is a guest blog post by Maurizio Mauri, head of User Experience & Neuro-Marketing Research at SRLABS in Milan, Italy. He is kindly sharing the results of a study with FaceReader during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enjoy reading! STAY AT HOME! This is the message that we have all heard in the past few months because of the “Corona virus”. Have you ever thought about the best way to communicate such an important message? We compared three short videos of influential persons who adopt three completely different communication styles to approach the topic of the pandemic caused by the spreading of the virus called Covid-19, in order to persuade Italians to "STAY AT HOME". Emotional reactions to “stay-at-home” messages The comparison of the effects of the three audiovisual messages is based on the emotional reactions of people, detected through the analysis of their facial expressions, while watching the three videos. Take a guess… which one would be the most effective video message? The stat... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/improve-interaction-parent-child-autism Title: Improve the interaction between parent and child with autism Description: Children with ASD are three times as likely to exhibit disruptive behavior as their typically developing peers. Can PCIT help coping with behaviors such as defiance, stubbornness, and temper tantrums? Content: As children grow up, they develop all kinds of skills, among which social, communication, and adaptive skills. They learn many of these skills at home, from their parents. After all, they spend most hours with their parents. Therefore, when problems arise in the development of these skills, it can be interesting to use parents as change agents. For example in case of children with disruptive behavior that may be caused for instance by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Differences in development The rate of ASD in the United States is approximately 1 in 59 children. Children with ASD are three times as likely to exhibit disruptive behavior problems as their typically developing peers. This can be very challenging and stressful for parents. It therefore seems sensible to address this as early as possible in development. This could result in more rapid gains in a child’s development and behavior and improve parent-child interactions in everyday life. FREE WHITE PAPER: Parent-child interacti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-analysis-bone-fracture Title: Gait analysis after a bone fracture Description: Recovery after a bone fracture is more than just healing bone and soft tissue. Research on gait analysis is necessary in order to improve knowledge about bone regeneration and rehabilitation after lower extremity fractures! Content: Recovery after a bone fracture is more than just healing bone and soft tissue. A very important factor is the regeneration of mobility, especially for the quality of life in patients with lower extremity fractures. In contrast to the gaining clinical interest in gait analysis during the rehabilitation of patients with fractures, gait analysis is still only rarely used in the most common small animal fracture healing models in experimental research. Recently, Hofman et al. were the first to use the CatWalk XT system to establish an accurate gait analysis method for fracture healing research in small animal models and evaluate the influence of a lower extremity fracture on gait pattern [1]. Why the CatWalk XT system Hofman et al. concluded that the CatWalk XT system offers big advantages compared to treadmill-based gait analysis in small animals: 1) the CatWalk XT system uses a runway set-up, which resembles the normal gait of animals; 2) with the CatWalk XT system both static and dynami... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognitive-neuroscience-behavior Title: Cognitive neuroscience: Behavior Description: We are in a pandemic where most of us are forced to change our daily behavior. Fortunately, we have our neocortex: it gives us considerable flexibility and creativity in adapting to a changing environment. Content: In the previous blog posts, we dived into the basics of cognitive neuroscience, and zoomed into the role of emotions in the field of cognitive neuroscience. This final blog post of this blog series addresses the last subject: behavior and cognitive neuroscience. System 1 and system 2 In the field of psychology, the terms System 1 and System 2 are widely used. These are two types of systems that can be distinguished within the brain. Do you remember how we discussed in the previous blog post how different types of brain regions trigger reactions such as fight or take flight? According to Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner, this is an example of System 1. This is a fast system, and determines 98% of our thinking. It’s automatic, without having to think about it. This is, as discussed earlier, the ‘survival’ system. System 2 is slower and more conscious. You use it to find information, make choices and make them rationally. This system is responsible for 2% of our thinking. System 1 is not a fa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-emotional-expressions-after-face-transplant Title: The role of emotional expressions after face transplant Description: “Would undergoing a face transplant have any value to it if somebody across the room couldn’t tell you were happy by just looking at you?” Content: The face is probably the first thing we look at when we meet each other. We use this part of the body daily for identifying and interacting with the world around us. One of the social functions of a face is communicating non-verbally. However, this becomes much more difficult, or in a lot of cases impossible, when the face is severely deformed. Last January, my colleague told me about a LinkedIn post of one of our customers, Dr. Miguel I. Dorante. He is a plastic surgery resident at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, MA who wrote about the study he and the team led by Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, Director of Plastic Surgery Transplantation, conducted at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, USA. The research team found that face transplant can partially restore emotional expression to patients. The post intrigued me and I continued to explore what a face transplant actually means. I watched several stories of patients and their relatives on YouTube, which impressed me deep... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/4-recent-blogs-about-understanding-autism Title: 4 recent blog posts about understanding autism spectrum disorder Description: Our understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has developed a great deal over recent years, but there is still much work to be done. Content: Our understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has developed a great deal over recent years, but there is still much work to be done. Over the years the blog writers of this Behavioral Research Blog focused on research into ASD in April, the Autism Awareness month, in order to bring awareness to recent studies that add to understanding ASD. So that’s what I’m doing now! Below you can find links to four recent blog posts, related to both human and animal research. For example, learn all about how infant behavior can be studied in order to improve early diagnosis and intervention, or learn more about why gut microbes can increase or decrease typical ASD related behaviors via metabolites. FREE WHITE PAPER: Autism Research Download the free White paper to learn how and why observational research methods are used in autism research. Why observe behavior How to observe behavior in a structured way What research tools are available Download Human behavior studies Studying posture develop... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/motor-performance-femoral-nerve-injury Title: Assessing motor outcome in rats with peripheral nerve injury Description: At LBI Trauma, CatWalk XT is one of the most important tools to evaluate functional recovery in different animal models. Read more about what they found to be key factors when studying motor performance in rats with femoral nerve injury. Content: This is a guest blog post by Johannes Heinzel. He has done some really interesting research with the CatWalk XT device to assess functional recovery in rats with femoral nerve injury. Enjoy reading! About the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology (LBI Trauma) At LBI Trauma more than 80 researchers and associates investigate the broad field of traumatology and intensive medical care. Within our group we focus on all areas of neuro regeneration, from spinal cord to peripheral nerves, from cell culture to large animal models, from bench to bedside. The CatWalk XT is one of our most important tools to evaluate functional recovery in different animal models of central and peripheral nerve injury. While the CatWalk XT is mostly used to study locomotor function in rats with sciatic nerve injury and spinal cord contusion, we recently pioneered its use to study gait behavior in rats with femoral nerve injury. Interestingly we were able to show that functional rec... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/study-visitor-behavior-on-site-living-lab Title: Four ways to study visitor behavior Description: Museums, zoos, theme parks, and aquariums all observe the behavior of their visitors in order to find the best ways to entertain and educate. Content: Museums, zoos, theme parks, and aquariums all observe the behavior of their visitors in order to find the best ways to entertain and educate. In Timing and Tracking: Unlocking Visitor Behavior, Steven Yalowitz and Kerry Bronnenkant review the history of timing and tracking in museums and provide a detailed description of methods used to record, analyze, and report timing and tracking data. Visitor behavior studies through the years Yalowitz and Bronnenkant explain that in the past, researchers only recorded where the visitor went (and in some of the earliest studies, they even tracked wear patterns on the carpet!) Today, researchers record which displays visitors look at, for how long, and which paths they take to walk through the exhibition. At the same time, they describe if the visitors’ expectations are met. Exhibition designers and planners are very interested in knowing if the exhibition has a good flow and whether visitors are engaging the exhibition as intended. Software versus... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/antidepressants-during-pregnancy-offspring-behavior Title: Antidepressants during pregnancy: effects on offspring social behavior Description: Many depressed women struggle with this: can I use antidepressants during pregnancy? The lab of Jocelien Olivier studies the effects of SSRI's on offspring behavior in an animal model. Content: Today, we have another guest blog post for you. Danielle Houwing is kindly sharing her experiences using PhenoTyper and The Observer XT in her research on the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. Enjoy reading! Depression and antidepressant treatment during pregnancy During pregnancy, about 1 in 5 women experience depressive symptoms, resulting in a major depression in about 5% of pregnant women. Many depressed women struggle whether to initiate or continue antidepressant treatment during pregnancy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most frequently prescribed antidepressants as they have been considered relatively safe for both mother and child. However, SSRIs cross the placenta and are evident in breast milk, reaching the developing child. The consequences of depression and medication on child development Both maternal depression and SSRI antidepressant treatment have been associated with changes in neurodevelopment of the offspring. For example, taking SSRIs... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measure-disgust-gut-wrenching-movies Title: Consumer behavior research in the spotlight: consumption behavior Description: Why do we drink less when watching gut-wrenching movies? How does exposure to moral violations influence consumption? Content: It has never been said that humans are immune to the emotional effects of lying, stealing, and cheating, but the majority of us are not easily fazed since we encounter this type of thing every day. It might only be a fragment of a movie we are watching: morally offensive acts such as crime and deception are all around us on the news, in the papers, and on the streets. Cindy Chan and her colleagues (Department of Marketing, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania) posed the question: How does exposure to moral violations influence consumption? The researchers explain that, for example, people may drink less coffee while reading the Sunday paper’s exposé of corporate fraud, a violation of ethical business practices. Or people may consume less candy at the theater while watching Wall Street, a film that portrays destruction, crime, and greed. Consumer behavior research: investigating disgust To find answers, Chan and colleagues started by investigating disgust. Why this emotio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/bank-voles-cross-generational-scent-behavior Title: How bank voles take the future into account Description: Bank voles are often exposed to predator odor and alarm pheromones. This perceived predation risk may cause cross-generational behavior changes, which seem to be context-dependent on their in utero exposure. Content: As a researcher, you are always proud of the projects you work on, so I am happy to share this article about my own research. My research team tried to identify if a predator’s scent-triggered fear response could be transferred to the next generation of bank voles. The experiments described below resulted in definite proof that these cross-generational effects actually exist, which is fascinating to me. It also opens up pathways to many other potential studies on this topic. My personal favorites were trying to work out how well this mechanism works in an ecologically meaningful environment, and how exactly this transfer happens in the first place (i.e., what response is triggered by which scents). I am very grateful I was able to contribute a small, but significant part to this study. Enjoy reading! Predator - prey interaction Predator odors and alarm pheromones For this study on bank vole behavior, I collaborated with researchers from the Netherlands and Finland. In the wild, bank vo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/development-coding-scheme-to-capture-interactive-behaviors Title: A coding scheme to capture interactive behaviors during triadic consultations Description: The research team of Yuan developed and refined a coding scheme which can serve as a tool to identify specific triadic communicative strategies that are effective in improving children’s engagement and reducing distress. Content: Usually, when I have an appointment with the dentist, it’s for a checkup, which is nothing to be afraid of. Still, there are always those scary noises and weird smells when I enter the dentist's practice. They then ask me to lie down in a chair, horizontal, with my mouth wide open, as I wait for what is to come. More than not, all these stimuli do frighten me. My children are all teenagers now, but I still go with them when they have an appointment with the dentist. I want to make sure that they are really going. However, when they were younger, there were more reasons than just that. As a parent, my role was to support them and help them communicate with the dentist. How does such an interaction between a child, parent, and dentist actually work? Triadic communication between dentist, child and parent It is important we prepare children to understand dental procedures in order to enhance oral health outcomes. But, young children are more likely to become anxious when they visit dental... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/working-from-home-strategies Title: Working from home strategies Description: In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, many people find themselves in a particularly novel situation in the coming days and weeks: working from home. Content: WFH is not a working-PTO Have a “commute” Develop a workspace and a routine Know how to reach your network Embrace the perks but avoid the pitfalls In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, government agencies and companies alike are rightfully taking aggressive strategies to avoid the spread of Coronavirus. As a result, many people find themselves in a particularly novel situation in the coming days and weeks: working from home. Since many of you are experiencing this for the first time, I thought I might share some of my tips and strategies for making the most of your time. Granted, everyone’s experience is different. But I’ve had to sit through meetings with My Little Pony playing in the background. I’ve had to lead a remote training session with what seemed like a herd of cattle stampeding over my head (turns out it was two teenagers playing Just Dance). So I empathize with your situation. Together we’ll get through and before you know it, you’ll be back at the office wishi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-sheep Title: Livestock Research: Tracking sheep to learn their behavior Description: We recently installed TrackLab at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK, for the tracking and detailed analysis of the spatial behavior of sheep. Content: Bhaa Bhaa now time to eat! There is still a lot to learn about the behavioral and social patterns in sheep. The more we know about them, the better we can improve the health and welfare of these livestock animals. Recently, researchers found out that ‘Sheep know the grass isn’t always greener when it comes to their health’. Sheep appear to forage and avoid parasites differently depending on how healthy they are, according to the new University of Bristol research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. For outdoor tracking, the researchers used remote GPS sensing data to monitor the foraging patterns of sheep. Indoor tracking, on the other hand, is another field of study. We were recently involved in a research project where the researchers were interested in using indoor tracking methods to understand behavioral patterns & activity in sheep. The focus is increasing the health & welfare of these livestock animals. Read this blog to learn more about the Aberystwyth University’s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/home-cage-study-epilepsy-mice Title: Non-invasive home cage testing of epilepsy in mice Description: Epilepsy is more than seizures; behavioral changes that occur in between seizures are rarely assessed. A new home cage study from the Baylor College of Medicine aims to change this. Content: Epilepsy is a very common chronic neurological disorder, affecting people at all ages, all over the world. Although it can be successfully treated, treatment doesn’t work for everyone, so research on epilepsy remains important. Epilepsy disability The burden of unpredictable seizures is not the only debilitating factor of epilepsy. The severity of seizures and the acute medical complications make up the so-called ictal component of epilepsy. There is also an interictal component to this disease, such that patients with epilepsy suffer from high rates of depression, anxiety, autism and other mental health disorders. The determinants of interictal behavior are largely unknown. Home cage study of epilepsy A recent study from the Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX) aimed to change this. Jankovic, Kapadia, and Krishnan performed a quite elaborate home cage study to measure both the ictal and interictal severity of epilepsy. They described the daily behavioral patterns of three mouse mo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tbi-effects-brain-motor-coordination Title: Traumatic Brain Injury: effects on the brain and motor coordination Description: Do you think of wearing a helmet while skiing, cycling or horseback riding? Read more about how the brain is affected after the head injury and how you can examine locomotion in a mouse model with TBI. Content: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs more often than you might think. After Dewan et al. gathered data from World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank (WB), the results showed, that approximately 69 million of individuals suffers from TBI of all causes each year! Do you think of wearing a helmet on a bicycle, while skiing or rollerblading? Causes and symptoms of TBI TBI usually results from a bump, blow or jolt to the head, as a consequence of a fall, motor vehicle crash, violence, etc., and can lead to serious disruption in brain functioning. Traumatic brain injury can be mild, moderate, or severe based on the level of consciousness. A person with a mild TBI (commonly called concussion), may not experience loss of consciousness at all or only for a brief moment. People who suffer from moderate TBI are often drowsy, inactive and may lose consciousness for a few minutes to a few hours. In case of severe injury, the patient is extremely lethargic or comatose. Long-term effects of TBI... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-painful-faces Title: Saying Ouch Without Saying It: Measuring Painful Faces Description: What happens when we’re in pain, real physical pain, but we cannot tell someone where or how badly it hurts? We can look at the facial expression! Content: Unlike the song by Three Days Grace1, I am not a fan of pain. Call it Epicurean, call it hedonistic, whatever, I don’t want to experience pain, either psychological or physical. In the past two months I lost a grandfather to dementia and a sister to a unfathomable act of violence. In the past three years I have been to more funerals than in my previous thirty-eight years combined. So yeah, I’m not a fan of pain. I don’t like it when I stub my toe or twist my ankle, and I really don’t like seeing a lifeless family member lying in a box. But it happens and you deal with it, either by relying upon your support network for emotional/psychological pain, or with something pharmacological for physical pain. This can be a slippery slope, of course, as opioid-abuse has reached epidemic status, particularly here in Southwestern Ohio2,3. There are some interesting neural mechanisms for this, which I won’t go into here, but if interested I encourage you to check out some of my peer-reviewed publis... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/role-parent-child-interaction-child-development Title: The role of parent-child interaction on child development Description: When children face cognitive and motor delays, they are often unable to reach developmental milestones at the expected times. Does this influence the interactive behaviors of parents and children? Content: As a child grows up, each parent looks forward to the milestones that their child will reach. Some of these milestones are keeping his/her head up high and steady, sitting upright without tumbling down, taking the first independent steps, saying the first intelligible words, responding to others, cycling without training wheels, and going to school. However, when children face cognitive and motor delays, they are often unable to reach the developmental milestones at the expected times. Delays that occur in gross or fine motor skills, language, social, emotional, or cognitive skills can cause learning difficulties, or problems in communicating and playing with others. Children with these type of difficulties seem clumsy or have trouble walking, or holding onto small objects such as toys. The earliest possible detection of developmental delays can be helpful in minimizing the impact these hiccups can have on a child’s skill development and subsequently their confidence. FREE WHITE PAPER:... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/heat-stress-cows-health-welfare Title: How does heat stress affect the health and welfare of dairy cows? Description: When environmental temperatures rise, livestock animals, such as dairy cows, are vulnerable to heat stress. Researchers Polsky and von Keyserlingk reviewed how heat stress affects animal productivity, health, and welfare. Content: When environmental temperatures rise, livestock animals, such as dairy cows, are vulnerable to heat stress. Heat stress occurs when an animal is unable to lose excess heat, resulting in an increased body temperature and a range of physiological responses. Heat stress can impact an animal’s productivity, health, welfare, and may even lead to fatalities. Heat stress is a challenge in regions with long summers, constant sunlight, and high humidity. However, with global temperatures rising, farmers from all over the world should take the risks of heat stress into consideration. In this blog post, we discuss a review by researchers Liam Polsky and Marina von Keyserlingk on the effects of heat stress on dairy cows. Coping with the heat Dairy cows have different strategies to cope with elevated temperatures. Physiological responses include increased panting, sweating, and respiration. Furthermore, their milk yield and reproductive performance decreases. They also display a range of behavioral... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/motor-coordination-muscular-dystrophy Title: Testing motor coordination in a mouse model with muscular dystrophy Description: Muscular Dystrophy is a broad group of diseases recognized by the loss of muscle mass and strenght. Researchers tried to discover if gene therapy strategies can help with reducing symptoms. Content: Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases, identified with a progressive loss of muscle mass and a consequent loss of muscle strength and degeneration. There is currently no cure for this disease. The person’s quality of life improves with different types of therapy and drug treatment, but there is no way to prevent or reverse muscular dystrophy. Depending on the type and severity, the effects of this disease can be mild or fatal and the progression can differ between patients. One of the more severe types of muscular dystrophy is congenital muscular dystrophy with megaconial myopathy (MDCMC) which is pathologically recognized by abnormally enlarged mitochondria. There are at least 48 reported cases of MDCMC worldwide. This disease appears in early childhood, and may not only be restricted to muscle degeneration, but can also affect the brain and other organ systems. Choline kinase beta gene in MDCMC During the investigation of MDCMC, researchers observed reduced choline kina... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-frustration Title: For Pete’s Sake: Measuring Frustration Description: Within the field of human factors and usability, frustration poses an interesting challenge. It can be a barrier for learning. So how can we measure frustration in order to minimize it? Content: If you’ve ever met me then this is obvious, but for those who haven’t: I’m not a patient person. Patience may be a virtue, but unless reincarnation is a thing, I’ve got one life to live and I don’t like to waste it. Did you know that over the average lifespan, you will spend six months of your life waiting in line, for your plane, train, etc1? That’s half a year wasted, in my opinion. Thanks to breathing exercises and new age music, I’m a work in progress and getting better with age; however, one thing that really tests all those breathing exercises is traffic. I loathe traffic so much that I work from home! This is worse in Cincinnati, which consistently ranks as having the worst drivers in the US2. For any Cincy folks reading this, you know who you are; the left lane is for passing, not cruising five miles per hour below the speed limit! Whew. Breathe in, breathe out. I’m ok. The point I’m trying to make is that for me, traffic is very frustrating. It causes a host of emotions: anger... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/evaluating-ergonomics-in-healthcare Title: Evaluating ergonomics in healthcare – paramedics Description: The chance that a paramedic suffers an injury is 3x higher than other occupations. Because of the global health worker shortage, we need to make sure these professionals are taken care of. Content: The chance that a paramedic suffers an injury is 3x higher than other occupations. The cause of 94% of these injuries is a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) like back pain, strains, and sprains. Because of the global health worker shortage, we need to make sure these professionals are taken care of. That’s one of the reasons Yaar Harari and colleagues from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and Magen-David-Adom (Israeli National Emergency Medical Services) decided to focus their research on improving human behavior in healthcare – specifically paramedic behaviors in relation to the equipment they have to use for both in- and out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Harari and colleagues evaluated out-of-hospital CPR because this situation is very demanding for these professional and there are no clear guidelines on how to use their equipment in these kind of situations. Improving the details in such a workflow and providing clear guidelines might make a huge impact on... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/neuromarketing-hope-or-hype Title: Neuromarketing: hope or hype? Description: The application of neuroscience methods to marketing – neuromarketing research – is growing in popularity. Can neuroscience be the holy grail of the study of consumer behavior? Content: The application of neuroscience methods to marketing – neuromarketing – is growing in popularity. Last week at an event with 13.000 visitors, a colleague of mine Patrick Zimmerman presented ‘Neuromarketing for webshops’ together with Evoworks. Patrick explained the practical application of neuroscience tools in marketing. The hope of all marketers Marketers hope that neuroscience will provide them with information that is not obtainable through conventional marketing methods such as questionnaires and focus groups. Can neuroscience be the holy grail of the study of consumer buying behavior online or offline? Solving the puzzle There are a number of well-established methods for measuring and mapping brain activity. The most commonly used methods applied in neuromarketing include electroencephalo-graphy (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) but other (“non-neuro”) methods like eye tracking, face reading, and measuring physiological response... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parenting-executive-function-down-syndrome Title: Parenting behaviors and executive function in Down syndrome Description: Understanding more about developmental delays in Down syndrome is vital in developing targeted interventions. In this study, the relationship between parenting behaviors and executive function was examined. Content: In the US, about one in every 700 babies is born with Down syndrome (DS). DS is a genetic disorder that is characterized by intellectual disability, as well as delays in different areas of development. In cognitive development, difficulties are most pronounced in attention, memory, and executive function. Understanding more about these difficulties supports the development of targeted interventions for young children with DS. Influences on executive function Executive function (EF) describes the different abilities we need for goal-directed behavior. It includes processes such as working memory, inhibition, initiating behavior, and cognitive flexibility. Research has shown that, across the lifespan, EF is associated with academic and social skills, and daily functioning. It is likely that individual differences in EF are influenced by both biological and environmental factors. For children, parents are one of the most important sources of influence. Indeed, studies with typically devel... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/direct-observations-adolescence Title: Direct observations help develop effective interventions in adolescence Description: Presenting a study in which family and friendship dynamics in adolescence were observed in order to develop more personalized interventions that prevent problem behaviors and adjustment issues. Content: At the end of December 2019, the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse published its annual Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends. Monitoring the Future reports on the drug use and attitudes among American 8th, 10th, and 12th graders and in past years has seen promising downward trends for illicit drug use, cigarette use, and opioids. However, the 2019 survey results show a continued dramatic increase in vaping, stating that “Increases in adolescent marijuana vaping from 2018 to 2019 ranked among the largest single-year increases ever observed by Monitoring the Future in the past 45 years among all outcomes ever measured. In 2019 the percentage of adolescents who had vaped marijuana in the last 12 months was 21% in 12th grade, 19% in 10th grade, and 7% in 8th grade.” Preventing problem behavior, such as drug use starting in adolescence, has been a research topic for many years. Some interventions are successful, some aren’t. What determines success? How can we pre... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/useful-consumer-neuroscience-tools Title: Useful consumer neuroscience tools Description: Marketers track consumer behavior and try to understand it by learning more about the magic buy button. Content: “Black Friday shoppers spent more in stores, broke records online over the weekend” USA today tells us. CNBC mentions a spend of $7.4 billion in the second largest online sales day ever! Many consumers hit the “buy” button on either Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Singles Day, or Boxing Day. Although BBC reports a decline in Boxing Day 2019 shoppers, there were still some bargain-hunters disregarding the rain, with some shoppers on London's Oxford Street even waiting for stores to open at 9am. Find the magic buy button Marketers track consumer behavior and try to understand it by learning more about the magic buy button. Spoiler alert – that button does not exist! The decision-making process of consumers is much more complicated, researchers from Slovakia tell us. This blog post explains more about their research and how consumer neuroscience tools (FaceReader, eye tracking) can help marketers understand consumer buying behavior so they can improve their business success. Learn more about... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/substance-use-adolescents Title: The role of inhibitory control on substance use in adolescence Description: Adolescents are vulnerable to risk-taking behaviors such as substance use. Dr. Roy Otten and his team examined how early childhood stress and inhibitory control influence the risk of adolescent substance use. Content: As the adolescent brain is developing, it is especially sensitive to cues of reward and pain. At the same time, skills such as emotion regulation, reasoning, and self-control are still developing. This combination leaves adolescents vulnerable to risk-taking behaviors like substance use. Substance use in young adolescents is associated with a range of health issues and risks. For example, substance use before the age of 15 is related to impaired neurocognitive functioning, depressive symptoms, and diminished academic performance. These issues do not only impact adolescents’ well-being, but can extend into adulthood as well. Understanding which factors play a role in adolescent substance use is important for the prevention and treatment of this global health issue. Research shows that deviant behavior is one of the best predictors for early substance use. Specifically, adolescents with a history of antisocial behavior and deviant peer involvement are more likely to initiate alcohol, tob... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mother-adolescent-conflict-interaction Title: Studying conflict interactions between mothers and adolescents Description: It is common for conflicts to arise between adolescents and their parents. However, severe conflicts can have negative effects on adolescent development. What can parents do to prevent escalating conflicts? Content: Adolescence is a developmental phase with many physical, neurodevelopmental, psychological, and social changes. One of these changes involves the relationship between adolescents and their parents. As adolescents strive for more autonomy and equality in the relationship, it is common for conflicts to arise. Conflicts provide parents and adolescents with opportunities to express and negotiate their mutual expectations and reach their personal goals. However, severe conflicts can have negative effects on adolescent development, relationships, and future adjustment. It is important to understand what parents can do to prevent escalating conflicts. That is why researcher Debbie van Bommel and her colleagues examined conflict interactions between mothers and adolescents. Emotional variability One of the factors considered important for conflict resolution with adolescents is the ability to flexibly switch between expressed emotions. This flexibility related to less aggressive behaviors, hig... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/exploratory-behavior-infants-down-syndrome Title: Early exploratory behavior in infants with Down syndrome Description: Object exploration is part of infants’ early development. How do infants with Down syndrome explore the world around them? And how is exploratory behavior related to their general development? Content: Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common genetic disorders in the world. Children with DS experience intellectual disabilities, as well as delays in motor and cognitive development. They are also at risk for a range of health conditions, including heart defects, stunted growth, and obesity. To provide the best care for children with DS, it is vital to study their early development. Understanding learning processes in different areas of development, as well as the way they influence each other, helps us to develop targeted interventions. In the current study, Dr. Deborah Fidler and her colleagues examined the link between overall development and exploration behavior in infants with DS. Exploratory behavior stimulates development When infants start exploring the world around them, they increasingly engage with the people and objects they encounter. This provides important opportunities to learn and grow! Indeed, evidence suggests that object exploration is an important factor in diff... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognitive-neuroscience-emotions Title: Cognitive neuroscience: Emotions Description: In my previous blog post, I shared some of the basics of cognitive neuroscience. In this blog post, we will zoom into a more specific part of cognitive neuroscience: emotions. Content: Have you ever been at the most wonderful place during your vacation, standing on top of the world or at a beautiful square in the middle of the most idyllic town, and thought: ‘It’s just the firing of neurons that is making me feel happy right now’? Most of us probably don’t think that way. It is bizarre to realize that most of our emotional moments are caused by electric signals in our brain, leading to an increase in hormones, creating an instant feeling of happiness, sadness, or anger. Cognitive neuroscience: the brain In my previous blog post, I shared some of the basics of cognitive neuroscience, such as the triune brain, and methods to detect brain activities. In this blog post, we will zoom into a more specific part of cognitive neuroscience: emotions. Are you interested in emotion analysis? Download the free white paper on the Facial Action Coding System and find out more about the benefits of using FACS. What are emotions? Emotions are related to interests: they signal that yo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/machine-learning-object-detection Title: Machine learning and object detection Description: Humans are incredibly good at recognizing patterns. Now computers can do it as well, and that can be useful. Read more about machine learning and object detection. Content: Imagine two circles next to each other. Then imagine a horizontal line underneath the two circles. You cannot help it, your brain sees a face in that simple pattern. Pattern recognition is something that human minds are incredibly good at, enabling us to find meaning from very sparse information but also to interpret rich and complex patterns. Not only do we recognize something looking like a face when we see one, we can separate the images of thousands of different faces, and remember the names of at least hundreds. Some of us are better at that than others! Machine learning and object detection This is not a uniquely human ability, other species can also recognize the different faces of animals they know and domesticated animals are even quite good at distinguishing human faces. Computer-vision based machine learning is all about trying to make software which has similar abilities. There isn't a computer program that can handle anything like the range of different types of images tha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/decreased-learning-abilities-diabetic-rats Title: Decreased learning abilities in diabetic rats: Silymarin to the rescue Description: Silymarin is a substance that works as an antioxidant, is anti-inflammatory and increases BDNF levels. After supplementing silymarin to diabetic rats, typical diabetes symptoms were greatly improved. Content: Consequences of diabetes Three researchers from the Düzce University and the Selçuk University in Turkey have researched a potential diabetes treatment. Diabetes sometimes has far-reaching consequences on people’s lives, because of the organ, brain and central nervous system damage it can cause. Silymarin: a cure? A potential treatment for this damage consists of silymarin supplementation. Next to various other properties, this substance can decrease inflammation, works as an antioxidant and, on top of that, can pass through the blood-brain barrier. Furthermore, it can regulate glucose uptake and it has a positive influence on the central nervous system. Testing the cognitive function Preparation of behavioral tests Using streptozotocin injections to induce diabetes, the scientists divided rats into four groups, i.e., control, diabetes, silymarin and diabetes + silymarin. Starting 7 days after the diabetes induction, the rats in the silymarin groups were fed silymarin dissolved in maiz... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/consumers-food-choices-and-emotions Title: Consumers' food choices and emotions Description: Is there a relationship between food choice and a person’s mood? Bartkiene et al. examined the factors that influence our food choice, using facial expression analysis. Content: If you ask me, the answer is “chocolate”! Eating a piece (or preferably a whole bar) of sweet chocolate will definitely change my mood positively. Therefore, I would choose that specific piece of food when I am feeling down. I believe that chocolate is the answer to everything. Which food a person chooses to eat is influenced by many factors. Hunger is the most obvious one. However, not only physiological or nutritional needs determine what we choose. What influences our food choices? The research team of Prof. Dr. Elena Bartkiene from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences focused their study on evaluating the connection between gender, age, and education level of consumers and their perception, emotional motivations, and knowledge about healthy eating. Additionally, they examined a possible relationship between food choice and a person’s mood in people with and without depressive disorder (DD). Facial expression analysis to evaluate food induced emotions Over 500 participants w... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/sukipani-magic-word-making-smile Title: SUKIPANI: The magic word for making a smile Description: The SUKIPANI smile is an exercise to train the muscles you use while smiling. Dr. Sugahara explains the effect of the movements of the muscles and uses FaceReader to analyze the smiles. Content: A smile is a powerful tool. It makes us enjoy things more. We smile because we feel happy, and in fact, we feel happier because we smile. A smile is contagious: seeing other people smile makes you smile. A smile attracts attention and expresses self-confidence. Facial expressions studied Dr. Toru Sugahara, also known as the smile doctor, worked with colleagues at Waseda University in Japan to examine how facial features and impressions affect emotions. A group of 18 adult women were asked to recall either an unpleasant or a pleasant memory, and their facial expressions were analyzed using FaceReader. The experiment showed that the expression of the face was directly impacted by the emotions felt in the previous moments. Does this mean that we can always read from someone's face how that person feels? Maybe not. The researchers concluded that in everyday life, people tend to suppress their emotions and expressions. However, a genuine smile is a smile you cannot cover up. Just look at th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/improving-patient-safety Title: Improving patient safety Description: We all agree that communication in the operating room is essential. It saves time and ensures a better quality of patient care. Using the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist supports this. How can we learn to use this checklist? Content: Imagine that it happens to you. You come out of the operating room and it seems that they have performed an operation that was not intended for you. Luckily, this happens only occasionally, it is not daily news. But, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the risk of a patient dying while receiving medical care is currently estimated at 1 in 300. This underlines the importance of learning to work well with checklists by healthcare professionals. Checklists are the ultimate safety nets. You just have to be sure that the patient you are about to operate is the right one. You need to answer questions such as ‘is this the right patient’ and ‘what operation are we performing’, before reaching for your tools. WHO checklist evaluation Already in 2008, the WHO published guidelines identifying multiple recommended practices to ensure the safety of surgical patients worldwide. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is developed by professionals and is based on a core set of safety standard... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-is-rppg Title: What is RPPG? Description: Nowadays, measuring heart rate and heart rate variability can be done remotely, without all kinds of devices being attached to the test participant, using remote photoplethysmography (RPPG). What is RPPG and how does it work? Content: This blog post is written by Mayuko Kanemura. During her internship at Noldus, she performed a validation study of the use of Remote PPG in FaceReader. She compared three heart rate measurements: RPPG, PPG, and the gold standard, ECG. In this blog post, she explains what RPPG is and gives recommendations on how to best measure this. What is RPPG? Tools for automated analysis of facial expressions provide an objective assessment of a person’s emotional expressions in consumer behavior and sensory research. FaceReader also offers other video-based functionalities that are useful for sensory and consumer research such as automated registration of the frequency and variability of heart rate. Heart rate and heart rate variability Heart rate (HR), the measure of how often the heart beats per minute, is influenced by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which consists of two primary branches, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. The former is active when we are in an exciting... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/can-caffeine-prevent-alzheimer Title: Can caffeine prevent Alzheimer's? Description: What is the most popular drug in the world? It’s not alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine, but something most of us start with each day. Coffee; or, more specifically: caffeine. Content: A Morris water maze memory study What is the most popular drug in the world? It’s not alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine, but something most of us start with each day. Coffee; or, more specifically: caffeine. Like millions of other people, it helps me get started and prevents my morning headaches. Caffeine also has been shown to prevent age-related cognitive decline by reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and dementia. It is not surprising, then, that much research has already been done on the effect of caffeine in the development of AD. Mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease AD has two major pathological hallmarks: so-called plaques and tangles in the brain. Amyloid beta peptides accumulate to form plagues outside of the cells, and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins form tangles inside of the cells. Both types of abnormal protein deposits are associated with the cognitive impairments observed with AD. To investigate the effect of caffeine on AD, studies have been done on AD... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-user-experience-tube-feeding Title: Measuring the user experience of tube feeding Description: Tube feeding has had a fascinating history, but there is still scope for innovation. Noldus will develop a system to measure its users' experience in the FoodFriend project. Content: When an amoeba eats, it is very straightforward. The single-celled animal simply wraps itself round an alga or other small food particle and engulfs it. Once inside the amoeba, a vacuole forms round the particle, enzymes are secreted in to digest it and that's it, feeding completed. In stark contrast, the human digestive system is highly sophisticated with all sorts of organs joined together in our alimentary canal so that we can eat a huge variety of all sorts of different foods. Although that has the considerable advantage that we don't have to survive by eating microscopic food particles, not to mention the great pleasure that eating can give, like all complex systems, it does mean that it gives a problem if it doesn't work properly. That can be for all sorts of reasons; a patient might not be able to swallow due to a stroke, there might be a problem with the mouth, or the patient can eat, but just not enough. Tube feeding Fortunately, there is a solution - tube feeding. That means... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/depressed-with-failing-reward-system Title: Depressed with a failing reward system: social stress disrupts brain waves Description: Chronic social stress has a huge impact on well-being. Gamma oscillations have been found to be an electrophysiological link between social stress and reward processing. Content: Social interactions and the nucleus accumbens Depression and social rewards In humans, social interactions are extremely important to emotional well-being. Social interactions activate a reward system in the brain, making us feel good. Impairment of this reward system leads to feeling less pleasure from social interactions, and thus to mood disorders like depression. Dr. Ann Mary Iturra-Mena has investigated this system, together with her colleagues from Chile and the United States. Reward system and depression The reward system involves a brain region called the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Among other things, the NAc motivates us to partake in social interactions, which in turn increases brain activity. It seems that during reward processing, it also produces gamma oscillations. Furthermore, there seems to be a link between gamma oscillation alterations and major depression. However, it is not yet known what role those oscillations play in depressed and healthy individuals during social... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/working-memory-emotion-regulation-adhd Title: Working memory and emotion regulation in children with ADHD Description: How can we understand emotional reactivity in children with ADHD? In the current study, Tarle and her colleagues examined the relation between emotion regulation and working memory in children with and without this disorder. Content: In the United States alone, around one in fourteen children is diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a complex and lifelong developmental disorder, and is characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD may have trouble concentrating in school, paying attention to others, thinking things through, or sitting still. Children with ADHD are also at risk for a range of other symptoms, including mood disorders, learning disabilities, and impairments in emotion regulation. ADHD and emotion regulation Emotion regulation is described as the ability to produce and maintain an emotion, and to decrease an emotion’s intensity or frequency. It’s about the control you have over the emotions you feel and show to others. Research suggests that children with ADHD have more trouble regulating emotions than their typically developing peers. This includes difficulties in recognizing and understanding emotions, heightened emotion... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotional-responses-infant-crying Title: Emotional responses to infant crying Description: Hearing an infant cry can cause negative emotions, which can impact the way we respond. Researchers Riem and Karreman instructed parents to apply specific emotion regulation strategies in response to infant crying. Content: What do you do when an infant cries? Do you try to find out whether the infant is in pain, or needs something from you? Or, do you try to comfort the child or distract him or her, for instance by presenting a toy, making funny noises, or singing a song? Maybe you just want to ignore the crying sounds. Infants cry for many reasons; it is their main form of communication. They want to alert the parent that something is not right and that it needs to be fixed. They search for attention and care. However, crying can also trigger negative emotional reactions in parents, such as feelings of dread, frustration, or worry. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for infant studies Learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capture behaviors with video Annotate behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Get your copy instantly How to prevent negative emotions Anxiety and aversion can undermine any good intentions that parents have while responding to their infants. Researchers Riem... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/user-meeting-ethovision-external-data Title: User Meeting: exploring external data integration Description: A few months ago, we organized our very first User Meeting about EthoVision XT and external data integration! The meeting included interesting talks, discussions, and demonstrations with a diverse group of participants. Content: On the 20th of May we had our very first User Meeting about EthoVision XT and external data integration! The meeting was held in the heart of the DACH region (which consists of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) in Augsburg, Germany. This way, it was accessible for a broad base of neurosciencists. Augsburg Over 2000 years old, Augsburg is one of Germany’s oldest cities. It’s known for its varied architecture and beautiful medieval buildings. Luckily, we had a chance to see some of the sights! We had lunch at the “Bayerisches Haus am Dom,” a restaurant where we were told the abbess and nuns of cloister “Oberschönenfeld” dined as well. The restaurant’s location also took us close to the Augsburg Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church founded in the 11th century. The meeting itself took place at the Hotel Augusta, a superior venue with modern conferencing facilities. Multimodal research We organized the User Meeting to connect with other researchers and discuss the possibilities of multimodal... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/lifestart Title: LIFESTART project Description: The importance of good nutrition for human babies is well known. But what about young animals? Content: Every new parent is acutely aware that good nutrition is important for babies and young children. Even before the baby is born that is important. For example, iron deficiency in pregnant mothers can impair cognitive and motor development. Studies from the Dutch 'hunger winter' during the Second World War have shown that if the mother is malnourished, that can lead to obesity in the adult child, and that tendency can even be passed down to the next generation. Even though there is a lot known, that isn't to say that there isn't a lot of uncertainty. Some studies came to the conclusion that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is caused by eating too much sugar or foods with certain additives. However, if you have a closer look at the methodology of those studies it is not so clear. The additives used were at unrealistically high doses and perhaps the children ate more sugar because they were more active, not the other way around. More recent studies with double-blind design a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/calcium-regulating-mechanism-gulf-war-illness Title: Is a unique calcium regulating mechanism a cause of Gulf War Illness? Description: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is potentially caused by organophosphate exposure. Through behavioral experiments, using a DFP rat model, researchers tested levetiracetam as a potential cure. Content: Many soldiers that fought in the First Gulf War suffer from a disorder popularly known as the Gulf War Illness (GWI). It especially affects the nervous system, and often causes anxiety, depression, mood disorder and cognitive deficits, amongst other symptoms. Gulf war illness and organophosphates A possible cause is the chronic exposure to organophosphate (OP) compounds. Scientists from the Virginia Commonwealth University researched potential cures. Calcium dynamics in GWI It is already known that Ca2+ signals in many neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., acquired epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury) are disrupted. These signals are regulated by many different processes and can influence mood, memory, and behavior. GWI showed various similarities with those disorders, and more specifically, an elevated level of Ca2+. The GWI rat model The typical GWI symptoms are mimicked in various GWI rodent models. This study examined a diisopropyl fluorphosphate (DFP) model. DFP... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ahfe-meeting Title: 3 reasons to join us at Applied Human Factors & Ergonomics meeting (DriveLab) Description: The International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE) is held annually. Here is why you should attend. Content: Every year the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics is organized in the United States. It is always great to use the summer season to meet other researchers, walk along the poster boards, discuss and exchange ideas about new applications, and view the latest tools and solutions for human factors research. AHFE facilitates it all: keynote presentation, parallel sessions, demonstration and poster sessions, tutorials, exhibitions, and meetings of special interest groups. 3 reasons to join us at the AHFE meeting this year Here is why you should attend the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics: 1) Get the trends AHFE is the place for exhibitors to present their latest, state-of-the-art ergonomics products, systems and services for users, professionals, and researchers in the AHFE field. If you attend the conference you will be joining some 1,500 fellow researchers and professionals. The ideal set-up for meeting peers, discussing the lat... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-consumer-buying-behavior Title: Understanding consumer buying behavior Description: What predicts a sale, and what causes consumers to buy from a particular brand over another? To know how and why customers make decisions, you can take a deeper look at consumer behavior. Content: In order to win over the hearts and minds of consumers, businesses need to know how and why their customers make decisions. What predicts a sale, and what causes consumers to buy from a particular brand over another? Additionally, how do consumers make positive associations with products, and what factors go into creating the best shopping experience possible? You can get answers to all these questions by taking a deeper look at consumer behavior, or the study of how emotions, attitudes, and preferences affect buying behavior. The benefits of unobtrusive observation Traditionally, researchers often used questionnaires to gauge consumer attitudes and preference. However, questionnaires are unable to provide an unbiased response, as consumers might feel pressured to provide socially desirable answers. It is generally in our nature to try to please the people we are talking to, so subjects who answer questionnaires often subconsciously give answers they think will be pleasing. Furthermore... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gut-microbes-cause-cure-autism Title: Gut microbes: both cause and cure of autism? Description: Gut microbes can increase or decrease typical autism spectrum disorder behavior (stereotypies, social behavior, locomotion, and communication) via metabolites and influencing alternative gene splicing. Content: Gut microbes can increase or decrease typical autism spectrum disorder behavior (stereotypies, social behavior, locomotion, and communication) via metabolites and influencing alternative gene splicing. Many people in the world suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In order to help improve their lives, scientists from Israel and all over the USA explored potential causes of ASD through behavioral research. Previous studies already have already shown potential influences of gut bacterial communities. The goal of the present paper was to find out if and how much those communities can influence ASD-like behaviors. What is ASD? The most prominent symptoms of ASD are altered social behaviors and communication and repetitive, stereotyped behaviors. Previous research, mainly focused on the genetics of ASD, has already shown that both gut microbiota and various genetic mutations can potentially influence these symptoms. Microbiota influence ASD Gut bacterial communities in individuals wit... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/posture-development-infants-autism Title: Studying posture development in infants at risk for autism Description: Research shows that early posture development is delayed in infants who are eventually diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding these delays helps to improve early diagnosis and intervention. Content: In the first year and a half of life, infants reach many milestones in motor development. At first, they need full support from a surface and are only able to lie down. However, as they gain greater strength and balance, infants develop postures that are more challenging, like sitting and standing. With new postures come new possibilities to interact with caregivers, objects, and one’s own body. For example, when infants develop from lying to sitting positions, their reach and field of vision expand. This promotes exploration, eye-hand coordination, and even early communication skills such as joint attention. In other words, posture development does not just indicate advanced motor control, but stimulates other forms of development as well. Early development in autism Research shows that early posture development is delayed in infants who are eventually diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding these (sometimes subtle) differences in development is vital in improv... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/stereotypical-effect-cognitive-bias Title: Stereotypical effects on cognitive bias Description: Stressed-induced stereotypical behavior in lab mice have different effects on cognition. The radial arm maze is often used to investigate this. Content: Scientists have found out that different stress-induced stereotypical behavior in laboratory mice have different effects on cognitive processes. On top of that, genetic strains play a role in whether or not the stereotypical behavior influences cognitive bias. This gives us a new view on animal welfare. Have you ever found yourself looking for your car in a parking lot, where all spots are identical? You first try to go in the direction of the place where you think your car is placed, and then you find yourself walking around various lanes. This is a standard example of making an appeal on your reference memory and working memory. Working memory & reference memory Your reference memory is the knowledge required for a certain situation that remains constant over time. In this case, it would be the location of your car. If you are going to park repeatedly in the same spot, you are likely to remember the location. Your working memory is the ability to manipulate or use the memories being... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-assess-medical-team-effectiveness Title: How to assess medical team effectiveness Description: Healthcare professionals working in an operating or emergency room, frequently deal with unpredictable situations in which they need to stay focused and think clearly. How do they manage that? Content: Everyone knows that it is hard to stay focused and think clearly when you are in a very stressful situation. However, when that situation is all about saving someone’s life, that is exactly what you need to do: stay focused and think clearly. Healthcare professionals, particularly in the operating or emergency room, deal with this all the time. In unpredictable situations, they need to carry out complex medical procedures. Then, effective teamwork is of the utmost importance. This means there must be effective communication, coordination of activities, clarity on decision making, and managing of errors. These aspects will all influence the outcome of the crisis. Multiple data streams can be used to measure team effectiveness The performance and effectiveness of teams has been the focus of many researchers. On our Behavioral Research Blog, we already mentioned a few studies. In this blog post, the spotlight is on the study of Hoogeboom and colleagues from the University of Twente, The N... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognitive-neuroscience-basics Title: Cognitive neuroscience: the basics Description: What is cognitive neuroscience? As my professor once said, it is the overlapping science of the ‘dry and the wet’ part of the brain. Content: What is cognitive neuroscience? As my professor once said, it is the overlapping science of the ‘dry and the wet’ part of the brain: where dry stands for the cognitive part, or the study of the mind, emotions, and senses, and where wet stands for the slippery organ consisting of different lobes that is called the brain. This combination of different scientific disciplines tries to explain the connection between neural activities in the brain and mental processes, in order to find answers to the questions of how neural circuits in the brain affect cognition. Cognitive neuroscience: the basics This blog series addresses the interplay between the brain, behavior, and emotions, in the field of cognitive neuroscience. This blog post addresses the first subject: the brain. Functional specialization: Phineas Gage The frontal lobes are engaged in almost all aspects of human cognitive function. However, what happens when you damage a part of the frontal lobe? You may have heard the story of Phi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/food-and-cognition-project Title: Food and Cognition project Description: The Food and Cognition project will form a cluster of partners in the East of the Netherlands, who will exchange knowledge on the topics of eating behavior, targeted nutrition and enabling technologies. Content: Scientists are learning more and more about how a healthy diet can help the brain to be healthy and also the complex relationship between diet and diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and even depression. A healthy diet is also key to development of babies and young children and so can have an effect that lasts a lifetime. A lot of expertise has been built up in the East of the Netherlands on this topic. In the Food and Cognition project, the main organizations working in this area are getting together to form a network, work out the most pressing questions, and deliver knowledge about food and cognition.The project will address three areas; eating behavior, targeted nutrition and enabling technology. The latter is of particular interest to project partner and technology company Noldus . There are a number of different technologies that are relevant in measuring eating behavior. In some ways, the technology for this application lags behind some other areas because it is technical... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/microplastics-pharmaceuticals Title: The effect of microplastics and pharmaceuticals on trophic interactions Description: Microplastics (found in common products such as toothpaste) and pharmaceuticals have an impact on the environment. Their combined effect, however, is still largely unknown. Content: Today we have a guest blog post from EMERGEINTERACT. Dr Josie South, Dr Tarryn Lee Botha, Dr Josephine Pegg, Dr Martine Jordaan, Dumisani Khosa, Gina Walsh, Lubabalo Mofu (South Africa) who visited Dr Lisette de Senerpont Domis and Dr Sven Teurlincx (Netherlands) as part of the AQUACOSM Transnational Access grant collaborative project. Enjoy! Microplastics have dominated the news and media in recent years, from BBC’s Blue Planet to the EU banning microbeads in products. Microplastics are plastic materials less than 5 mm in length which can be found in various shapes and sizes. These microplastics can be formed by the degradation of larger plastics, or are part of various consumer products such as exfoliants and toothpastes that replace natural ingredients such as oatmeal. When microplastics become pollutants Due to their continuous discharge as well as their persistency, microplastics are accumulating in the aquatic environment with a potential to bioaccumulate in organisms with ensuin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/predator-odor-excites-mice Title: About unexpected results: predator odor excites mice Description: The temperature of the tail and eyes of rodents is indicative of their emotional state. What would be the effect of a specific predator cue? Content: The temperature of the tail and eyes of rodents is indicative of their emotional state. This study researches what the effect is of a specific predator cue, using a thermal camera and behavioral experiments. The result might not be what you expect. It is not easy to determine emotions in animals, but thanks to extensive research it is now possible to reliably assess the emotional state in various species. In order to test this, scientists measured minor temperature changes in specific body parts and connected them to certain response. Unconditioned fear In a recent study, scientists from the Université Paris and the University of British Columbia collaborated to assess the emotional response to predator odor in rodents, using infrared thermography and behavioral research. Predator odors are often used as an unconditioned fear-inducer. Therefore, they are useful in research to short-term physiological fear response. A thermal response to predator odor When animals experience emotions, t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/doing-exercises-alzheimers-disease Title: How doing exercises counteracts the effects of Alzheimer’s disease Description: Recent research has shown that rats induced with Alzheimer’s disease suffered less from the effects of the disease when subjected to exercise. Content: Recent research has shown that rats induced with Alzheimer’s disease suffered less from the effects of the disease when subjected to voluntary, involuntary, and forced exercises. This non-pharmacological approach was shown to reduce the symptoms causing the disease. How doing exercises counteracts the effects of Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common, age-related neurodegenerative disorder in which braincells are progressively damaged and die, leading to symptoms of dementia like loss of memory, thinking skills, and eventually all other brain functions. A possible cause for AD is the accumulation of the so-called plaques and tangles inside the brain. Plaques and tangles in Alzheimer’s disease Plaques are formed when the enzyme β-secretase breaks down the amyloid precursor protein, a protein present in the cell membrane of brain cells that plays a role in the neuron’s growth and repairment. The product of the breakdown, the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), is insoluble and b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/usability-lab-software-tools Title: The ultimate list of Usability Lab software tools Description: For those of you interested in what we offer for usability studies, see how we can get you the analysis you need quickly, easily, and reliably with our UX tools. These are the Usability lab software tools you want to use! Content: Did you know that Noldus Information Technology provides all the necessary components you need to start or update your lab for both animal and human behavior studies? If you haven’t read our blog post on the ultimate list of neuroscience software tools yet, check it out! Usability lab software tools you want to use For those of you interested in what we offer for usability studies, read on to see how we can get you the analysis you need quickly, easily, and reliably with our FaceReader, Viso, and eye tracking software. Facial expression recognition software Automated facial expression analysis software is becoming increasingly popular amongst researchers to provide an objective assessment of emotions. As human assessment of emotions has many limitations and biases, using facial expression technology can deliver a greater level of insight into behavior patterns. FaceReader software is one example of a tool specifically designed for this purpose. It is often used in human behavior resear... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/hemineglect Title: Hemineglect - and how to study recovery from it Description: Hemineglect is a condition caused by strokes or brain damage in which part of the sensory inputs to the brain are ignored and it is as if that part of the world which is sensed doesn't even exist. Content: The late great Oliver Sacks was one of the 20th century's best scientific communicators. He wrote an amazing series of books about brain diseases and how they help us to understand how a healthy brain functions. One of his best-know books was 'The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat'; and one of the case-studies he presents there was a woman who could not perceive one half of the world. She had what is called hemispatial neglect, or hemineglect. Hemineglect - and how to study recovery from it The patient had had a stroke which had damaged part of her right brain, which, due to the anatomy of the brain, meant that it ignored signals coming from the left side. Amazingly, it wasn't like wearing an eye-patch where you know that something is on your left side, but you just can't see it. It was more as if that side of the world didn't exist. So she only put on make-up on one side of her face and she only brushed her hair on that side. It is not just to do with processing sensory inputs, but t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/two-examples-observational-studies Title: Two examples of on-site observational studies with older persons Description: In certain cases, observations for your study are best performed on-site. In this blog, we describe examples of observational studies with older age groups, conducted at home or at a healthcare facility. Content: In some cases, it is necessary to bring your research to your participants. For example, you might want to observe people in a natural setting: at home, in a shop, in the classroom, or in the office. Another case where on-site research would be beneficial is when your participants are experiencing health issues, preventing them from travelling to your lab. Conducting your research on location enables you to study people that are otherwise difficult to reach. These factors should be taken into consideration when choosing the location for your research, especially when conducting studies with older age groups. Practical aspects of on-site observational studies If you want to conduct your study in another location, there are some practical aspects to think about. For example, you have to set the right lighting conditions and camera position. You also have to make sure that you capture voices and other sounds accurately. FREE WHITE PAPERS: How to build a research lab Do you want to learn m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/preclinical-studies Title: How to best assess pain-related behaviors in preclinical studies Description: Most humans can tell you they’re in pain. However, assessing pain sensitivity in rodents during preclinical studies is a challenge. Content: Most humans can tell you they’re in pain. However, assessing pain sensitivity in rodents during preclinical studies is a challenge. Gait analysis is a great method to address this issue, but which system works best? Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of global disability. Lower back pain, neck pain, and migraines are an especially large burden to a large part of society. Studies into analgesics and therapies rely on good models and accurate assessment. Researchers from Peking University and the Capital Medical University (Beijing, China) have been looking into the investigation of pain. Measuring pain sensitivity and pain-related behaviors can be a challenge, both in the clinic as well as in preclinical studies. Traditional pain parameters Common methods used for the assessment of pain sensitivity and pain-related behaviors in rodents include punctate allodynia (Von Frey assay) and dynamic (brush) allodynia. With dynamic allodynia, the rodent’s paw is lightly stroked with a pain... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effects-negative-campaigning-emotions Title: The effects of negative campaigning on emotions Description: Do people display different emotions when they watch a commercial with or without negative campaigns? Sabine Dennert shares her findings in this guest blog post. Content: This is a guest blog posted by Sabine Dennert. She studied at the Technical University Dresden in Germany and finished with a Master’s degree in communication science. The title of her Master Thesis is “Negative Campaigning in federal election. An experiment on the effects of campaigning on emotions and political attitudes based on FaceReader.” The effects of negative campaigning on emotions The main topic of my work was Negative Campaigning. Geer defines Negative Campaigning as “any criticism leveled by one candidate against another during a campaign. An appeal in a campaign either raises doubts about the opposition (i.e. negative) or states why the candidate is worthy of your vote (i.e. positive).” [1] Political campaign commercials, including Negative Campaigning, can have a variety of effects on party supporters or opponents. In German-speaking regions, the influence of attacks within an advertising spot – one of the widest-reaching advertisement channels – to the recipient’s emoti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/chickenstress-project Title: ChickenStress project Description: The abolition of battery farming has improved chicken welfare, but there are still problems like feather pecking. In the ChickenStress project, we will try to understand better how to reduce stress and improve welfare. Content: There are almost 100 million chickens in the Netherlands — that's about 17 times as many chickens as people. Their welfare has improved enormously in the past few years, especially with the abolition of battery farming in the European Union in 2012, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. For example, stressed chickens sometimes peck at each other, and that can lead to the death of literally billions of chickens in Europe every year. The ChickenStress Project In the ChickenStress project, the partners, including Noldus Information Technology, will try to understand better the issues around how to improve chicken welfare and reduce problems like feather pecking. Although scientists don't understand everything about the issue yet, we do know what the main topics of research should be. If we understand it better, we can make recommendations for breeders and farmers leading to better welfare for the chickens. Understanding stress in chickens Firstly, we know there is a genetic f... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/betaine-against-alzheimers-disease Title: How mice regain their memory: Betaine against Alzheimer’s Disease Description: As a potential Alzheimer medicine, betaine was tested on an AD animal model in a novel object recognition test. Using video tracking, scientists studied the influence of betaine and betaine transporter on mouse memory. Content: A potential Alzheimer’s disease medicine In the world of science, researchers are always looking for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using various tools like behavioral research tests, the effects of potential new medicines are assessed and their possible mechanisms unlocked. Betaine One of those potential drugs is betaine. This substance is often found in plants, and is known to suppress oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. However, its effects on neurodegenerative disorders are still unknown. Using behavioral research and an AD animal model, Ibi and colleagues from Meijo University, Japan, tried to find out what effect betaine has on AD, and how it gets through the blood brain barrier (BBB). They used a novel object recognition test, which should show any effect of betaine on the mice’s memory. Alzheimer’s disease symptoms The symptoms of AD mainly result from a specific type of proteins, called amyloid-beta (Aβ). They increase oxidative stress in the brain, which is associ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infant-gaze-during-feeding Title: What does an infant’s gaze tell us about how hungry they feel? Description: McNally and her colleagues developed a coding scheme to observe infant gaze behavior and applied it in a study of complementary feeding. Content: Research suggests that infant gaze can indicate hunger and satiation. Understanding these needs at an early age supports the development of a healthy appetite. McNally and her colleagues developed a coding scheme to observe infant gaze behavior and applied it in a study of complementary feeding. Gaze behavior signals interest in food From a very early age, we use our gaze to communicate with others. Gaze is involved in predicting intentions, understanding emotions, and directing someone’s attention. Furthermore, this non-verbal behavior provides clues on what we feel and what we’re interested in. Researchers focusing on nutrition use this valuable information to study how visual processing influences our eating habits. For example, studies have found that our gaze towards food images varies according to how hungry we feel, and that gaze duration is associated with how much we eat. Findings like these have important implications for the development of a healthy appetite, and may even pl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/diazepam-alzheimers Title: Diazepam in the battle against Alzheimer’s Description: Scientists have found out that a low dose of the tranquilizer diazepam reduces the breakdown of neurons, seen in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Content: How a low dose of diazepam in early Alzheimer’s disease development lowers the decay of neurons Scientists have found out that a low dose of the tranquilizer diazepam reduces the breakdown of neurons, seen in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Low doses of diazepam have been shown to enhance spatial learning and memory retention in rats induced with Alzheimer’s disease. GABA and its role in Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder in which braincells are progressively damaged and die, leading to a loss of memory, thinking skills, and eventually all other brain functions. The loss of memory is induced by an abnormally high production of gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA plays a role in the communication in the brain, specifically the hippocampus and neocortex, which are associated with spatial memory. High production of GABA leads towards the inhibition of neurotransmission in these parts of the brain. Diazepam... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/assessing-gait-mouse-model-leigh-syndrome Title: Assessing gait in a mouse model for Leigh Syndrome Description: There is an unmet medical need to develop clinical effective treatments for Leigh Syndrome and other mitochondrial diseases. Today, Dr. de Haas shares some of her research insights. Content: Today we have a guest blog post by Dr. Ria de Haas, on her preclinical research on Leigh Syndrome at the Radboud Center for Mitochondrial Medicine (Nijmegen, The Netherlands). Enjoy! Leigh Syndrome Mitochondrial diseases are heterogeneous multisystem disorders mostly caused by mutations affecting the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system, which is involved in cellular energy production. Leigh Syndrome is one of the OXPHOS deficiency disorders with an incidence of one in 77,000 live births and also known as sub-acute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy. Symptoms typically begin early in life, and include ataxia, loss of muscle strength, and neurodegeneration. Abnormal gait in patients Mitochondrial disease patients also show abnormal gait. The GAITrite is an electronic walkway used for patients and shows marked differences in gait between mitochondrial disease patients and controls 1,2. The observed gait differences correlate with markers of disease severity. Treatment Currently, there... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-interactions-between-siblings Title: How do children interact with their older autistic siblings? Description: In celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, this blog post focuses on the social interactions between children and their older autistic siblings. Content: Autism has many faces, but all children with autism have one thing in common: they struggle to communicate with others. Making eye contact, sharing attention with others, and responding to social cues are just a few examples of social skills that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) find difficult. They often do not know how to handle social situations. What are social skills? Social skills are the rules, customs, and abilities we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language, and our personal appearance. Human beings are sociable creatures, and we have developed many ways to communicate our messages, thoughts, and feelings with others. For children with autism, it can be harder to learn and build up these skills, forcing them to guess how to act in situations and with others. As a result, their social communication is often disrupted. A delayed and/or deviant language development plays a role in this as well. S... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/serious-gaming-reduces-anxiety-children Title: Serious gaming reduces anxiety in children Description: What is the effectiveness of the applied game called MindLight in teaching children how to cope with anxiety? Wols et al. investigated this game-based intervention. Content: Anxiety disorders are among the earliest and most prevalent forms of psychopathology in children. Currently, treatments based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are considered the most effective in reducing anxiety symptoms. Wanting to improve the way CBT techniques are taught to children, researchers investigated the effectiveness of an applied game called MindLight. Using applied games to treat anxiety With studies on CBT showing mixed outcomes and small to moderate effect sizes, researchers hypothesized that teaching methods are important in determining treatment success. For example, not all children are engaged or motivated by the didactic-based approach that is often used in treatment. Clinicians may also deviate from protocols, resulting in varying approaches to CBT. Lastly, children may not have enough opportunities to put the knowledge they learn into practice. Game-based interventions may be the answer. Teaching children how to cope with anxiety using MindLight Designed to... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-neurodegenerative-diseases Title: Zebrafish help us to understand neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases Description: Teresa Capriello and colleagues use zebrafish to study the neuronal mechanisms of heavy metals in connection to neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. Content: Swimming against the stream: zebrafish help us to understand neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases like Parkinson’s Teresa Capriello and colleagues from the University of Naples ‘Federico II’ have found something fishy about the effects of cadmium and aluminum on behavior. The team uses zebrafish to study the neuronal mechanisms of these heavy metals in connection to neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. Zebrafish are increasingly used as a model for neurotoxic effects because the neuropathological behavior is relatable to that shown in humans. Uncontrolled movements are typical in human patients with Parkinson’s. We will see that the fish in this study seem to show similar behavior. Cadmium and aluminum are neurotoxins Accumulation of cadmium and aluminum in the environment is a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (Chin-Chan et al., 2015; Jomova et al., 2010). Since the modes of action of these heavy metals a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/closer-look-eye-contact Title: A closer look at eye contact Description: Infant siblings of children with or without ASD participated in a study to determine whether gaze behavior showed during a test with an unfamiliar examiner could predict gaze behavior in a more naturalistic context. Content: "Eyes are the mirrors of the soul," the saying goes. Therefore, to make eye contact can be extremely valuable. Through eye contact, you can recognize emotions, intentions, self-assurance, weaknesses and more information in addition to the normal communication that usually exists. Feeling uncomfortable when making eye contact Making eye contact is an important skill infants develop during the first year of life. However, when infants show atypical social-communicative behavior, this may serve as a marker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reduced eye contact is a known symptom of autism. However, why children with autism look less at the eyes of others is unknown. There are several possible explanations; perhaps they avoid eye contact because they find it stressful and annoying to look someone else in the eye. Or, maybe they do not consider the social indication that eye contact can be important and they don’t see the point of it. However, autism is heterogeneous, so some individuals wi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/brain-research Title: 5 blog posts about brain research Description: During the annual Brain Awareness Week, international attention focuses on the brain to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. Content: During the annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW), international attention focuses on the brain to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. Some key questions are as follows: How does the brain work? How does a disorder of the brain develop? What is the importance of neuroscience research? Celebrate brain awareness There are a wide variety of brain disorders, and they can occur at any age. Alzheimer’s disease, brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s disease, and mental disorders are just a few examples. Practically everyone knows someone in his or her surroundings who is familiar with a brain disorder. However, we do not always consider the impact of these diseases upon a person's life. During BAW, events and educational activities will take place to change that. For example, there are lectures on brain-related topics, open days at neuroscience laboratories, brain fairs with hands-on activities, games, and experiments, displ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/shopping-behavior Title: Shopping behavior - what can we measure in a retail environment? Description: Shopping ambience conditions such as light, sound, and smell are thought to affect shoppers’ browsing behavior and can increase sales due to impulse buying. Content: Today we have a blog post written by Tamara Reid. During her internship at Noldus she investigated the applications of TrackLab software in the consumer market. Enjoy reading! Shopper movements, sales, and the effects of light, sound, and smell (in a supermarket) Shopping ambience conditions such as light, sound, and smell are thought to affect shoppers’ browsing behavior and can increase sales due to impulse buying. Insights into shopping ambience conditions and shopping behavior are beneficial not only to marketers, but also to store owners. Studies are increasingly showing that shopping behavior is not clear-cut rational behavior. A great deal of purchases are based on impulsive and unconscious decision-making. Previous studies on shopping behavior With the recent development in sensor technology such as RFID tags, studies on shopper movement patterns are more available. However, these are mostly limited to studies on the movement of shopping carts between the aisles in a store. Mon... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parkinsons-disease-research Title: Parkinson's disease research - Relevant measures in pre-clinical studies Description: Parkinson’s disease: the neurodegenerative disorder that affects mobility in a life-changing way. Learn more about relevant measures in pre-clinical studies. Content: Parkinson’s disease: the neurodegenerative disorder that affects mobility in a life-changing way. Slow movement, shuffling of the feet, and difficulties initiating movement are all impairments we recognize as typical for this disease. Researchers aim to find new therapeutics, and an important aspect for the translational value of these studies is measuring relevant behaviors in animal models. Another focus of Parkinson’s research is the side-effects of current drugs such as levodopa. Parkinson’s symptoms in animal models Though gait impairment is one of the most prominent symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), it is not always that well investigated. Researchers (1) at the Southern Medical University (China) argued that you need to be able to examine symptoms in detail before learning how to treat them. So, they created different rat models for PD and compared their locomotion to clinical symptoms in human patients. For this, they used the CatWalk XT system. RESOURCES: Read more about C... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pcit-parent-child-interaction-therapy Title: PCIT: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Description: What is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy? It helps improve family dynamics by working to reduce negative behavior and interactions, and to practice new behaviors and ways of communicating that are more encouraging. Content: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment program for children with emotional and behavioral problems and their parents. The program aims to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship, and to change parent-child interaction patterns. As a result, both the child’s behavioral problems and parents’ stress level are reduced. PCIT improves parent-child relationships To start, parents in this treatment program learn more about the relationship enhancement and discipline skills that they will be practicing in therapy sessions in an observation lab and at home with their child. PCIT includes a combination of play therapy and behavioral therapy. PCIT helps improve family dynamics by working to reduce negative behavior and interactions, and to practice new behaviors and ways of communicating that are more encouraging and reassuring. When practiced consistently, these new skills and techniques can instill more confidence, reduce anger and aggression, and enc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-botulinum-toxin-affects-facial-expression Title: How botulinum toxin affects facial expression Description: For the past twenty years, the demand for cosmetic procedures to the face has increased drastically. New technologies have become available that make it possible to look ‘better and younger’. Content: For the past twenty years, the demand for cosmetic procedures to the face has increased drastically. New technologies have become available that make it possible to look ‘better and younger’. In particular, the use of botulinum toxin (BTX) has increased enormously. BTX treatments increasingly popular The number of BTX treatments in the USA increased from 65 thousand in 1997 to more than 4.5 million in 2016. This increase is also reflected in my own medical-cosmetic practice in the Netherlands. The taboo on the use of BTX is beginning to disappear and more and more people want to have their appearance improved. However, they are also afraid to “lose themselves”: While eager to be treated, many clients stress that it should look natural and they don’t want anyone to notice that they had something done. But what makes a face look unnatural after BTX injections? How botulinum toxin affects facial expression Botulinum toxin (BTX) works against wrinkles, but few people realize that it also p... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/alzheimers-research-prevention Title: Alzheimer's research - From prevention research to natural treatment Description: Experts estimate that by 2050, 100 million people will have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is a shockingly large number. Learn more about the research that has been done in order to find a cure. Content: Experts estimate that by 2050, 100 million people will have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is a shockingly large number. Although a lot of research has been done, researchers still haven’t been able to find a cure. Our Behavioral Research Blog regularly highlights Alzheimer’s research. Check out these four blog posts! Alzheimer’s hallmarks and symptoms Those of you familiar with Alzheimer’s research know about the plaques and tangles. The beta amyloid plaques between neurons and tangles of tau protein within the cells are hallmarks of the disease. However, a longitudinal early onset Alzheimer study in Columbia (1) showed that clinical symptoms appeared as early as age 40, before plaques were identified in the brain. Researchers also tested a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. To investigate their symptoms, they did motor performance and learning tests using ErasmusLadder. Again, symptoms became evident before the presence of plaques in mouse brains. Researchers are now wor... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expressions-emotions-children Title: Analysis of facial expressions of emotions in children Description: The study described in this guest blog post focuses on the facial expressions of emotions induced by affective stimuli in children aged between 7 and 14. Content: In this guest blog post, researchers involved in the FIRB and NARSAD projects from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and the Sigmund Freud University in Milan, Italy, tell us more about their study carried out to characterize a set of emotionally charged stimuli in terms of the induced facial activation. In the project, FaceReader along with a FACS coder were used to investigate the differences between the two. The team consists of: Dr. Regina Gregori Grgič (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano); Dr. Simona Scaini (Sigmund Freud University, Milano); Dr. Chiara Ferrero (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano); Dr. Valentina Latronico (Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience (UCN), Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark); Prof. Anna Ogliari (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano); Prof. Clelia Di Serio (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano); Dr. Chiara Brombin (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano). Analysis of facial expressions of emot... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ultimate-list-neuroscience-lab-software-tools Title: The ultimate list of neuroscience lab software tools Description: Are you interested in starting a new lab, or perhaps in updating your current lab to its maximum potential? If so, this list of ultimate neuroscience software tools is the place to begin. Content: Are you interested in starting a new lab, or perhaps in updating your current lab to its maximum potential? If so, this list of ultimate neuroscience software tools is the place to begin. At Noldus Information Technology, we make it our mission to ensure that our software can get you the analysis you need quickly, easily, and reliably. Take a look at some examples of Neuroscience software tools and how they're used by researchers around the world. Video tracking software Our EthoVision XT video tracking software is a software platform – you can start with the Base module, which allows you to track the center point of one animal in one arena. Depending on your research needs, you can then expand your software capabilities with eight different add-on modules that include the ability to track in multiple arenas at once, analyze social interaction, track the nose point, center, and tail base of your subject, and control interaction with external equipment in your test protocol. EthoVision... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ux-lab-examples Title: Three UX Lab examples with the latest UX research tools Description: A UX Lab is used for usability testing and user experience research. Users are observed in a specific environment while interacting with a product or system. Most UX research is conducted in state-of-the-art UX labs. Content: A UX Lab (or usability lab) is used for usability testing and user experience research. Users are observed in a specific environment while interacting with a product or system. Their interactions are important, as the usability of a product or system is key to its success. Most UX research is conducted in state-of-the-art UX labs. Three UX Lab examples with the latest UX research tools Over the past few years we’ve been involved in some of the most amazing UX labs. From gaming research labs to modern social media labs and purpose-built usability testing labs. Let me share three recent examples of UX labs that we’ve helped establish in recent years, including the latest UX research tools. Dubai's first purpose-built usability lab Home to some of the world’s tallest buildings and most luxurious hotels, Dubai is increasingly becoming a smart city where technological innovation is key. User experience experts Digital of Things identified the growing need for good UX in the region and estab... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/7-tips-set-up-coding-scheme Title: 7 Tips how to set up a coding scheme Description: The coding scheme or ethogram determines what data you collect and is, thus, an essential part of your behavioral study. Tips to set up a coding scheme (+free white paper with all 7 tips to set-up your coding scheme). Content: The coding scheme or ethogram determines what data you collect and is, thus, an essential part of your behavioral study. How to develop a coding scheme that will provide you with the information you need? You can set up your coding scheme on paper, but you can also use The Observer XT software, a tool that can assist you in the entire workflow of an observational research project. How to set up a coding scheme (+ FREE white paper with all 7 tips to set-up your behavioral coding) So let's start at the beginning: Set up a draft coding scheme or start with a template - As a behavioral researcher you will recognize the need for a well-defined coding scheme. In many cases your coding scheme is not perfect at the beginning. Some behaviors may be too detailed and others may be missing. The Observer XT software allows you to fine-tune your coding scheme while observing.You can add elements during scoring and afterwards reorganize your coding scheme and delete redundant elements. This means tha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effectiveness-simulation-in-healthcare Title: Evaluating the effectiveness of simulation in healthcare Description: Teamwork is important in many occupations but it is crucial when working under pressure. Most of us can only imagine how stressful it could be when working as a fire fighter or operating room nurse. Content: Effective teamwork is important in many occupations but it is crucial when working under the pressure of time in a crisis situation. Most of us can only imagine how stressful it could be when working as a fire fighter, squad team member, or operating room nurse. Comparing real cases with simulated cases in healthcare communication Understandably, researchers dive into these teamwork processes to see how effective and efficient they are and how they could be improved. In these cases, one minor change in the procedure could influence the stress level and the efficiency in teamwork and thus, the outcome of a crisis situation. Train and evaluate teamwork Simulation is used to train and evaluate teamwork. One example where simulation is used to train and evaluate teamwork is a hospital. In an operating room (OR), nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons work closely together to complete the operation successfully. Jennifer Weller and colleagues investigated whether communication patterns dur... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expressions-likeliness-buy Title: Can facial expressions and emotional reactions predict likeliness to buy? Description: Think about some of your favorite holiday foods – what are they? Maybe gingerbread, candy canes, or pies? Content: Good food = Good mood? Think about some of your favorite holiday foods – what are they? Maybe gingerbread, candy canes, or pies? On the other hand, perhaps something more savory, like turkey or mashed potatoes? The list goes on. Many of us tend to associate these dishes with pleasant emotions and the comfort of being home with family, which is what many companies rely on when creating their marketing campaigns or targeting specific consumer demographics. However, what if you could objectively determine the emotional reactions of consumers in relation to food products rather than make a guess? Facial expressions and likeliness to buy That is exactly what Eliza Kostyra and colleagues did in a study that took place at the Sensory Analysis Lab of the Laboratory of Food Assessment and Diagnosis in the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland. In this blog post, I will be referencing findings from Kostyra’s paper, “Consumer facial expressio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-build-a-usability-lab Title: How to build a usability lab? Description: Usability testing is an essential part of user centered design processes. It is necessary to evaluate prototypes. So how do you build a usability lab? This how to will help you out! Content: Usability testing is an essential part of user centered design processes. It is necessary to evaluate prototypes: if designers made wrong assumptions or missed requirements, a usability test is likely to reveal them. Usability testing can be carried out in a usability lab, or on-site with a portable lab. So how do you build a usability lab? This 'How to' will help you out! How to build a usability lab? In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the creation of an effective usability lab is not just a matter of technical know-how, but also of understanding the intricate dynamics of human-computer interaction. How to build a usability lab that is customized for your research needs? A usability testing lab needs controlled conditions, and fully integrated equipment and software to make your tests as realistic as possible. What equipment is needed for a usability lab? Video and audio recording is necessary to capture what test participants see, and how they interact with an interface.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-analysis-catwalk-xt Title: Gait analysis at the PSDL using CatWalk Description: Our lab studies the Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCLs) or Batten disease, which are a group of progressive and genetically inherited neurodegenerative diseases that affect children and young adults. Content: This guest post was happily provided to us by the Pediatric Storage Disorders Laboratory (PSDL) lead by Jonathan Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. For those who are interested in gait analysis with rodents, we encourage you to read on and learn more about their experiences with the CatWalk XT system. About the PSDL Our lab studies the Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCLs) or Batten disease, which are a group of progressive and genetically inherited neurodegenerative diseases that affect children and young adults. We are characterizing mouse models of these diseases in order to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms, so that we can more effectively target experimental therapies. We found significant pathology in the cerebellum and spinal cords of some of these mouse models, and therefore wished to understand what effect this had on the sensorimotor system. We decided to analyse the gait of these mice using the CatWalk XT gait analysis s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effectiveness-physical-therapy-sessions Title: The effectiveness of physical therapy sessions for children with cerebral palsy Description: Researcher Sébastien Vanderlinden is committed to describe which and how long physical therapy skills are performed during NDT sessions. Content: In this guest blog post, researcher Sébastien Vanderlinden from Belgium writes about his study around the effectiveness of physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy.Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder and is caused by damage to the motor cortex of the brain. This is the part of the brain that affects muscle control and coordination. Children with cerebral palsy frequently struggle with walking and fine motor skills. VanderLinden is searching for other physical therapists and Ph.D.'s who are willing to participate in his study. Validation of an evaluation protocol to describe and quantify the therapeutic content performed during neurodevelopmental physical therapy (NDT) sessions of children with cerebral palsy In recent years, an intensification of studies that document the effectiveness of physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy (CP) resurfaced. According to a recent systematic review of Novak [1], which focuses on therapeutic interventions, it seems that the r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-monitor-rat-social-behavior Title: Into the lab: how to monitor rat social behavior Description: Including social behavior as part of a phenotypic screen has important benefits and eventually leads to better translational value of rodent models. Content: This is a second guest blog post by Suzanne Peters, PhD. Her thesis is named "The importance of rat social behavior for translational research. An ethological approach", which she defended on April 4th this year. Read the first blog post here. Monitoring and analyzing the social behavior of group housed rodents is something that many researchers find extremely challenging. It can also be very time consuming. However, including social behavior as part of a phenotypic screen has important benefits. As I argued in my first blog, it eventually leads to better translational value of rodent models. During my PhD research, I have developed an automated analysis that allows for the monitoring of socially interacting rats. Research equipment In my experiments, I used an enlarged version of the PhenoTyper (90 x 90 cm, called PhenoTyper-9000) to allow for social housing of rats. Additionally, this PhenoTyper is equipped with ultrasonic microphones to customize tracking software as well as ultraso... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/retail-analysis Title: Retail analysis - Using TrackLab in a supermarket Description: Noldus Information Technology teamed up with Jan Linders supermarkets, a chain of supermarkets in the southern part of The Netherlands. Content: Noldus Information Technology teamed up with Jan Linders supermarkets, a chain of supermarkets in the southern part of The Netherlands. Jan Linders approached us because they wanted to know more about the route their customers are taking when visiting one of their supermarkets. More specifically their question was: Do customers predominantly walk the same (common) route and is it possible to change this most commonly followed route by changing the layout of the supermarket and/or the placement of certain products? We set out to study this in a specific Jan Linders supermarket that was chosen for its specific layout. First, together with the people from Jan Linders we defined specific areas of interest in the supermarket that would enable us to follow a customer’s route. Next, the TrackLab system was installed with sensors placed at strategic locations to capture the customers’ movement in the areas of interest. The picture below shows a schematic drawing of the supermarket with the pos... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/simulation-based-team-training-obstetrics Title: Simulation-based team training in obstetrics Description: The study of Annemarie Fransen and her team shows that simulation-based team training is effective in improving communication and cooperation of obstetric care teams. Content: The author of this guest blog post, Annemarie Fransen of the Máxima Medical Center in Veldhoven, The Netherlands, focused in her PhD thesis on the development and evaluation of simulation-based team training in obstetrics. Her research shows that simulation-based team training is effective in improving communication and cooperation of obstetric care teams. Obstetric care is characterized by life threatening events that can happen at any moment. The quality of obstetric care is influenced by the quality of teamwork performance of the involved care teams. Unfortunately, this team performance is not always optimal, and in 75% of medical errors there is a relation with a lack of teamwork skills and/or communication. These medical errors can lead to serious morbidity and mortality for mothers and their babies. In order to reduce the number of medical errors, training of healthcare teams by using simulation-based medical education is proposed. This blog is about the effect of simulation-base... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/user-experience-research-nordichi Title: UX: from the Anthropocene to science fiction and moonshots Description: Even after spending a decade in contact with User Experience researchers and professionals, the domain never stops to fascinate and amaze me. In October I had the privilege of joining the 10th NordiCHI conference, in Oslo. Content: Guest blog written by Bram van Mil. Even after spending a decade in contact with User Experience researchers and professionals, the domain never stops to fascinate and amaze me. In October I had the privilege of joining the 10th NordiCHI conference, in Oslo. User Experience research revisited at NordiCHI 2018 The keynotes clearly showed how broad the User Experience domain really is. Where Jeanette Blomberg told about her broad experience and challenges using ethnography in design processes, even having to ‘thingify’ her research in order to convince the developers and marketeers of the importance and impact of her findings. What a difference with the work of Carly Gloge at X, Google's "moonshot factory". She gave an inspiring talk about solving large societal problems through technology. Great examples were delivering medicines to remote locations with drones, and disrupt mobility and transportation with the Waymo autonomous cars. Of course it helps working for a company where budgets... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/validation-study-facereader Title: Validation-study: Basic emotions and Action Units detection Description: Guest blogger Jan Zumhasch, a certified FACS-coder, explains why FaceReader is amazing if you want to analyze facial expressions and emotions. Content: This is a guest blog post by Jan Zumhasch. He studied at the Technical University Dresden in Germany and finished with a master’s degree in communication science. Starting point According to Ekman (19701), seven culture-independent basic emotions can be distinguished: joy, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise, fear and later on also the emotion contempt2. These correspond with specific facial expressions and can therefore be observed. The most empirically founded observation system for identifying these emotions is the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) developed by Ekman and colleagues (19783), reviewed repeatedly, subsequently revised (1992 and 2002) and used by numerous researchers. In addition, it was used to develop FaceReader, a software tool to analyze these facial expressions and emotions automatically. But how good is the software doing it’s job? For the performance of version 6, Lewinski et al. (20144) published a validation study. Meanwhile, the software has been revised and ex... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/analyzing-mealtime-behaviors-children-autism Title: Analyzing the mealtime behaviors of children with autism Description: Disrupted mealtimes and feeding challenges may risk the development of family stability, as well as the social skills and well-being of a child. Which strategy should families use to support meal time engagement? Content: Nutrition is one of the basic needs of human beings. In Maslow’s pyramid, it is at the basis of all our needs. Among other things, we require food to keep our bodies in balance. Yet, mealtimes are often a challenge to parents. When it comes to food, or healthy nutrition, a kids’ statement such as “I’m not going to eat that” is not unusual, just like not wanting to try new foods or just refusing to eat. The food ends up on the floor, or on the wall, but definitely not in the kid’s mouth. This behavior is very frustrating, and it worries many parents because eating is vital and everyone wants their child to be healthy and grow well. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for Infant Studies Download the free White paper to learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Capturing behaviors with video Coding behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Download Children with autism are often very selective eaters Mealtimes are an especially complex matter for children with Autism S... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/automated-facial-expression-analysis Title: Smile like you mean it Description: Of all human expressions, a smile is the most universal. But can you tell which smile is real and which is false? Content: Of all human expressions, a smile is the most universal. It has tremendous power and can even transform your own subjective state. For example, when not in a good mood originally, smiling can increase subjective-rated happiness1. Pretty cool, eh? But when is a smile not a smile? When it’s literally not that. But when and how can a smile not be a smile? Simple: when it’s false. Automated facial expression analysis In the early 80s, Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen2 proposed that there are two types of smiles: real, or ‘felt’ smiles, and false ones. The real ones are also called Duchenne smiles, named for Guillaume Duchenne, who first characterized the facial muscles needed to make the expression happen. According to their research, felt smiles activate muscles in the eyes and false smiles do not3. In addition, false smiles have been shown to be more unilateral, meaning the mouth curls more to one side. In the classic image below4, can you tell the difference between the two smiling Pauls?... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/automatic-facial-expression-recognition Title: How to master automatic Facial Expression Recognition Description: Many researchers have turned towards using automated facial expression recognition software to better provide an objective assessment of emotions. Content: Emotions can be both a gift and a curse. They are what makes us human, and we all experience them – whether it is through the ability to feel love and happiness, or pain and suffering. In addition, they are difficult to hide. All emotions, whether they are suppressed or not, are likely to have a physical effect. However, studying emotions can be hard, since it is not often clear how to exactly interpret them. Automatic facial expression recognition For this reason, many researchers have turned towards using automated facial expression recognition software to better provide an objective assessment of emotions. Because human assessment of emotions has many limitations and biases, facial expression technology can be used to deliver a greater level of insight into behavior patterns. This video shows FaceReader results. Noldus’ FaceReader software is one example of a tool that is specifically designed for this purpose, and is used in human behavior research for applications such as psycholo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-digital-world-social-media-lab Title: Understanding the digital world at the Social Media Lab Description: In this unique lab, technology is applied to understanding user experience, behavior on social media, and much more. Content: Many people enjoy using social media to share personal and professional activities with friends, colleagues, and so on. Because social media is an essential communication channel these days, it is of great importance to understand how people make use of social media. The Social Media Lab in Mons, Belgium connects with business and academics in order to better understand social media use and the digital world in general. In April 2018, the usability lab part of the Social Media Lab, in Mons was officially opened. Prof. François Lambotte and his team received the press and many guests to present the premises where exciting experiments will be taking place. I had the pleasure of visiting this lab myself and interviewing two researchers. Social Media Lab The Social Media Lab in Mons, Belgium brings together researchers, students, professionals, and professors from different disciplines (communication, marketing, journalism, computer science, etc.). Together they try to understand the digit... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-analysis-facility-rouen Title: How to characterize behavioral phenotypes in a behavioral analysis facility Description: Introducing the Behavioral Analysis Facility. Researchers evaluate the behavioral and functional activities of new pharmacological drugs using diverse functional tests. Learn more about their recent projects. Content: The Behavioural Analysis facility (Service Commun d’Analyse Comportementale, SCAC) is a research infrastructure for life science of Institute of Research and Innovative in Biomedicine (IRIB) of University of Rouen, France. Watch this video and learn more about recent research at this lab such as research into the relationship between food intake and mood disorders. And find out why Dr. Do Rego chooses automatic measurements to analyze behavior. How to characterize behavioral phenotypes in a behavioral analysis facility Behavioral Analysis Facility | Noldus Customer Success Story Researchers at this lab evaluate the behavioral and functional activities of new pharmacological drugs using diverse functional tests such as: anxiety, fear, and depression, nutrition, food and drink consumption, metabolism, development (neonatal development and maternal behavior), learning and memory, pain, motor behavior (spontaneous activity, motor coordination), sensorimotor gaiting, addiction (appetitive o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/blood-sugar-rewarding-effect-smoking Title: Normalization of blood sugar reduces enhanced rewarding effect of smoking Description: Why are the rewarding effects of nicotine greater in diabetic rats? Content: When you think of diabetes and tobacco use in the same context, there are some clear similarities between the two – they are both prevalent, and can both be deadly. According to the World Health Organization, in 2014 there were 422 million people worldwide counted as having diabetes, with most of them diagnosed with type 2. And, in 2015, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Switching gears to tobacco use, the World Health Organization reports that in 2015, over 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco. In addition, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that tobacco use causes nearly 6 million deaths per year. This number is estimated to increase to 8 million in 2030. The link between diabetes and smoking Type 2 diabetes and smoking clearly both cause serious health issues on a global scale. But did you know that they are also linked? In fact, nicotine use increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also increases insulin resistance, which can make diabe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expression-analysis-musical-experiment Title: Using facial expression analysis during a musical experiment Description: Music affects people, that's for sure. But to what extent varies per person. To measure facial expressions during a musical experiment, FaceReader Online is the easy-to-use tool. Content: The influence of music on our emotions intrigues me, and raises many questions. For example, how is it possible that my emotion changes as music speeds up or slows down? Why does the song ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams make me smile, and why do I react in the opposite manner to the song ‘Tears in Heaven’ by Eric Clapton? Is it really the music itself that triggers these emotions, or is it the memory of a particular event that fits with the music or any other association? Why do I prefer to listen to fast songs at one time and to slow songs at another time? Can anyone else around me read my face and figure out what emotion the music that I’m listening to evokes? Does everyone react the same way? And if they don’t, why not? The link between music and emotion Many processes that take place in our brains determine how we react to music. Scientist have figured out that music affects people, but to what extent varies per person. For example, the volume of the music has the most influence on em... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-analysis-parkinsons-rat-model Title: Using gait analysis to analyze Parkinson’s in rat model Description: Contrary to common methods, gait analysis can detect clinically relevant symptoms early on, researchers say. Content: We all know Parkinson’s as the neurodegenerative disorder that affects mobility in a life-changing way. The slow movement, shuffling of the feet, and difficulties initiating movement are all bradykinesia signs that we recognize as typical for this disease. Clinically relevant symptoms So, why do most commonly used behavioral tests in animal research on Parkinson’s disease (PD) not actually assess behaviors that resemble these symptoms? That is what Jordi Boix and his colleagues from the University of Auckland in New Zealand asked themselves. Parkinson’s model in rats In their study, which was recently published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, the researchers used two rat models of PD to investigate a number of gait parameters in hopes to find resemblance to human PD symptoms, and to specifically find them early on. The rat model used in this study was a 6-OHDA lesion model as is common in many PD studies. Injection of 6-OHDA causes degeneration of the dopaminergic system causi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/explicit-bias-depressed-patients Title: The role of explicit bias in working with depressed cardiac patients Description: Using simulated medical encounters, Dr. Crapanzano and her team measured the influence of bias in the medical students' diagnosis and treatment plans for a patient presenting as mildly depressed. Content: Living with a heart disease can be stressful. After all, a well-functioning heart is vital, and it can be tough to realize that your heart is failing. Coronary artery diseases (CAD) can often lead to experiences of psychological problems, such as becoming anxious and feeling tired or lifeless, with the possibility that depression can occur or get worse. In addition, depression can lead to a greater chance of developing a CAD as well. As there is a strong link between our physical health and our mental health, it should not come as a surprise that depression is an independent risk factor for CAD and its complications, and CAD in turn can be a cause of depression. Physicians’ attitudes towards depressed patients Unfortunately, evidence suggests a lack of awareness of such links between mental and physical conditions among physicians, especially in cases where the mental illness is complex and accompanied by communication or behavioral challenges that interfere with the clinical presentat... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/world-cup-success-and-emotions Title: World Cup success and emotions Description: Recent scientific research shows that emotional expressions like anger and happiness matter in being successful in the group phase of the soccer World Cup. Content: Recent scientific research shows that emotional expressions like anger and happiness matter in being successful in the group phase of the soccer World Cup. Researchers took collectible stickers of all players and automatically analyzed their facial expressions in order to get more insight into how emotions influence team performance. FIFA Soccer World Cups Researchers Astrid Hopfensitz and Cesar Mantilla from the University of Toulouse and Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá analyzed 4318 pictures of soccer players from 304 participating teams in 12 editions of the FIFA Soccer World Cup. They wanted to focus on the important role of emotions and expressions during high stakes team contests. Collectible stickers The players’ portraits that were used for this study were from collectible stickers that have been produced by Panini for every world cup since 1970. The researchers analyzed the individual players’ display of emotions in order to characterize a team’s overall emotional level. These... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/alzheimer-research-morris-water-maze-task Title: Alzheimer research and the Morris water maze task Description: First developed in 1981 by Richard Morris, the Morris water maze task is still one of the most popular tests for memory and learning in rodents. Content: The Morris water maze task: first developed in 1981 by Richard Morris, it is still one of the most popular tests for memory and learning in rodents. Alzheimer research One of the research fields this task is commonly used in is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As the most common form of dementia, AD is a neurodegenerative disease that comes with memory impairments, which is precisely what we can test with a water maze. Recent studies focus on several AD risk factors such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Variation in water mazes The Morris water maze task does not require much in setup. The basic needs consist of a large round pool, a platform, and visual cues. Instead of timing the animal by using a stopwatch to measure how long it took the animal to get to the platform, most researchers opt for an automated test using video tracking software such as EthoVision XT. Testing protocols In a nutshell, during a water maze test the rat or mouse learns the location of the platform by using cues i... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/homecage-monitoring Title: Towards automated homecage monitoring of group housed rats Description: Rodent social behavior is important in research on neuropsychiatric disorders, but major limitations hamper progress. Content: This is a guest blog post by Suzanne Peters, PhD. Her thesis is named "The importance of rat social behavior for translational research. An ethological approach", which she defended on April 4th this year. Rodent social behavior is an increasingly important readout parameter in animal research in light of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. In translational research, animal models are used to understand the mechanism by which disease symptoms manifest. The issue of limited translational value Ultimately, translational research must result in possible treatments. However, there are some major limitations that hamper progress[1]. For example, the limited translational value of animal models[2, 3], as becomes apparent by the lack of reproducibility of research results[4] and an overestimation of treatment effects[5]. Improve housing conditions Several key elements are limiting translational value. First, inadequate housing and developmental conditions. It is impo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/many-ways-measure-behavior Title: Many ways to measure behavior Description: So what kind of behavior can you measure? We haven't had time to follow all five behavior research tracks but here are a few highlights of the first conference day. Content: So what kind of behavior can you measure? At the Measuring Behavior conference, researchers present methods and techniques to get insights into pig behavior in a stable, teacher behavior in a classroom, visitor behavior in a museum, crab behavior in an open field, citizen behavior in a smart city, consumer behavior in a store, and much much more. We haven't had time to follow all five behavior research tracks but here are a few highlights of the first conference day. Understanding animal behavior The first conference day of the eleventh Measuring Behavior conference was opened by a keynote speech of Prof Françoise Wemelsfelder from the Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, UK. Her main topic question was: can we get closer to how animals experience their world? This keynote was a great opening for this multi-disciplinary conference. She talked about using a method from Consumer and Food Science - the Free Choice Profiling method - and using it to de... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-als-gene Title: A new zebrafish model for ALS-related gene mutations Description: How zebrafish are helping us to discover the mechanisms behind this neurodegenerative disease. Content: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to the demise of motor neurons. As a consequence, muscle movement control is lost. ALS gene The gene most strongly associated with ALS is a gene on chromosome 9, called C9orf72 Patients with ALS have shown large expansions within this gene, while healthy individuals only show small expansions. However, the mechanism in which this DNA repetition actually leads to symptoms of the disease is still largely unknown. DNA repetitions causing symptoms of ALS There are three main theories in this specific branch of ALS research. One is that because of these DNA repetitions, the gene is mutated and consequently unconventionally translated. This leads to the formation of proteins called DPRs, which can have a toxic effect on motor function. A recent study from Swaminathan et al., focused on this theory. Toxic proteins To put it briefly, the C9orf72 gene expansion can lead to five different DPR proteins,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parasitic-infection-memory-mice Title: The effects of parasitic infections on learning and memory in mice Description: Worm infections can cause cognitive problems. But it’s unclear if it affects learning, memory, or both. Content: Worm infection Hookworm infection is an infection in the intestine by parasites. Aside from abdominal pain and other physical discomforts, it also causes cognitive problems. It is also still endemic in developing countries. Cognitive impairments Although impaired cognition as a result of parasitic infections has been widely reported, it is unclear specifically what kind of cognition is affected and how. Dr. Brombacher and her colleagues from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cape Town, South Africa, set out to investigate. Testing worm infection on mice The effect of worm infection was tested using a mouse model. In this case, mice were infected with N. brasiliensis, a roundworm with a life cycle similar to human hookworms. The researchers used a Morris water maze test and EthoVision XT video tracking software to assess mouse behavior as well as learning and memory capabilities. FREE TRIAL: Try EthoVision XT yourself! Request a free trial and find ou... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/use-humor-during-doctor-patient-interactions Title: The use of humor during doctor-patient interactions Description: How often do medical professionals use humor during the interaction with patients? After all, such positive interactions help build a relationship, establish trust, and support the exchange of relevant information. Content: Science has proven that laughter is healthy. Laughter is pain relieving, relaxing, and helps people deal with their fears. These are all important factors that patients often have to deal with. How nice would it be if while during a visit to the doctor or during a hospital stay, you could forget your pain, relax, and be less anxious, if only just for a moment? However, how often is humor actually used during doctor-patient interactions? Aiming for positive health outcomes A review about doctor-patient communication shows that positive interactions help build a relationship, establish trust, and support the exchange of accurate and relevant information [1]. All of these benefits can contribute to achieve positive health outcomes. Humor reduces anxiety, puts things in perspective, affects connectedness, and brings some warmth into an interaction that can otherwise be formal, cold, and distant. In short, humor is gold in the hands of health care providers. Besides, you don’t have to put a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ptsd-and-immune-system Title: Freeze! A recent study on PTSD and the immune system Description: It is pretty well-known that stress and anxiety have an effect on the immune system. This can be a real problem, especially in psychiatric disorders. Content: It is pretty well-known that stress and anxiety have an effect on the immune system. This can be a real problem, especially in psychiatric disorders involving depression and anxiety, such as Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers are now identifying critical neurological factors in the physical and mental consequences of this disease. PTSD PTSD is a mental disorder often associated with survivors of combat, but can also occur after natural disasters, serious accidents, or abuse. According to PTSD United, it affects about 7.7 million American adults in a given year. Aside from the obvious mental strain on these patients, these people also have among the highest rates of healthcare service use. Research on PTSD There is an obvious need for effective treatment. In a recent study, Meghan Jones and her colleagues (Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2018) investigated the role of a protein called interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in PTSD. IL-1β is a cytokine, a small cell-signaling protein in t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-study-consumer-behavior Title: How to study consumer behavior in a kitchen Description: Masson and colleagues from Université Paris-Saclay, France, designed a test kitchen to investigate food storage processes. According to them, the use of video cameras was of great value for analyzing behaviors. Content: Testing consumer behavior in a natural environment can give great insight into behavioral patterns. How do consumers use a product? For example, what do they use to cook dinner? Masson and colleagues from Université Paris-Saclay, France, designed a test kitchen including four dome cameras and one portable GoPro camera to investigate food storage processes. According to them, the use of video cameras was of great value for analyzing behaviors. Marine Masson and colleagues revealed that consumers do not consider the nature of the food in the organization of the refrigerator, and this blog post delves into how this was studied. Worldwide, various organizations are working on the question of why food might go to waste. Recommendations for fresh food storage Food storage practices can be studied by direct observation. First, the researchers evaluated if the recommendations of the French Agriculture and Food Department were known and followed. The recommendations issued by the French Agricul... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/top-5-blog-posts-about-autism Title: Top 5 blog posts about autism Description: World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on April 2nd. A good reason to sum up the top 5 best read blog posts about autism of the last year for you. Content: Each year, April transforms into World Autism Awareness Month. Events and educational activities take place throughout the month to increase understanding and acceptance of autism and foster worldwide support. Awareness - Action - Acceptance - Appreciation Autism has a big impact on someone's life. Everything that people with autism see, hear, smell, and feel is processed in a different way, and that offers a diverse mix of strengths and weaknesses. For example, people with autism often have a good eye for detail, and they are honest, straightforward, analytical, and hard-working. However, they can have difficulty processing everyday sensory information and maintaining social contacts. FREE WHITE PAPER: Autism Research Download the free White paper to learn how and why observational research methods are used in autism research. Why observe behavior How to observe behavior in a structured way What research tools are available Download Research in the field of autism A lot of research ha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-consumer-responses Title: Measuring consumer responses to chocolate and images Description: Researchers all over the world are trying to find ways to measure real consumer responses and behavior. Content: Researchers all over the world are trying to find ways to measure real consumer responses and behavior. This blog features a study in which researchers tried different implicit measurement techniques in order to get closer to measuring liking and preference using images and chocolates! I’d want to be a test participant – wouldn’t you? Implicit vs explicit measures As rational responses do not represent the totality of consumers’ attitudes and preferences toward specific stimuli, researchers are looking into ways of measuring unconscious consumer responses. Implicit measurement techniques don’t rely on opinion research. Traditionally, researchers relied heavily on techniques such as customer surveys in order to predict product preferences. Physiological, facial expression, and sensory/emotional responses In this study, Melbourne based researchers Damir Torrico, Sigfredo Fuentes, and colleagues investigated the effect of collecting physiological, facial expression, and sensory/emotional... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/package-testing Title: Package testing - Emotional journey in packaging research Description: A product package should help consumers make a quick decision. Donata Tania Vergura and Beatrice Luceri from the University of Parma, Italy investigated different packaging designs. Content: You likely know the feeling of leaving the office, racing to the supermarket and then buying just a little bit more than necessary. As we are all consumers, we make decisions on what to buy, which can be influenced by many factors such as packaging and store layout. During a controlled laboratory situation, it was found that package design with a product image that is more on the foreground compared to the background elicited more positive emotional responses. The same researchers would now like to run this experiment in a store, which would enrich the results of the study. Lab study into package testing Donata Tania Vergura and Beatrice Luceri from the University of Parma, Italy investigated different packaging designs, in particular the placement of the product image (foreground vs. background) and the effect on the emotional state of the consumer and the intention to buy. Since shopping is increasingly perceived as a hastened activity, the researchers explain that a product packagin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expression-video-content-marketing Title: Facial expression analysis in video content marketing Description: This study shows that emotions in company messages or advertisements could be used to build and measure brand value. This measure can thus be added to social media metrics guidelines to assess success rate. Content: What if you could predict the popularity of campaign videos? Corporate communications can incorporate neuromarketing and nonverbal communication analysis as social media metrics in order to understand not only what content is effective, but also how it should be presented. Campaign videos are often distributed via a video platform such as YouTube. The more views they get, the more successful the campaign becomes. Automatic facial coding What video will be successful? The study presented here concludes that it is not only the content that matters, it is also the body language -- in this case the facial expressions -- that influence the success rate of a video campaign. In this study, Amsterdam based researchers used two measures to assess behavior: automatic facial coding and video views on YouTube. Measure success This proof-of-concept study shows that the emotional face behavior of actors in company messages or advertisements could be used to build and measure brand value. This measur... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/operating-room-layout Title: Operating room layout: impact on work patters and flow disruptions Description: With use of prerecorded videos of surgeries, researchers examined the impact of the layout of an OR on work patterns and flow disruptions of a circulating nurse. Content: The first time I entered an operating room was during an internship in a Dutch hospital. As part of my nursing education, they allowed me to attend some general surgeries. After I had exchanged my white nurse suit for a green surgical version, I was ready for it. I was fascinated from the first minute onwards. All that equipment, all those people working together, a real patient on the table who had no clue what was going on due to the anesthesia… so much happened in a relatively short time. Impressive! An operating room (OR) is an exciting workplace, where all team members must cooperate toward shared goals, such as making safe and efficient patient care a priority. Each member of the surgical team has specific personal responsibilities in order to achieve that goal. Maintaining a big-picture oversight of the patient's condition is one of the circulating nurse's responsibilities. A circulating nurse is the ultimate patient advocate The research of Sara Bayramzadeh and her team focuses... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/new-rat-model-neonatal-white-matter-injury Title: A new rat model for neonatal white matter injury Description: Preterm birth is a major problem in neonatal healthcare. Erik van Tilborg developed a new animal model to closely mimic this clinical situation, an important step in finding new treatment options. Content: A guest blog post by Erik van Tilborg, PhD student in the research group of Cora Nijboer at the laboratory for Neuroimmunology and Developmental Origins of Disease (NIDOD), UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands. White matter injury in preterm infants Preterm birth is a major problem in neonatal healthcare. In the Netherlands 8% of all births occur prematurely, which means after a pregnancy of 37 weeks or less. Some babies are even born after a pregnancy of 24-27 weeks. These children are referred to as extremely preterm infants, and are often exposed to preterm birth-related health problems such as inflammation (due to an immature immune system and vulnerability to infections) and fluctuating oxygen levels (due to immature lungs, respiratory problems and underdeveloped vasculature in the brain). In many preterm infants such complications, associated premature birth, cause diffuse injury to the white matter of the brain. Later in life, this type of white matter injury (WMI) leads to impaired cog... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/anabolic-steroids-rat-study Title: Exercise vs anabolic steroids: a rat study Description: A recent study shows that the use of anabolic steroids diminishes the positive effects of exercise in rats. Content: Anabolic steroids. The first thing that pops into your head when reading this term is probably a bodybuilder or powerlifter (or a lot of muscle, in any case). Anabolic androgenic steroids or AASs, are basically synthetic testosterone. While it might mostly be known for its use / abuse by athletes and bodybuilders, it is also prescribed by health care providers to treat muscle loss in diseases or hormonal issues. AASs abuse and behavior Abuse of AASs has become a public health concern because it increases the prevalence of behavioral disorders such as unprovoked aggression. Abuse in the long term can cause high levels of anxiety and mood-swings. Interestingly, while exercise has general beneficial effects on physical performance, abuse of AASs has the opposite effect, which begs the question: what is the actual effect of the combination of these two? Exercise and anxiety Certain exercise protocols are proven to have anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, though animal studies show certa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-down-syndrome-gene-autism Title: Knockout of Down syndrome gene in zebrafish leads to autistic-like behaviors Description: Knockout of Down syndrome gene in zebrafish leads to autistic-like behaviors: Though earlier knockout models in mice failed, researchers have developed a successful zebrafish model. Content: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is not a clear-cut disease, but rather a genetically heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders. This makes it hard to point to one specific cause, for example, one gene linked to autism. However, recent studies suggest that abnormal functioning of the DYRK1A gene might play a causal role in autism. Down syndrome gene The DYRK1A gene is mostly known within the context of Down syndrome. It is located on chromosome 21, at the critical region for Down syndrome. Overexpression of this gene is linked to intellectual disability and microcephaly. Researchers now suspect that underexpression of this gene is linked to autism. However, while overexpression and consequent clinical symptoms is replicable in murine models, underexpression is hard to investigate in mice due to the high mortality rate in knockout models. New zebrafish model After finding an individual with an intragenic microdeletion of DYRK1A and microcephaly and autism, Kim et al. (2017) want... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pd-drugs-zebrafish Title: Putative neurorestorative drug for Parkinson’s disease tested in zebrafish Description: About zebrafish and their important role in finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Content: An estimated 7 to 10 million people have Parkinson’s disease (PD). Needless to say, this disease has a major impact on society, especially since it has no cure. The most common prescription for PD is levodopa, which is effective in helping with motor functioning. But, thus far, the need for a neuroprotective or neuro-restorative drug is still unmet. Dopamine PD develops when the dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra stop working properly. The loss of dopamine mostly causes locomotor issues, from walking to talking. The most common drug available right now is still levopoda. Developed 5 decades ago, this purely symptomatic treatment increases the levels of dopamine in the brain, but does not halt or slow down the actual decay of dopamine-producing neurons. The need for a cure Obviously, there is a need for a cure, or something to interfere with the progression of the disease. There are a couple of drugs already being used clinically that show promise to this effect. Putative... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-study-communication-young-children Title: How to study communication in young children Description: If you are born profoundly deaf, it is very likely that modern technology in the form of cochlear implants can improve your hearing. Content: If you are born profoundly deaf, it is very likely that modern technology in the form of cochlear implants can improve your hearing. The cochlea is the organ in your ear that translates sound vibrations in the air into nervous impulses in the auditory nerve, and a cochlear implant carries out that function electronically. Helping children with hearing impairments However, for medical reasons, the procedure for a cochlear implant cannot occur when the child is less than 12 months old. That means that the period when they miss out on hearing sound is the critical period when children are normally learning to speak. It is therefore really important that the communication between the child and his or her parents is of the best possible quality after the device has been implanted. FREE WHITE PAPER: Parent-child interaction This free white paper informs you how on to facilitate a parent-child study and how to set up your experiment. Perform tests in a lab or in-home Collect data with video D... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/buying-travel-pillow Title: Buying a travel pillow: do our experiences make our expectations come true? Description: During a long flight, it is often tempting to take a nap in the airplane seat. Which travel pillow offers you the most comfort for this? Content: There are many types of traveling -- business travel with defined schedules and justifications for the trip, vacation travel to spend sitting on a beach looking at boats (or in a boat looking at beaches), and adventure travel based on exploration and new experiences. In order to arrive at the destination of our choice, we increasingly travel through the air. During a long journey, it is often very tempting to go to sleep. However, in an airplane seat, sleeping is almost never comfortable. The chance of a stiff neck after some nodding in your airplane seat is very likely. As a passenger, you need to find a solution to cope with the minimal living space available during a trip. When I googled ‘comfort during traveling,’ all kinds of shops offered me all kinds of products: special compression stockings, a sleeping bag, sleeping masks, earplugs, and a travel pillow. All products came in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and claimed to improve comfort. Are expectations about comfort equal to e... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-strain-differences Title: Strain differences in zebrafish behavior and physiology Description: A zebrafish is not just a zebrafish. Strain differences in zebrafish behavior and physiology. Content: A zebrafish is not just a zebrafish – ZFIN (The Zebrafish Information Network) lists about 30 strains often used in the lab. This is one of the reasons why there might be difficulties with the repeatability and comparison of experiments within and between labs. Ruud van den Bos and his colleagues investigate these strain differences at the department of Animal Ecology and Physiology of the Radboud University in Nijmegen (The Netherlands). Mutations and morphology Two of the strains they investigate include the AB and the Tupfel long-fin (TL) zebrafish. The latter fish have a recessive mutation that causes spots instead of the typical stripes, and, as the name suggests, long fins. Genetics causes differences in behavior In earlier studies, Van den Bos and his colleagues found that differences between these strains were not just morphological, but also behavioral and physiological. They differ in baseline activity of the HPI-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axis, or the “stress-ax... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/advance-your-behavioral-research Title: How innovative solutions advance your behavioral research Description: Good behavioral research requires good methods, and good tools. Three Noldus customer stories display how innovative solutions have advanced their behavioral research. Content: We have all seen it in sci-fi movies: a scientist is frantically working to find a last-minute solution to save the world or a loved one. While stressing out a test tube is accidentally knocked over and lo and behold, at the brink of world destruction, the ultimate solution is found and the day/lover/world is saved. Science fiction or not, there are plenty of accidental discoveries that turned out to have a dramatic impact, like the discovery of Penicillin by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming in 1928. These accidental discoveries may have shaped history, but usually much more is needed before research leads to actual discoveries and solutions for everyday life. Good behavioral research requires good methods, and good tools: How innovative solutions advance your behavioral research Good behavioral research requires good methods, and good tools. The scientific world is always on the move, new tools are developed at an increasingly rapid rate. At Noldus we work closely together with th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-chickens Title: Tracking chickens: A promising approach for identifying feather-peckers Description: Manually observing chickens in barns is a tedious job to which ultra-wideband tracking offers a solution. But does it interfere with normal behavior? Content: Manually observing individual chickens in today’s large chicken housing systems has become a tedious job. From laying hens to broiler chickens, one of the major problems with chickens grouped together is feather-pecking behavior, where a chicken will peck at the feathers of another chicken and causes them harm. Tracking systems have gained popularity over the years to automatically locate subjects and to analyze location-based data for livestock behavioral research. Following this trend, automated tracking systems such as ultra-wideband (uwb) have become very important in quickly identifying individual chickens in large groups for behavioral analysis. However, do the uwb tags interfere with normal behavior? For example, do they increase feather-pecking behavior or lead to tagged chickens being victims of feather-pecking behavior? Influence of wearing uwb tags on chicken behavior and health For quality results, researchers studying behavior need the collected data to be accurate and tru... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/patients-information-recall-emotional-stress Title: How oncologists’ communication impacts patients’ information recall Description: In her study, Visser focuses on one of the possible mechanisms that may underlie limited information recall in patients: the relationship between emotional stress and memory performance. Content: Blog post by Leonie (N.C.) Visser, researcher at the Department of Medical Psychology of the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Background of the study Patients’ recall of information provided by their physician For patients, receiving medical information from their physician is important. Unfortunately, patients’ recall or ability to remember medical information provided to them by their physicians is generally poor. For example, approximately half of provided information is not remembered by cancer patients. Uncovering the mechanisms that lead to limited recall of medical information may provide insights that help to improve recall and inform physicians about communication behaviors that can optimize information transfer to patients. Reducing emotional stress as a potential mechanism The PhD thesis of Leonie Visser focuses on one of the possible mechanisms that may underlie limited information recall in patients: the relationship between emotional stre... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-face-perception-asd Title: Understanding face perception in ASD Description: Researchers at KU Leuven want to gain more insight into whether or not there are differences in the implicit abilities of children with ASD to detect faces, different identities, and different expressions. Content: This blog post is a guest post by Stephanie Van der Donck from the Center for Developmental Psychiatry of KU Leuven in Belgium. The study Stephanie writes about, investigates different processing abilities in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She explains why they choose to apply an innovative scalp electroencephalography (EEG) approach combined with fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS). Processing faces The human face is a highly familiar, complex, and multidimensional visual pattern that provides a wealth of information about someone (e.g. his or her identity, gender, age, emotional state, etc.). Recognizing people and accurately interpreting non-verbal cues like facial expressions are required to successfully interact with others. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Many individuals with ASD show impairments in processing faces (e.g.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotional-studies-with-facereader Title: 3 Emotional studies with FaceReader Description: Many researchers have discovered FaceReader as a tool for their research. These 3 recent studies with FaceReader show how emotion data helps you to better understand human-human, human-machine, and human-product interactions. Content: For researchers emotions are fundamental in understanding human behavior, as they are a crucial part in non-verbal communication. Emotion data provides crucial insights that allow researchers to gain insight in complex human behaviors in greater depth. Facial expression analysis software like FaceReader is ideal for collecting this data. The software automatically analyzes the six basic facial expressions defined by Paul Ekman, plus neutral, contempt, and boredom, interest, and confusion. Many researchers have discovered FaceReader as a tool for their research. These three recent studies with FaceReader show how this emotion data helps you to better understand human-human, human-machine, and human-product interactions. The emotions of people who think they’re nice What does ‘nice’ actually mean in relation to psychological variables? And does it positively correlate with self-reported levels of health, happiness, and wellbeing? Researchers of i2 media research from the Goldsmiths Unive... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/interacting-with-autonomous-cars Title: Interacting with autonomous cars Description: When I get in the train next week at the Düsseldorf airport, I know that there is something different about it in comparison to a normal train. Content: When I get in the train next week at the Düsseldorf airport, I know that there is something different about it in comparison to a normal train. It drives itself; there is no human driver. The first time I rode in that train, it seemed a bit odd. Now that I’ve ridden that train a few times, I’m used to it and it is normal. Will it feel normal once our cars start driving themselves as well? We can already buy cars that park themselves and automatically slow down when they get too close to the car in front of them. Once cars start to do much more on their own, how much trust will we have in them? Humans vs computers On the one hand, we know that people are pretty poor at tasks involving monitoring. We get bored, sleepy, and distracted by our smartphones. On the other hand, computers and robots are good at monitoring things; they don’t know what boredom means. Everybody expects that this will lead to a great increase in road safety. Probably in a few decades, we will look back with horror... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/robots-helping-people-dementia Title: Robots helping people with dementia Description: Researcher Wendy Moyle and her team explored if the use of a robotic seal as a therapeutic tool would influence the emotional and behavioral symptoms of dementia. Content: Every time I walk in the front door, my dog greets me as if we have been apart for months. On bad or good days, rain or shine, he is always excited to welcome me home. And, let’s face it, even on a lousy day it’s impossible not to smile at the sight of an ear-to-ear doggy smile and a wildly wagging tail. Pets are good for us; they provide companionship and unconditional love. They can even offer health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the stress hormone cortisol, and boosting levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin. How can robotic pets help out? Pets often forge a special connection with people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It is not uncommon to watch someone change over from emotionless to joyful when a pet enters the room, especially if it triggers pleasant memories. However, a pet does not always fit in a health care setting. Allergic reactions, pet illness, or fears of a pet are problems that can occur. However, this does not apply to a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/teamwork-behaviors-healthcare Title: Learn to cooperate toward shared goals using the principles of CRM Description: Teamwork plays an important role in ensuring patient safety and avoiding errors. The most commonly used method to promote teamwork, is training entire teams together to better prepare them for effective cooperation. Content: Throughout the health care community, small groups of individuals work together as teams. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, and other health professionals must coordinate their activities to make safe and efficient patient care a priority. In health care, it is not enough to be proficient in just your own individual tasks; one should also be a good team player. However, even though a myriad of the conditions addressed by health professionals require interdisciplinary teams, members of these teams are rarely trained together. Furthermore, they often come from separate disciplines and diverse educational programs. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the work and the necessity of cooperation among the workers who perform it, it is likely that teamwork plays an important role in ensuring patient safety and avoiding errors. Teamwork behaviors Teams make fewer mistakes than individuals do, especially when each team member knows his or her responsibilities, as well as what other... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-recording-medical-trainees-interruption Title: Video recording medical trainees who are interrupted during a complex task Description: Interruptions in your work have a negative effect on completing your tasks correctly. Jones and her team examined the impact of clinical interruptions on simulated trainee performances during central venous catheterization. Content: How often do you get disturbed during your workday? Maybe you receive an unexpected phone call, a text message on your mobile phone, or a colleague sticks his head around the corner? In other words: these disruptions are made by others who instantly want to claim your time. Interruptions in your work have a negative effect on completing your tasks correctly. The number of mistakes increases, even if the interruption is very short. Due to an interruption, you may forget to resume your original task, take longer to complete the task, or complete the task with higher error rates. At the end of the day, you did not get to what you actually intended. Interruptions kill productivity. Interrupting the workflow In a healthcare setting, interruptions are also common, and the effects may be adverse for the patient. Several studies observed how often physicians and nurses in an emergency room or operation room got disturbed, and found that this could go up to 14 times in an hour, or 50 times per... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/in-home-study-older-persons Title: In home study of older persons Description: Older people are healthier these days and like to live in their own homes as long as possible. As a result, the need for home care services is increasing. Content: We all know by now that the number of older persons worldwide is increasing: the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years of age is expected to nearly double by 2050. Older people are healthier these days and like to live in their own homes as long as possible. As a result, the need for home care services is increasing. Today’s blog is about a study done in Sweden, where researchers looked into the emotional needs of individuals age 60 and above and the communication processes involved in home care situations. Recording communication in the home Annelie Sundler and colleagues explored to what extent people (age 60+) express emotional cues and concerns during home care visits. To find these cues, they asked nurses to make audio recordings. A total of 188 recordings were made. The verbal communication during the audio recorded home care visits was analyzed using the VR-CoDES. This coding scheme was developed by the Verona network to facilitate comparative research on patients’... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/male-mice-behavioral-studies Title: Why it doesn’t seem fair to prefer male mice in behavioral studies Description: Is it justified to use male mice only in behavioral studies, as many diseases affect men and women differently? This might be the most important argument to favor including female mice in certain studies. Content: Most behavioral studies using mice, use male mice only. That is because most researchers fear hormones get in the way; estrous cycles might cause data variability. But is this justified, as many diseases affect men and women differently? At the Wolfer lab at the Institute of Anatomy from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, they were pondering the same question, so they surveyed 100 water maze publications from 2016 on PubMed. Most studies used just males, only 12% included both sexes. Why exclude females? One common apprehension of researchers is variability in data. Chances of this happening in females, they assume, are higher because of their estrous cycle. That’s the theory. This theory is disproved in at least one study Ann-Kristina Fritz and her colleagues found, which focused on pain sensitivity. This retrospective analysis (Mogil and Chanda, 2005) in almost 8000 mice showed that data were equally reliable regardless of estrous phase. This study also showed significant diffe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/response-oxytocin-mother-infant-interaction Title: The response of oxytocin to mother-infant interaction Description: Researcher Rebecca Knapp was interested to know whether infant eye gaze away from the mother, or eye gaze directed to the mother, would correspond to increased maternal oxytocin. Read her blog post to learn more. Content: Posted by Rebecca Knapp (Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Melbourne, Australia). Background to the research field Oxytocin Oxytocin is a hormone with special properties. Everyone produces oxytocin; men, women and children. Originally found to be of particular importance in birth and lactation, researchers have started to look at other, broader influences oxytocin may have on human behavior and relationships. Animal models have found that oxytocin plays a role in a wide range of maternal behaviors and in the quality of maternal caregiving.1 Studies are now looking at whether oxytocin might share a relationship with human maternal and infant behavior as well.1-5 Oxytocin and maternal behavior In human studies, oxytocin has been found to correspond to increased gaze, touch and positive affect in mothers towards their own infants. In adults, oxytocin has been found to increase trust and to improve the reading of emotional cues; important qualities in a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ir-backlight-rodent-behavioral-testing Title: IR backlight in rodent behavioral testing Description: How do mice act in complete darkness? Ann-Kristina Fritz and her colleagues ordered a large, round open field with IR backlight, custom made by Noldus, to investigate. Content: How do mice act in complete darkness? Ann-Kristina Fritz and her colleagues ordered a large, round open field with IR backlight, custom made by Noldus, to investigate. Infrared (IR) light cannot be seen by the human eye, nor by rats and mice. As rodents are nocturnal, testing during the dark is often preferred; using IR light the test environment remains dark for the animal, but their behavior can be monitored and tracked with IR sensitive cameras. Additionally, using IR light during video tracking experiments improves contrast for better detection. So, the question is: how can you easily incorporate IR lighting in behavioral testing? Incorporating IR in experiments Theoretically, this is simple to do: place an IR light source beneath the testing area. Of course, this only works if the maze or arena is IR translucent. Some mazes already incorporate an IR backlight source, and many suppliers can create a custom-built solution. Custom build setup Ann-Kristina Fritz and her colleagues fro... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotions-people-who-think-they-are-nice Title: The emotions of people who think they’re nice Description: What does ‘nice’ actually mean in relation to psychological variables? And does it positively correlate with self-reported levels of health, happiness, and wellbeing? Content: The word ‘nice’ is a commonly used word. We encounter it on a daily basis when we want to make clear that something or someone is positive in our opinion. ‘That was a very nice meal, ‘We had a nice conversation, ‘What a nice boy…’ we use it frequently and easily, and we all understand its meaning. Do people find themselves nice? But what does ‘nice’ actually mean in relation to psychological variables? And does it positively correlate with self-reported levels of health, happiness, and wellbeing? Researchers of i2 media research from the Goldsmiths University of London, UK, developed a tailored questionnaire to explore this. Being nice in everyday life The British researchers presented 100 participants with a list of ‘nice’ behaviors and asked them to rate themselves. Which ‘nice’ things for others, such as ‘giving directions to a stranger,’ ‘helping someone carry heavy bags,’ and ‘donating blood’ had they done and which had they not? It turned out that nice people are more likely to d... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotions-distracts-people-eating-disorders Title: Emotions distract people with eating disorders Description: Studies show that people with anorexia nervosa have reduced facial expressivity of emotions while viewing emotionally provoking stimuli. Researcher Leppanen and her team used FaceReader to investigate this. Content: It happens to me sometimes: standing on the bathroom scale, looking at the numbers that appear, and thinking ‘oh no…, you’re kidding me?!’ Weight and the way we look play an important role in our daily lives. We need to look good and feel good. It's quite normal to be insecure about this occasionally. However, when eating behavior modifies into a disorder, when someone exaggerates in starvation or, in contrast, eats huge amounts of food, which he or she tries to get rid of as soon as possible afterwards, problems arise. In the first case, we speak of anorexia nervosa (AN), in the second case of bulimia nervosa (BN). The need to be in control of emotions These eating disorders (ED) are usually accompanied by difficulties in social-emotional communication. Shame plays an important role. Most likely these difficulties contribute to the development and maintenance of disordered eating. People with AN need to be in control, feeling emotions distracts them from this. Therefore, the eating di... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/data-integration-horse-studies Title: Brain & behavior: data integration in horse studies Description: EEG recordings – they produce useful data, but are not always easy to obtain in animal studies. You can’t really ask a horse to sit still, so these researchers invented a promising new system for EEG recording. Content: Electroencephalography (EEG) EEG is an ideal diagnostic tool for assessing brain wave activity. The data can assess brain dysfunction, or investigate the different stages of sleep. In humans, gathering EEG data is simply a matter of placing the electrodes on the scalp; the hardest part is getting the subject to sit still, as the quality of the recordings depends on minimal movement or muscle activity. EEG in animals EEG recordings are also valuable in animal models, to study brain diseases, brain damage, sleep, the impact of anesthesia, epilepsy, to name a few. But, as you can imagine, it is difficult to gather reliable recordings. To do so, often the animal needs to be shaved and fixated (sedated), and in some instances it even requires surgery and implants. This is not practical for many reasons, especially for clinical studies using large animals, like horses. EEG in horses Hugo Cousillas and his colleagues from the University of Rennes (Brittany, France) wanted to more easily obtai... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-tests-select-police-horses Title: Behavioral tests to select police horses Description: The personality of police horses influences how well they do in their ‘job’. That’s why personality tests are important for both animal and human welfare and safety. Content: I’m sure you’ve heard someone say a dog looks like its owner? Or that cats have a character of their own? As an owner of four cats and a horse, I can definitely say I agree that animals show personality. And personality can be important if the animals serve a specific role. Personality in horses Take police horses, for example. Their personality surely influences how well they do in their ‘job’. That’s why personality tests are important for both animal and human welfare and safety. Selection of police horses Marc Pierard and colleagues from the University of Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Sydney (Australia) have developed a procedure to support the selection of police horses, and recently carried out a pilot study with these horses to see if the 9 tests were feasible to execute. Tests and trials In these behavioral tests, the personality of 48 horses was assessed based on behavioral coding and subjective rating. The horses were studied while they ran loose, were presented with... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/adolescents-language-disorder-examined Title: Interview skills training for adolescents with language disorder examined Description: The study of Mathrick and colleagues evaluated an interview skills training package targeting both verbal and non-verbal skills for adolescents with severe and persistent Language Disorders. Content: In order to communicate, one must be able to send messages in a manner that the recipient understands, but also be able to perceive and understand the messages received in return. Communication can have different forms here, including printed, verbal, and non-verbal. Children with developmental language disorders (LD) have difficulty understanding language or talking to others. They make short sentences, and are often poorly understood. This can create an insecure feeling for the child. Enhancing employment opportunities Imagine that you're about to begin a job search. Getting a job is a difficult task in general; performing well in the job interview is often anxiety provoking. This is particularly true for individuals with LD, where job interviews are likely to be extra challenging, due to demands on verbal and non-verbal communication and the need to respond quickly and appropriately to interviewer questions. A key factor in personnel selection is a good impression of the candidate a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-recovery-cervical-myelopathy Title: Gait recovery and other effects: treatment of cervical myelopathy Description: At the Dr. Michael Fehlings' lab, they are on a quest to find out what exactly causes the lower success rate of delayed surgery in cervical myelopathy. Content: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM); a mouthful to describe what happens when the spinal cord and blood vessel become compressed and causes all kinds of neurological symptoms such as clumsy hands, unstable gait, and sensory changes in arms. Degenerative cervical myelopathy DCM encompasses a spectrum of arthritic and ligamentous conditions of the cervical spine, such as Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (a neck condition). It is the most common cause of non-traumatic spinal cord injury, is often age-related, and happens mostly to older patients. Clinical signs vary, and can include loss of manual dexterity, pain and impaired gait. Decompression The good news is that the standard treatment, surgical decompression, can halt the progression of the disease and improve neurological and functional status dramatically. The bad news is that symptoms are not always recognized quickly, and the success of the surgery seems to largely depend on how soon it takes place after symptoms started, how y... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/impact-sounds-autistic-childrens-behaviors Title: The impact of sounds on autistic children’s behaviors Description: Children with autism can have trouble dealing with external distractions. Researcher Shireen Kanakri conducted a study to observe the impact of the acoustic environment on restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Content: How well can you concentrate on reading a paper while the radio is playing loudly? Or if something is making distracting sounds next to your working space? These can disturb your concentration. They affect you, it possibly irritate you for a minute or two, but eventually you are able to ignore them and continue your activity. Dealing with distractions can be hard Children with autism have trouble dealing with these external distractions, because they have different sensitivities to the environment than other individuals. They must expend more effort to process stimuli, such as sounds, colors, feelings, and odors. Controlling the noise, careful use of color, limiting details, and purposeful design are therefore important components in designing spaces for these children, particularly classrooms. These environmental concerns are increasingly considered in architectural and interior design work. Researcher Shireen Kanakri conducted a study to observe the impact of the acoustic environment... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-bird-watching Title: Video tracking makes bird watching much easier Description: Everyone with children knows the phenomenon that what is good for a child is not always the best for a parent. The same counts for birds. Content: Parent-offspring conflict Everyone with children knows the phenomenon that what is good for a child is not always the best for a parent. Although having children may be the best that can happen to someone, caring for a young child often conflicts with the parent’s need for rest. The same counts for birds, the more effort parent birds put into feeding their chicks, the more chicks survive. However, this comes at a cost. The parents themselves spend energy and risk predation. On the other side, lowering the effort in feeding the chicks is bad for the chicks but good for the parents. Somewhere along that line there is an optimum in the amount of care at which the offspring over generations is maximal. Bird watching is tedious Inter- and intraspecific variation in parental care in birds is well studied in several bird species. It is relatively easy to determine the effort of parent birds to bring food into the nest. And determining the survival of offspring is also not too difficult. Howev... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-parent-infant-behavior Title: Measuring parent-infant behavior from another point of view Description: Parent-child interaction is an important focus of child development research. Lee’s research team compared recordings of play behavior from both a traditional third-person point of view, and through the babies' eyes. Content: Quality of parent-child interaction is one of the major predictors of emotional and social development of children in the first two years of life. Since the consequences of maladaptive parental responsiveness can be so profound, parent-child interaction is an important focus of child development research. The gold standard for measuring mother-child interactions is to have a researcher observe or film an interaction in a clinical, research, or home setting, and film from the third-person point of view. FREE WHITE PAPER: Parent-child interaction This free white paper informs you how on to facilitate a parent-child study and how to set up your experiment. Perform tests in a lab or in-home Collect data with video Design a coding scheme Download Research examples For example, the Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt (O.U.C.H.) Laboratory, run by Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell, focuses on understanding how caregivers and children interact within the context of pain. At the Institute of Ps... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tides-american-horseshoe-crabs Title: Ticking clocks – tides and activity peaks in American horseshoe crabs Description: Recently, I came across an interesting paper in which American horseshoe crabs were video-tracked to investigate their internal clocks. Content: Video tracking crustaceans In a previous blog post I wrote about the resemblance between crustaceans and vertebrates. In a setup that very much resembled the Elevated Plus Maze for rodents, crayfish behavior was analyzed with EthoVision XT video tracking software. Recently, I came across another interesting paper in which crustaceans were tracked with EthoVision XT. The authors studied the behavior of American horsehoe crabs. They were interested in the animals’ internal clocks, which regulate the crabs’ daily activity. Tides and activity American horseshoe crabs live in environments in which the water level varies due to tides. The crabs have synchronized their behavior with these tides. Their main activity takes place when the water level is high [1,2]. Tides and crab activity peaks vary Most coastal areas have two high tides a day. In such areas the crabs have two activity peaks per day. However, there are also areas where one of the two tides is much more pronounced than the other.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/flower-preference-solitary-bees Title: Flower preference in solitary bees Description: Mason bees are fascinating and friendly creatures. Tibor Bukovinszky and his colleagues investigated how their foraging behavior affects their offspring. Content: Mason bees (Osmia species) have long been rather unknown to the majority of people. But they are fascinating creatures and they are very friendly, although they can sting they will hardly ever do so. Mason bees? Unlike their well-known family members that produce honey, mason bees live a solitary life. The females lay their eggs in cavities in wood and in cane stems of, for example, thatched roofs. After depositing an egg, they build a little wall that separates the egg from the next one. This way a series of eggs, each in its own cell, is laid in the cavity. The first eggs that are deposited will become females and the last ones males, so that in early spring the males emerge first and fly impatiently nearby until their mating partners emerge [1]. Accommodating Mason bees In my garden, the little creatures colonized the holes of the counter set screws of my garden table. But also in other gardens they are becoming more apparent, because people have become aware that they exist. Nowada... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/time-essence-fish-studies Title: Time is of the essence in fish studies Description: You recently moved into your new house. How do you feel? How do you act in this new space? The answers may depend on how long you have lived there… Content: You recently moved into your new house. How do you feel? How do you act in this new space? The answers may depend on how long you have lived there… At least, this is the conclusion reached by researchers from Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute (ARI) in Southport Australia regarding fish behavioral (toxicology) studies. After a thorough literature review, they identified 165 toxicity studies that looked at fish swimming behavior, and found that ‘timing’ is not a standard thing when designing these type of experiments. Swimming behavior These researchers conducted their own experiment, studying the swimming behavior of mosquitofish over time. The reason is that, when studying the behavior of fish (and other aquatic species) in toxicology, it is very common to transfer animals to ‘experimental arenas’ for video recording – but there are no standard criteria for how to do this correctly. The researchers were interested to see if fish behavior changed over time, and if differ... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fetal-electrocardiography Title: Fetal electrocardiography Description: The results of the fundamental research reported in Kim Verdurmen's thesis show that fetal ECG is a technique that is still developing but has shown to have multiple promising prospects, both during pregnancy and labour. Content: In electrocardiography (ECG) the electrical activity of the heart is measured. In adults this is performed with self-adhesive electrodes on the chest. From research and adult cardiology we know that heart rate, heart rate variability and other parameters derived from the ECG can give us a lot of information. Fetal heart rate registration via the pregnant belly During pregnancy and labour, it is important to have information regarding the fetal condition. Besides the perception of fetal movements by the mother and ultrasonography, we can make a registration of the fetal heart rate via the pregnant belly. Since the fetus is safely protected within the womb, it is inaccessible for direct measurements during pregnancy. Nowadays, heart rate registration is performed as “cardiotocography”; registration of the heart rate is performed with a Doppler-ultrasound based system, detecting heartbeats as a reflection from moving parts of the fetal heart. Simultaneously, contractions of the womb are r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-buffering-zebrafish Title: Social buffering in zebrafish Description: Shared sorrow is half a sorrow, according to the old proverb. New research indicates that social support is not only important for us humans, but also for zebrafish! Content: Shared sorrow is half a sorrow, according to the old proverb. New research indicates that social support is not only important for us humans, but also for zebrafish! Better recovery with social support We cope better in a threatening or unpleasant situation if we are not alone, a phenomenon scientists call social buffering. We humans are not the only species that exhibit social buffering; several animals demonstrate this adaptation, which of course has some evolutionary advantages. The presence of conspecifics makes a threatening situation less dangerous, and thus the behavioral response to this situation is downregulated. Sounds pretty logical, right? Zebrafish feel supported Zebrafish are no exception. Faustino et al. recently found that zebrafish showed less fear in a threatening situation when they were not alone. In their behavioral paradigm, the researchers exposed fish to an alarm substance. Some fish were alone, while others were exposed to conspecific cues – meaning that they... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fish-live-longer-with-young-poo Title: Fish live longer and are more active after eating “young poo” Description: Have you got the guts for it? Well, I hope you at least have the gut bacteria for it. Content: Gut flora – they’re not the most appetizing thing to talk about, but by now, we know those tiny organisms are important. They have a direct role in maintaining our immune systems, they influence and are affected by several diseases, and our individual microbiome composition changes throughout the lifespan. In several other species, it’s no different. Mice, flies… and even the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) that was recently investigated at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (Germany). Killifish African turquoise killifish typically live for only a couple of months, which makes them a good subject to study changes in gut flora during the aging process. Additionally, research shows that their microbial composition resembles those of other vertebrate aging model organisms. Changes as fish get older This study compared the microbial composition of 6-week-old fish (the youngsters) to that of 16-week-old fish (the oldies), and found that microbial compositio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/technical-demonstration-at-the-aps Title: Technical demonstration of FaceReader in Seville, Spain Description: GO-LAB demonstrated FaceReader's amazing possibilities and efficient replacement of manual coding procedures. Content: By Stefanie Duijndam MSc, GO-LAB, Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology. Tilburg University This year, the American Psychosomatic Society (APS) celebrates its 75th anniversary. The world’s foremost leaders in psychosomatic science and related disciplines, including genetics, neuroscience, and cardiology, come to the annual APS meeting to share their most recent research findings. Although an American society by origin, every 5 years, the society’s meeting moves to Europe, and this year the meeting was held in Sevilla, Spain. Mobilizing Technology to Advance Biobehavioral Science and Health This year’s meeting theme was “Mobilizing Technology to Advance Biobehavioral Science and Health“. More and more, research is dependent upon new technologies, but with these advancements in technology we may also lose sight of patient wishes and needs. It is therefore very important to discuss and show new developments in health and research technology, and at the same time be critical of these... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/robots-operating-room Title: Robots in the operating room Description: Dr. Ahmad and his team analyzed surgical team movements during robot-assisted surgery to understand and categorize causes for interruptions. Content: Recent developments in robot technology allows robots to handle more and more tasks that previously were only possible for humans. There are robots that are able to vacuum your house or mow the grass; there are self-driving vehicles, or even drones which sends packages through the air. Robots are all around us. Can a robot replace a surgeon? A number of surgeries that take place in an operating room (OR) now utilize robots; these include prostatectomies, cardiac valve repair, and gynecologic surgical procedures. Robots have been used in these procedures to improve upon conventional laparoscopy, for quite some time now. Due to robotic use, these types of surgeries can be done with greater precision, miniaturization, and smaller incisions, which leads to decreased blood loss, less pain, quicker healing time, and shorter hospital stays. A robot is accurate, stable, and tireless. It is able to make specific movements which are stressful or even impossible for a surgeon. However, opinions a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/medical-simulation-and-debriefing Title: Two ways to learn more about medical simulation and debriefing Description: There are two ways to get ahead and stay ahead in healthcare education. One - learn from the best and - two - stay on top of your game! Content: Training is crucial in almost every profession, but in healthcare education it is indispensable. Using simulation-based training began in flight simulators; new pilots cannot fly a real craft without successfully completing training sessions in a flight simulator. In medical education, simulation-based training has also taken off. Why is medical simulation so important? It ensures that doctors and nurses around the world make the right decision when confronted with an emergency, for example. By simulating emergency situations, the medical team is better able to cope with the stress in the real life scenario. After the training, a debriefing takes place in order to immediately learn from the scenario. Were procedures followed? Who took the lead? What verbal cues were given? FREE DEMO: Try Viso yourself! Request a free demonstration to find out why Viso is the right tool for your training facility! Easy-to-use solution Train and educate, enhance teamwork Immediate playback and debriefing... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-communication-children-asd Title: Improving social communication skills in children with ASD Description: Many children with ASD suffer from deficits in social communication and interaction, especially with peers. They participate in fewer social interactions than typically developing children. Content: An important annual moment is World Autism Awareness Day. It is organized to raise awareness on this developmental disorder and all its associated difficulties, and especially the opportunities out there for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since the event’s inception in 2008, autism awareness and research around the world has increased as a result. Reciprocal communication in children with ASD Researchers Qualls and Corbett of the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, USA, conducted a study to examine social communication in children with ASD [1]. They used the social communication scale of the gold-standard diagnostic measure ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) to predict reciprocal communication in children with ASD. The ADOS is a semi-structured observation. The examiner provokes social, communicative, stereotyped, and play behavior to detect behavior that might indicate autism. Depending on the selected module, this can vary from pretend play with dolls and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/examples-nurse-patient-interaction-research Title: Three examples of nurse-patient interaction research Description: The use of video technology in nurse-patient interaction research offers important advantages to scientists in unraveling complex behavior patterns. Learn more! Content: Behavioral observation has become a fundamental component of medical practice and a primary source of clinical research data. The use of video technology in nurse-patient interaction research offers important advantages to scientists in unraveling complex behavior patterns and finding relationships between behaviors, nutrition, effectiveness of interventions, and more. As Kim Kopenhaver Haidet explains: “Video recordings of behavioral responses are preferable as they afford the rater with the ability to freeze frame and replay data for review and coding of behavior, thus, enhancing reliability". Read three interesting studies in which nurse-patient interaction was recorded on video. 1) Nutrition in nursing homes Proper eating behavior can greatly affect patient health. A healthy diet is particularly important for nursing home residents. In a blog post, Jacqueline Martinali wrote about mealtime difficulties in nursing homes. Reducing mealtime difficulties may result in better eating, wh... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/do-emotions-affect-preferences-opera-music Title: Do emotions affect preferences to opera music? Description: Many researchers are interested in the relationship between facial expressions and music preference. This is the first study that uses FaceReader to investigate this. Content: What does music trigger? What emotions arise as people listen to music or watch a music video? Happiness, sadness, disgust or appreciation perhaps? It depends whether people like or dislike the music, or what they prefer. Personally, hard rock music is a genre I strongly dislike. On the other hand, I can become very happy by hearing a certain pop song. Opera is a kind of music that you may or may not appreciate. However, the range of preferences is wide within this genre as well. For instance, there's Western European opera and Chinese opera. As you can imagine, they differ tremendously. Xi-Qu (戏曲) is an important musical genre in China Xi-Qu refers to the Chinese music genre formed in the twelfth century. This Chinese opera integrates Chinese literature, drama, singing, instrumental music, acting skills, dance, visual arts, and acrobatics. It is one of the oldest dramatic art forms in the world. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments, actors present unique melodies - which m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/consumer-behavior Title: Consumer behavior: do we enjoy the buffet to its fullest potential? Description: In a buffet restaurant, do you also want to try another dish? Just because it's available? Read this blog post about how choice influences eating behavior. Content: There are parts of the world where people eat primarily for pleasure, and less so to fulfil nutritional needs. In my eyes, that is a sign of prosperity and wealth. In these areas, there is more than enough to eat, and a wealth of different foods to choose from. But in these same parts of the world people are overweight, more and more diabetic, and suffering from cardiovascular diseases. So what is wealth, in terms of food? To address this, let’s zoom in on a consumer study that focuses on recognizing signs of fullness. Sensory-specific satiety – eat more or eat less? Have you ever been to an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant? People (yes, me too) are more likely to eat a larger amount of food at a buffet restaurant. Why? Researchers explain that this occurs in part due to the large variety of foods and flavors available, which continually renew a sense of appetite in the individual. As a food is consumed, its perceived pleasantness declines compared to that of other foods. This is what... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/isolated-stressed-zebrafish-model-depression Title: Isolated and stressed zebrafish as a model for major depression Description: Depression: a fifth (!) of us cope with it, making it the most prevalent psychiatric disorder. Prof. Gerlai recently investigated the interaction between mild stress and developmental isolation in zebrafish models. Content: Depression: a fifth (!) of us cope with it, making it the most prevalent psychiatric disorder. It comes as no surprise that researchers try to wrap their minds around it, not to mention the interest gained from the pharmaceutical industry. How to model depression Depression is not easy to model in animals, as we cannot really determine if a rat has low self-esteem or if a zebrafish is suicidal. But that doesn’t mean researchers haven’t found other behaviors to characterize depression-like symptoms in animals, and several – sometimes very successful – models have been developed to study this disease. How does one get depressed? “Life stress” is a well-known factor in the development of depression (Hill et al., 2012). In animal research, this is mimicked by “Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress” (UCMS). Another factor is early life adversity, such as abuse or neglect – in animal research, they use "developmental social isolation". Better characterization While zebrafish proved to be a suita... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/dynamic-winners-and-sluggish-losers Title: Dynamic winners and sluggish losers Description: We all know the phenomenon: some have it all. Look around a classroom and you see immediately who gets all the attention and who doesn’t, who are “winners”, and who are “losers”. Are we born this way, or do we learn it? Content: Born this way? We all know the phenomenon: some have it all. Look around a classroom and you see immediately who gets all the attention and who doesn’t, who are “winners”, and who are “losers”. Are we born this way, or do we learn it? Winning and losing in crickets Winners and losers do not only occur amongst humans, but are also apparent in animals. In crickets, for example, males fight with each other and research shows that winners of a fight remain winners, and losers stay losers [1]. Jacqueline Rose and colleagues [2] wanted to know whether this is a matter of experience, or are male crickets born as winners or losers? Selecting winners and losers Based on two observed fights with other males, the authors selected individual cricket males. Those males that won both fights were classified as winners, while males that lost both fights were classified as losers. There were few males that won only once. Analyzing cricket behavior with videotracking The authors assessed locomotor behav... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effectiveness-video-feedback-education Title: Effectiveness of video feedback in education Description: Did you know that video feedback in education is efficient? This and 5 more reasons why video debriefing in education is effective. Content: Discover the transformative impact of video feedback in education. Explore how the use of video and audio recordings has become an essential tool, benefiting both educators and students. Learn why this dynamic approach to feedback is revolutionizing the educational landscape. Unlocking the power of video feedback in education: 6 compelling reasons Video feedback in education is increasingly used in education, and continues to prove its effectiveness for both educators and students. By using video and audio recordings in education, students and educators can receive, and benefit from, direct feedback. Let us share 6 reasons why this is beneficial for both teachers and students. 1) Did you know that… Many students experience stress when they have to participate in video feedback sessions, but that support and reassurance helps them overcome this stress? Two Norwegian researchers, Nilsen and Baerheim, found that some students experienced emotional distress before the start of the course.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/new-mice-model-sporadic-alzheimers Title: Spatial and odor memory impaired mice – new model for Alzheimer’s Description: Plaques and tangles… those of you even remotely familiar with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will immediately recognize these hallmarks. But they are linked to familial AD, while sporadic AD is far more common. Content: Plaques and tangles… those of you even remotely familiar with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will immediately recognize these hallmarks. Many rodent models, focusing on plaques and tangles, have been developed to explore the cause and possible treatments of AD, and much progress has been made. Sporadic Alzheimer’s Here’s the thing: these hallmarks, with more or less clearly genetic causes, are linked to familial AD. Familial AD is an early-onset form of AD that actually is far less common than sporadic AD. Sporadic AD (sAD) is typically late-onset, meaning that most people get it when they are over 70 years old. The typical genetics associated with familiar AD are not risk factors for sAD per se; environmental factors play an even bigger role. While sAD is far more common, the lack of suitable rodent models makes it a much less investigated subject. A new model A while back, I wrote about olfactory habituation and how Justus V. Verhagen and his colleagues took a new approach to this test. In... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/be-ravenous-or-be-social Title: To be ravenous or to be social Description: Prosocial behavior, a voluntary behavior to benefit another, is an interesting concept from an evolutionary point of view. At first sight it may seem logical to be social. Content: To voluntarily benefit another Prosocial behavior, a voluntary behavior to benefit another, is an interesting concept from an evolutionary point of view. At first sight it may seem logical to be social, because everyone in the group benefits from it. But evolutionarily that does not hold up, because to propagate one’s own genes, cheating and being selfish pays. Therefore, many believe that prosocial behavior only exists because it is rewarded with social status, reputation, company, and receiving social behavior from others in return. Prosocial behavior in animals In animals, prosocial behavior is well studied in various monkey and bird species. However, it is difficult to truly study whether giving a reward to a conspecific is really without benefit for the supplier. And in studies in which it was carefully ruled out that a reward to a conspecific was also rewarding to the supplier, the experiments often gave contradictory results. Investigating prosocial behavior in ravens Triggered... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/helping-children-cope-social-anxiety Title: Helping children cope with social anxiety Description: Researchers Colonnesi et al. investigated whether social anxiety in 4 year-olds is related to the level of Theory of Mind, and expressing shyness. Content: Now and then, we all feel afraid to some extent. For example, imagine when thunder nearby strikes hard, or when you’re in a dark, small room and you don’t know how to get out, or when you think you’ve gotten lost. Last summer, my children and I were in a climbing park. It was supposed to be fun and my children enjoyed themselves a lot, but I discovered that it was quite scary to be so high off of the ground, forced to make steps that seemed too big, dangling around, brrrr…. I experienced a true sense of fear while I was there. This kind of fear is healthy. It makes sure that you avoid danger. However, fear shouldn’t affect your daily functioning. For example, when fear influences school performance or family life, there may be a case of a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety symptoms Anxiety disorders are the most common form of psychopathology in children and adolescents, and often do not disappear spontaneously. Moreover, anxiety disorders can lead to all sorts of other problems s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/digital-interactive-enrichment-apes Title: Free-choice digital interactive enrichment and human-animal interaction Description: Great apes have fast reflex, gazes, and movements: The Observer XT’s features allow frame by frame coding and accurate data integration. Content: Read this guest blog post about an Australian National University PhD research at the Seoul Zoo by Nicky Kim-McCormack and colleagues. Measuring changes in captive great ape welfare and conservation attitudes As orangutan (Pongo spp.) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) populations decrease, captive individuals play an important role in species’ conservation management making information about their cognitive stimuli and enrichment essential. Essential study on digital cognitive stimuli offering freedom of choice There is a growing empirical support demonstrating improved welfare in captive animals when they can exert control over their environment (1). Research shows that great apes can successfully interact with digital media devices (2&3) and there can be behavioral changes when presented with digital enrichments (4). However, to date, there have been no studies that look at the effect of free-choice using digital interactive mediums, and the implementation’s impact on human visitors’... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-obese-mice-get-moving Title: How obese mice get moving Description: By a showing of hands: how many of you started this New Year with the resolution to get moving? Burn off those extra holiday calories, or finally really get in shape? Content: By a showing of hands: how many of you started this New Year with the resolution to get moving? Burn off those extra holiday calories, or finally really get in shape? Because, let’s be honest, it’s all about willpower right? “Just do it!” It might not be that straight-forward… We all know getting active is good for our health; it is scientific fact that obesity and physical inactivity are linked. But what comes first? Gaining weight because you don’t move enough, or decreasing activity because it’s just harder to get around with the physical burden of that extra weight? The science behind the weight A couple of weeks ago, I spoke to Alexxai Kravitz at Neuroscience 2016 in San Diego. His lab at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, US) has the goal of understanding the underlying physical behaviors related to obesity. Their work was recently published in Cell Metabolism and received quite a bit of attention in the pre... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/attention-drive-safely Title: Attention! Drive safely Description: In a recent study with bicyclists, researchers at VTI, Sweden, observed cyclist behavior using eye tracking technology, video recordings, and behavioral coding. Content: This blog post is a guest post by Katja Kircher from VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute. In a recent study with bicyclists, researchers at VTI observed cyclist behavior using eye tracking technology, video recordings, and behavioral coding. All data combined enabled them to assess whether the cyclists met the demands in specific situations. Did receiving a text message influence the cyclist’s behavior, particularly in high-attention demanding circumstances? Read the blog post to learn more! How much attention do we need to pay while in traffic? Almost all of us drive, cycle, walk, or move around in traffic every now and then. We go to work, to school, on holidays, to the dentist, or to pick up our children. Some of us use the transport system professionally, often to transport goods or people. While we travel, we still want to, or must, deal with other things in addition to driving/cycling/walking. A taxi driver has to book the next passenger, a cyclist mig... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optogenetics-stress-response-zebrafish-larvae Title: How optogenetics is used to study the stress response in zebrafish larvae Description: Stress might seem like a bad word, but it does have its perks. A recent study by Rodrigo J. De Marco uncovered the role of the pituitary in zebrafish larvae behavior after the onset of stress. Content: Optogenetics - making neurons sensitive to activation by light - is a great tool in the unraveling of the function of the brain in biological processes and behavior. A recent study by Rodrigo J. De Marco and his colleagues used optogenetic techniques to uncover the role of the pituitary in zebrafish larvae behavior after the onset of stress. Stress Nowadays, “stress” is often seen as a bad word, but of course the stress response does have its perks. Evolutionary, it is critical to adaptation and survival. In humans, the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary gland-adrenal gland) and a selection of neurotransmitters and hormones comprise the stress system, much of which has already been extensively studied. However, the stress response is a very fast phenomenon, making it difficult to study certain aspects in detail, such as the role of the pituitary in the regulation of behavior right after the onset of stress. This is what Rodrigo De Marco and his colleagues want to unravel. Tightly organiz... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/autistic-mice-cerebellum Title: Autistic mice have motor learning difficulties specific to the cerebellum Description: Autism is often associated with social behavior deficits and repetitive behaviors. However, motor abnormalities are also a part of the behavioral spectrum. Recent studies have implicated the cerebellum. Content: Most of us are familiar with the typical behavioral characteristics associated with autism: social behavior deficits and repetitive behaviors. However, motor abnormalities are also a part of the autism behavioral spectrum. These have generally been linked to malfunction of the cerebral cortex, but recent studies have also implicated the cerebellum. Autistic phenotype in mice Shank2 is a gene that encodes a postsynaptic protein and has been linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In short, inactivation of this gene in mice creates “autistic mice” (Won et al. Nature 2012). Shank2 and motor problems The Shank2 protein is abundantly found in the cerebellum, particularly in the Purkinje Cells (PCs), but that does not necessarily mean that the motor problems observed in these autism models come from the cerebellum. To address this issue, two research groups recently generated mice that are specifically deficient in cerebellar Shank2. Peter et al. published their findings in Nature Communi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/relationships-immune-system-brain Title: Investigating the relationships between the immune system and the brain Description: Our research group is investigating the relationships between the immune system and the brain in humans. Content: By Julie Lasselin, PhD, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Germany and John Axelsson, PhD, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Using The Observer XT to investigate overt signs of sickness and health communication Our research group is investigating the relationships between the immune system and the brain in Humans. One of the models we use is the experimentally-induced sickness. In this model, we intravenously inject a component of a bacteria (but not the bacteria itself), which makes the immune system believe that the body is infected and that it needs to fight the infection. Therefore, this injection activates the immune system for a short time (3-4 hours) during which a sickness response is triggered. This sickness response is composed of all symptoms that we may feel when sick, such as fatigue, reduced appetite, difficulties to concentrate, reduced motivation to see people, etc (1). Figure. Activation of the immune system and sickness symptoms using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and plac... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effect-simulation-based-obstetric-team-training Title: The effect of simulation-based obstetric team training Description: Dr. Truijens describes the positive effects of simulation-based obstetric team training on communication between health care professionals, clear leadership, and more. Content: The main objective of dr. Truijens' thesis is to contribute to the exploration of patient-reported outcomes in perinatal care by focusing on developing and validating questionnaires, evaluating the quality of perinatal care, evaluating the effect of simulation-based team training on patient reported quality of care, and assessing aspects of mental health during pregnancy. In this blog post dr. Truijens will tell us more about her study, and share her insights. During the last decade, there has been a growing interest in patient-centered health care, with perceived quality of care and patient satisfaction becoming important indicators of care quality. Therefore, patient-reported quality of care is also becoming more important as an outcome measure of training and education. This blog is about patient-reported quality of care as an outcome measure of multiprofessional simulation-based team training in obstetrics. Team training in health care A review of Weaver and colleagues (2014) concl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/discrimination-learning-cognitionwall Title: Discrimination learning without human intervention or food restriction Description: Sylics recently introduced CognitionWall, a new paradigm for discrimination learning in the home cage that avoids the necessity for food restriction and handling in learning tests. Content: Learning paradigms have long been the hallmark in studies on neurological and psychiatric disorders, but they often present challenges and come with limitations. For example, many of these tasks require some combination of food restrictions, handling of the animals, and/or are quite labor-intensive. Sylics recently introduced a new paradigm, called CognitionWall, that you might have already seen on our website, and aims to get around some of these limitations. Home cage protocols So for those of you not familiar with CognitionWall yet, it’s an automated home cage testing protocol for discrimination learning and reversal learning. It is designed to work with PhenoTyper, EthoVision XT, and AHCODA. The protocol Esther designed involves two days of discrimination learning, followed by two days of reversal learning. The elegance of this protocol lies within the lack of limitations: there is no human intervention, nor is there a need for pre-imposed food restriction. Get rewarded In addition... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/comparing-skin-contact-techniques Title: Comparing two different skin-to-skin contact techniques Description: Skin-to-skin contact is essential in developing a feeling of safety, and in creating the bond between parent and child, especially with premature babies. Buil et al. compared two kangaroo positioning techniques. Content: Three times I have experienced how it feels to hold my newborn baby in my arms. To feel that warm, small, naked body on top of you, the baby that is yours and grew inside you…that is probably the most precious gift I have ever experienced. The little baby that just left the warm space it has spent all those months, and now exposed to the outside world - the only thing he or she needs is to feel safe with his or her mother or father. Feeling safe Skin-to-skin contact is essential in developing that feeling of safety, and creating the bond between parent and child, especially with premature babies. The birth of a preterm baby often creates mental stress for the parents. The baby is so vulnerable; will it stay alive and be okay? In the first hours and days, sometimes even weeks, many worrying moments will occur. In neonatal intensive care units (NICU’s) skin-to-skin contact is used as a multisensory care method offered to both parent and child immediately after birth. Such care has numero... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expression-analysis-in-advertisements Title: The value of facial expression analysis in advertisements Description: José Chavaglia Neto and José António Filipe investigated the effect of one commercial on consumer emotion. They asked consumers to watch this commercial related to a specific brand. Content: I love Apple. I am a fan. I deny being an addict, which of course makes me one. Very few brands achieve the status of being “lifestyle brands”. According to José Chavaglia Neto and José António Filipe from Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal, whose study I discuss in this blog post, consumers’ fascination for particular brands on the market is rising considerably. Therefore, companies are trying to consistently create a strong identification with their brand(s), what allows the company to add economic value because people will keep buying this particular brand. I bought a new iPhone, and couldn’t wait to show it to my friends and family. I did pay a lot of money for it…yet I keep buying Apple. I am truly a fan of their technology, brand, and style. Are there other brands that you feel so strongly about? Do Samsung and Sony also have fans? Of course, I wouldn’t know. I do know that Saab has an enormous group of fans. When a Saab is bought, the car is often as spoiled as an only... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/marketing-market-research-blogs Title: Marketing and market research blogs Description: Learn all about gamification in marketing, facial expression analysis, and the difference between self-report, qualitative research, and unobtrusive observations. Content: You have never met such a colorful team as the Noldus Consulting Team of Noldus Information Technology. They go to conferences where there are wheel of fortune games and water-pong challenges in vendor booths, harbor cruise dinners and cocktail parties with all conference attendees, and fantastic conference swag to bring home. Marketing really is a different world! It’s not all fun and games - they also have time to write brilliant blog posts about consumer behavior which are published on the Noldus Consulting website. Consumer behavior, and how consumers make choices, is of particular interest to our team; we’d like to share some popular posts on these topics here with you. Learn all about gamification in marketing, facial expression analysis, and the difference between self-report, qualitative research, and unobtrusive observations. Quantifying Ethnography: qualitative vs quantitative We believe that combining objective quantitative analysis of observations with the insights gained b... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-plant-resistance-thrips Title: Video tracking for high-throughput screening of plant resistance to thrips Description: A thrips is a tiny insect that can have a not-so-tiny effect on plants. A lot of research is currently carried out on how to get rid of these creatures. Content: Unless you grow plants commercially, you may very well not know what a thrips is. It is a tiny insect that can have a not-so-tiny effect on plants. Thrips pierce plant leaves and flowers and suck out their contents. And, not less important, many plant viruses are known to be transmitted by thrips [1]. Needless to say, a lot of research is currently carried out on how to get rid of these creatures. Photo courtesy of T. Bukovinszky (www.bugsinthepicture.com). In a previous blog I explained that plants have numerous ways to defend themselves against insects. This natural variability in plant defense mechanisms offers possibilities to breed for plant varieties that are better protected against pest insects [2]. In this way we can decrease the amount of pesticides needed and produce cleaner crops. However, breeding for plant resistance requires an easy method to screen many plants at once for resistance. Low-throughput screening Host plant resistance to insects is generally studied with end... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/resistance-pest-insects Title: High-throughput screening of plant lines for resistance to pest insects Description: The EthoGenomics project focused on screening for host plant resistance to insect pest species. Video tracking provides the possibility to scale up the screening method largely. Content: One of the great things about working for Noldus IT is its involvement in scientific research projects. Because the tools that we offer are used in scientific research, it is logical that we also participate in projects for which such tools are developed. High-throughput screening of plant lines for resistance to pest insects I was personally involved in one of these projects, EthoGenomics. Since its primary research area, entomology (for lay people, “the scientific study of insects”), matches my own scientific background, I had a weak spot for this project. The two PhD students involved, Karen Kloth and Manus Thoen, recently defended their excellent theses and did so with great success. Plant resistance to insects The EthoGenomics project focused on screening for host plant resistance to insect pest species. Traditionally, plant lines are screened with end-point measurements, such as counting the number of insects on the plants, or assessing insect damage some weeks after infestation.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-measure-infant-behavior Title: How to measure infant behavior Description: In infancy you can observe an explosive growth. Many researchers focus on this age group. Think about studies aimed at learning more about speech behavior, maternal sensitivity, or learning behavior in infancy. Content: Infants undergo astonishing physical, cognitive, and social transformations in their first year of life, making them a captivating subject for scientific study. By measuring infant behavior, researchers gain insights into early speech development, maternal sensitivity, and foundational learning processes. How to measure infant behavior Recent advancements in technology - such as eye-tracking systems, neuroimaging techniques (fNIRS, EEG), and sophisticated observational tools - have revolutionized how we assess infant behavior both in controlled lab settings and in naturalistic home environments. In this blog post, we’ll explore modern strategies and methodologies for measuring infant behavior, discuss the importance of ethical considerations, and highlight how cutting-edge research benefits caregivers, educators, and policymakers alike. Observing mother-infant behavior Current research from Prof. Cristina Riva Crugnola, University of Milano-Bicocca tells us that adolescent mothers as w... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/the-power-of-rejection Title: The power of rejection (in fruit flies) Description: Fruit flies have amazing sense of smell. This includes the ability to navigate to a food source, as well as search out a preferred mate. However, there are other areas in which their olfactory systems come into play. Content: In a previous post we talked about fruit flies and their amazing sense of smell. This includes the ability to navigate to a food source, as well as search out a preferred mate. However, there are other areas in which their olfactory systems come into play. This includes courting behavior (did you know the male does all the work?) and obesity. Yes - obesity can be studied in fruit flies. Courtship. The male does all the work, but feminizing specific parts of his olfactory system can suppress this behavior. But it is not easy, as Kido and Ito (Ochanomizu University, Japan) found out. The male does the work We already established that the sense of smell is important in mate preference. These researchers thought it was time to figure out what exactly makes the male act as it does during courtship display. Apparently, the whole brain is involved in this gender-specific behavior. Using a specific genetic modification, Kido and Ito were able to ‘feminize’ specifically targeted parts of the fl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-haxha-test Title: The use of video tracking in a HaXha test Description: When you get used to something, after a while you might not notice it anymore. Like a sent. The lab of Justus Verhagen investigated sniffing behavior with video tracking. Content: When you get used to something, after a while you might not notice it anymore. It’s called habituation. When you are repeatedly presented with the same stimulus you might cease to respond to it altogether. Habituation is a form of learning that is often studied in animals, especially in olfactory learning. In a cross-habituation (HaXha) test, the animal is first presented with an odorant and the time it explores the odor is measured. Getting used to a smell Then, over time, the habituation process is assessed. A new odorant presents a novel stimulus, and this time the cross-habituation phase is measured. If the animal spends more time investigating this new stimulus than it did the previous one, it is considered to be cross-habituating. Sniffing behavior Last year I spoke to Justus Verhagen and he told me he was planning on investigating sniffing behavior in this context. He recently published his work in Neural Plasticity (Coronos-Samano, Ivanova, and Verhagen, 2016) and was kind enou... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-fruit-flies-find-your-food Title: How fruit flies find your food (and mates!) Description: Those tiny flies that take over your garbage cans during the summer? They are called fruit flies for a reason! They have a fantastic sense of smell and these tiny creatures are a popular animal model for researchers. Content: Those tiny flies that take over your garbage cans in the summer? They are called fruit flies for a reason! They have a fantastic sense of smell and these creatures are a popular animal model for researchers. How fruit flies find your food (and mates!) I am usually irritated by these little flies, but as I read up on some research using them, I have to say I am starting to appreciate them more and more! It’s truly impressive how much information researchers are able to get out of these tiny creatures. Smelling is a complicated business Much of the research using drosophila has focused on olfaction. In fruit flies, smelling is not simple, but involves a complex system. In fact, I could devote this whole article to interesting scientific facts about it...which is exactly what I am going to do! How does a fruit fly smell? First things first: how exactly do fruit fly smell? Fishilevich and colleagues from the Rockefeller University in New York identified 21 olfactory sensory neurons. If one... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-recording-children-asd-home Title: Video-recording children with ASD in-home Description: Anne Kirby and colleagues studied sensory and repetitive behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 32 children with ASD participated. Content: Nowadays we often come across signs or printed versions of funny, motivational, and inspirational quotes about our homes. You’ll probably confirm this for yourself: we’ve all seen a postcard, a doormat, or a picture in a magazine with sentences like: ‘Home is where the heart is’, ‘Home is where you can be yourself’ or ‘Home sweet home’. A funny one I like is ‘Home is where your Wi-Fi connects automatically’. We also read listings which convince us that ‘in this house we are real, we make mistakes, we say I’m sorry, we have fun, we forgive, we love’ and so on. In home study I think it is safe to say that most of us are at our best in our own homes. This creates a strong argument for researchers who study behavior influenced by environmental factors to carry out their research in-home. So that’s exactly what Anne Kirby and colleagues [1] did in their study about sensory and repetitive behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study involved video recording observa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/implementing-tailored-activity-programs Title: Implementing Tailored Activity Programs Description: Tailored Activity Programs (TAP) have been shown to have significantly reduce behavioral occurrences in dementia patients and improve engagement and positive behaviors. Content: Sometimes pharmacological strategies can hurt more than they help. This is why non-pharmacological strategies are meant to be used as the first-line in the treatment of patients, but it can be difficult to tell which strategies should be used with dementia patients in hospitals. Implementing Tailored Activity Programs for Hospitalized Dementia Patients Tailored Activity Programs (TAP) have been shown to have significantly reduce behavioral occurrences in dementia patients and improve engagement and positive behaviors. Although TAP has been used in homes and residential care, this study was a pilot for applying this strategy to dementia patients in hospitals. By using the strategy, researchers aimed to find a way to increase positive behaviors of patients with dementia. Behavioral symptoms and dementia One of the largest difficulties with dementia patients is that with the decline in their mental state, they start to have cognitive functional challenges. This results in increased negati... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/animal-husbandry Title: Students’ first contact with The Observer XT Description: Prof. Dr. Stefanski and Dr. Flauger explain why it is important to introduce students to professional software tools at an early stage. Content: Systematic behavior research in farm animals has increasingly gained importance, especially during the last years. Since the intensification of animal husbandry has substantially enhanced the discrepancy between natural and artificial environment, the following questions arise: What are the prerequisites for an animal to be able to show its full range of social behavior? How much space do animals require? What is the optimal group size? The close monitoring of the social behavior of pigs, cattle, poultry and horses plays a major role in terms of welfare assessment and health research. Introduce students to professional software For Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski and Dr. Birgit Flauger of the University of Hohenheim, it is very important that Bachelor and Master students of Agricultural Science and Agricultural Biology are introduced to professional software tools to analyze the behavior of animals at an early stage. The focus of their research at the Department of Behavioral Physiology of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/in-home-video-recordings Title: In-home video recordings provide measure for more objective comparisons Description: Edelson and her colleagues from the Nestlé Research Center in Sweden studied parent-child interactions during meal time using in-home studies. Content: Who doesn’t know Jo Frost, A.K.A. the Super Nanny [1]? Her television show has aired across Europe, the UK and the US; currently, she is starring in a Netherlands-based version, where she visits Dutch families. Although I don’t have any kids, I watch this show quite regularly with great interest to see how families function. This super nanny keeps telling parents that children also have to eat healthy as part of her program to correct poor behavior. Many parents forget how proper nutrition can influence behavior. But many parents then ask: how do we get our kids to eat more fruits and vegetables? How in-home video recordings provide accurate measure and allow for more objective comparisons Eating healthy Lisa Edelson and colleagues[2] from the Nestlé Research Center in Sweden studied how parents’ prompts to eat fruits and vegetables are related to children’s intake of these foods. They are convinced that a better understanding of this process will help promote healthy eating habits. As... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/declared-vs-revealed-data Title: Declared vs revealed data Description: How do consumer researchers get valuable data? Consumer and market researchers can turn to observation and experimentation to observe consumers. Declared vs. revealed data. Content: How much do you like a store’s logo? When do you moisturize? How often do you buy new razor blades? Where in your refrigerator do you store eggs? These are exemplary questions to which consumer researchers badly want to know your answers. Liking leads to buying, so how much you like the logo can influence you going to that store over a competing one. When you moisturize, and how much, can influence the type of moisturizer you buy and how often you buy it; the same goes for razor blade usage. And if an appliance company spends the time to design the interior of a refrigerator with a specific use in mind, it is desirous for them to know if consumers actually use the refrigerator that way! Traditional methods in consumer research So, how do consumer researchers get at these valuable answers? The traditional methods include interviews, surveys, and focus groups. With these, consumers can answer honestly and accurately…or can they? All of these mechanisms fall under the heading of self-repo... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-use-catwalk-xt Title: How to use CatWalk XT and Incapacitance Tester in non-clinical pain research Description: Heta Svard from Orion Pharma studies pain and neurological disorders and resports on recent research. Content: Today we have another guest blog post for you! Heta Svard from Orion Pharma studies pain and neurological disorders and will be presenting a poster on a recent study at Measuring Behavior 2016 in Dublin this month! I encourage you to pay her a visit (poster no. 39), but for now, you can read about her study in this post. Thanks, Heta! CatWalk XT is an apparatus for quantitative analysis of gait and motor performance in rats and mice. Gait analysis is typically used for studying locomotor effects of spinal cord injuries in rodents. In the Central Nervous System (CNS) research group at Orion Pharma, we study pain and neurological disorders. This includes testing efficacy of novel analgesics in vivo in rats and mice. Our interest has been whether CatWalk XT gait analysis could be used in our research. Measuring pain in rodents is challenging due to their prey nature to hide pain. Therefore, assessing spontaneous non-evoked behaviour, such as walking, rather than evoked behaviour (i.e. hyp... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/the-bat-moth-aerial-battle Title: The bat - moth aerial battle in 3D Description: Moths arrived first on the evolutionary stage; when much later on bats appeared with their sophisticated apparatus for echolocating prey, moths were forced to change or die. Content: Any insect that flies at night must deal with bat predation. Take a moth, for example. Moths arrived first on the evolutionary stage; when much later on bats appeared with their sophisticated apparatus for echolocating prey, moths were forced to change or die. Some species developed ears to hear the approach of a bat; this generally evokes evasive flight maneuvers like loops and dives. Other species acquired distasteful chemicals that gave them a repugnant or poisonous taste. Some even developed the ability to produce sounds that seem to confuse, and sometimes thwart, an attacking bat. A never-ending battle Not less fascinating is the set of countermeasures that bats have taken. Some bats use a quieter mode of echolocation, calling at a reduced volume and further reducing the volume of their clicks as they close in on prey moths. In order to better understand this battle, we need to know what each counterpart does, at what time and where. In other words, we need accurate recording of t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/understanding-adolescent-emotions Title: Understanding adolescent emotions Description: How are adolescents’ emotions socialized by mothers and close friends? A recent study focuses on dealing with depression in adolescence. Content: I was waiting for my exam results, and so was the son of our neighbors. And then there was a bang. A really loud one. I could guess the outcome of his exam simply by hearing that bang. Afterwards we indeed heard that he didn’t pass his exam and that the telephone suffered the consequences… Emotions are hard to deal with. I would have felt the same if I had to retake exams. When you are young and experience so many challenges, it is hard to deal with emotions. During my adolescence, there were computer games wanting to be played, friends wanting to go out with, and TV programs wanting to be watched…which resulted in schoolwork receiving a little less attention. Dealing with depression A few days ago, I read a report about adolescent emotions from the NIMH (Bethesda, MD). It stated that in 2014, 11% of the 12 to 17 year-olds in the US reported at least one major depressive episode over the period of a year [1]. That’s almost 3 million adolescents! Jessica Lougheed from Queen’s University... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/children-autism Title: Become and stay aware about children with autism Description: Autism is a developmental disability that remains with a person for his or her whole life. The World Autism Awareness Day tries to bring awareness to this growing health concern. Content: Last week I had a chat with a friend of mine whose eldest son (8 years old) was diagnosed several years ago with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She told me about a conversation she and her husband had with a speech therapist, who explained to them that when someone asks their son a question or tells him something to do, it usually takes 7 seconds before his brain processed this information. Imagine that, 7 seconds – that’s quite a lot. In those 7 seconds many other words can be said or questions can be asked. But for this little boy it means that it is important to speak slowly and give one instruction at a time, or you will likely get little to no response, or only partial task completion. Become and stay aware about children with autism When there is a lack of understanding, you don’t realize that he needs this time to see the whole picture. When you have to deal with this over and over again, every single day, you can become very frustrated and annoyed by the child’s seeming fail... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/assessing-motor-deficits-traumatic-brain-injury Title: Assessing motor deficits in mice following traumatic brain injury Description: Today Marcelle Cline and Donna Cross are so kind to share their insights on testing TBI mice with the CatWalk XT system. Content: Half a year ago, I wrote about rats on the CatWalk XT system , and we added a great white paper written by Kristina Ängeby Möller to the collection. Today, I am very excited to tell you that Marcella Cline (University of Washington) and Dr. Donna Cross (University of Utah) are so kind to share their insights on working with mice on the CatWalk XT system in both a blog post and a white paper. Enjoy! Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant health concern worldwide. While animal models have been remarkably successful in furthering our understanding of TBI, an assessment of subtle motor deficits in mouse models that arise post-injury can be challenging. In this post, we’ll outline some of the common tests currently used by researchers to assess motor deficits in mice following TBI, and give you a basic understanding of the protocols used for these tests. Rotarod Perhaps the most common test available to detect motor function in mice, the rotarod test consists of a rotating be... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/exploratory-behavior-larval-zebrafish Title: How to measure complex exploratory behavior in larval zebrafish Description: Behavioral tests as the open field may overlook complex patterns of behavior. Today our guest bloggers explain about a new set-up for zebrafish larvae. Content: The Zebrafish Multi-Chambered Exploratory Test (ZEMCET) Today we have another guest writing for us, or actually two. I met Frank Scalzo (Bard College, New York) at last year's annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago and I was very curious to find out more about their research using multi-chambered set-ups for their zebrafish larvae. Frank M. Scalzo and his colleague Brandon Chen were kind enough to share their insights in this blog post. Enjoy! Limitations of 'simple' tests Behavioral tests such as the open field test (or novel tank test for adult zebrafish), mazes, and the like, have been used as the standard for characterizing a variety of behaviors in a range of animal models. However, these methods are inherently limited in the number and specificity of behaviors that can be measured. For example, the open field test has commonly been used to determine anxiety-like behavior expressed by measures such as thigmotaxis. While there is great merit in such tests to iden... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/who-best-product-representative Title: Who is the best product representative? Description: We all have our favorite celebrities, then there are those we love to hate. Who would you want to pay to represent your product or brand? Content: This week we have a guest blog post from Dr. Lora Becker. She is Director of the Neuroscience Program at the University of Evansville. Her primary research activity seeks to understand human and animal emotions. Thank you Lora for the knowledge and enthusiasm you share in this blog! We all have our favorite celebrities, then there are those we love to hate. Some time it is hard to know if we really like the celebrity because we want to be them or we want to laugh at them. But how do we really react to images of celebrities? Furthermore, who would you want to pay to represent your product or brand? Emotions recognized by software As Jason Rogers and Abbe Macbeth explained to us recently, the answer may lie in specific areas of our brains (fusiform face gyrus and specific regions of the right parietal cortex) that allow us to recognize faces and facial expressions. Current technology can do this, too. FaceReader uses over five hundred points on the face to determine basic emotional expre... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-flow Title: Measuring flow Description: Real time measurement techniques like FaceReader might be the key to measuring flow in real-time. Content: By Martijn van den Berg Flow is a state in which a person is fully involved in an activity, decreasing self-consciousness and sense of time. This process requires a person to be extremely focused, as well as exactly have the skills to master a task. Achieving flow is desirable, because during flow a person can reach maximum skill level as well as creativity within a domain [1]. However, measuring when a person is in flow and subsequently finding out how to get a person in a flow state is difficult, because flow causes persons to decrease self-consciousness, not recalling to what extent flow occurred [2]. Serious games One of the main applications of flow is within serious gaming. Serious games are games which are used for other purposes than merely entertainment, mostly within education and behavior assessments. Games are a perfect tool for measurement of flow, because these naturally satisfy most of the ten building blocks required for flow [1]: There are clear goals every step of the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/object-recognition-automated-video-tracking Title: How to get reliable results on object recognition using video tracking Description: In the beginning of this year I wrote a post about the Morris water maze test, a popular and well-validated paradigm to study learning and memory in rats and mice. Content: In the beginning of this year I wrote a post about the Morris water maze test, a popular and well-validated paradigm to study learning and memory in rats and mice. This blog is about another very popular test, the (novel) object recognition task. Novel object recognition This basic idea behind this test is simple; a mouse (or rat) spends more time and attention on a novel object than on a familiar one. If it doesn’t, then something must be wrong with its memory. Not surprisingly, the novel object test is a useful method to evaluate the efficacy of memory enhancing compounds [2,6,8]. There are many studies that investigate the basics of learning and memory, and the influence of factors such as gender, stress, and adolescence [4,5,9,10,11]. Then there are studies that focus on chemicals, such as metamphetamine [11] or nicotin. In fact, the nicotinic receptor is a target of many studies on disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia [7,8,12,13]. How does novel object recognition test... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ethovision-xt-open-field-test Title: EthoVision XT and the open field test Description: Imagine you are dropped in the center of a wide open field. Would you explore the entire area? Or hunker down around the edges, fearing predators and other unknowns? Content: We recently teamed up with a new partner, Maze Engineers, to extend our portfolio of video tracking solutions. They also have a great blog, and today we would like to share one of their recent posts with you. Find the original article here. Thanks, Maze Engineers, for letting us share this post with our readers! EthoVision XT and the open field test Imagine you are dropped in the center of a wide open field. Would you explore the entire area? Or hunker down around the edges, fearing predators and other unknowns? Your internal state probably impacts how you respond in this situation. Researchers have long used this situational paradigm to test for anxiety-like behavior in rodents. The “open-field test” is most commonly used to test for differences in behavior in groups of animals exposed to, for example, a negative environmental stimuli, or an ameliorative drug, as compared to a control group. Common behavioral metrics for the open field test are a) distance traveled, b) time spent in c... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/four-facts-zebrafish-and-zebrafish-larvae Title: 4 Facts about zebrafish and zebrafish larvae Description: Did you know that zebrafish larvae are able to detect minute movement in the water and that zebrafish are better than fruit flies? Read all 4 facts! Content: Did you know that zebrafish larvae are able to detect minute movement in the water and that zebrafish are better than fruit flies? Read all four facts! Did you know that zebrafish larvae are able to detect minute movement in the water? At the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Groneberg and colleagues (Groneberg et al. 2015) showed that larval zebrafish show approach reactions followed by a form of positive taxis and gradual motion damping in response to water flows. That might sound complicated, but what it basically means is that zebrafish larvae are able to detect minute movement in the water and respond in a stereotypical way. Read more... Did you know that zebrafish are better than fruit flies? Prof. Richard Baines’ lab investigates how the electrical development of neurons is regulated. His research was long based on the larvae of fruitfly, but the lab recently started using zebrafish larvae. The Baines lab at the University of Manchester has recently begun to use the DanioVision s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/four-cool-cow-facts Title: 4 Cool cow facts Description: The investigation of movement, activity, and behavior of animals in stables gives great insight. Read this blog to learn more about that, but also about cow behavior in paddocks. Content: The investigation of movement, activity, and behavior of animals in pens or stables gives great insight into differences between group and individual housing, enriched and plain stables, different types of feeding systems, and so on. Read this blog to learn more about that, but also about cow behavior in paddocks. Cool facts about cows and cow behavior 1) Balanced diet for calves Calves, whether raised for milk or meat production, are typically fed diets that differ from diets of feral cattle herds. For example, veal calves receive large quantities of milk replacer and solid feed with little structure to chew on, while dairy calves are weaned off milk early on and receive mostly solid feed. Diets typically fed to calves can cause a number of welfare problems, including poor stomach health as well as stress due to the inability to perform highly-motivated natural behaviors such as rumination or sucking on a teat. Furthermore, there is much research indicating that animals, and in partic... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-sleep-heals-the-brain Title: How sleep heals the brain Description: We sleep a large portion of our lives. And now researchers have proven that it can heal the brain. Content: We sleep a large portion of our lives. We need to, we know this, and science proves it. Sleep helps us to process what we have learned, to let our nervous system function properly, and to concentrate during the day. We have all been there: a bit of stress or anxiety for a big day coming up leads to not sleeping well, and we suffer the consequences. Loss of concentration, maybe a bit cranky… my mother always told me sleep makes everything better. And now researchers have proven that it can heal the brain. The question is, how? How sleep heals the brain Traumatic brain injury Researchers led by Daniela Noain and Christian R. Baumann from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) investigated the effect of sleep on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. TBI is a major cause of disability and even death worldwide. As you can imagine, injury to the head has primary damaging effects, but secondary effects can also cause major complications in the months or even years after the occurrence. One of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/let-children-design-their-own-playground Title: Let children design their own playground Description: The impact of playing outside on the social, motor and emotional development of children and their learning ability is immense. What makes the best playground, according to children? Content: Getting outside, playing, and exercising is essential for healthy child development. It goes without saying that playing outside must be encouraged in children, especially when we realize that an estimated 80 percent of young children don’t exercise enough. The impact of playing outside on the social, motor and emotional development of children and their learning ability is immense. Therefore, it is of interest to researchers to answer the question: what makes the best playground, according to children? Healthy schoolyards In the Netherlands, the organization of Jantje Beton develops many projects and activities aimed at improving outdoor play facilities for children. They operate as a partner in a government-facilitated project to realize 70 new, healthy schoolyards. Because children are the experts in the field of playing and often have great ideas, Jantje Beton involves children in designing and realizing the schoolyard. The children are asked to think about which activities they li... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/emotion-analysis-decision-making Title: Emotion analysis can be beneficial to researchers in decision making Description: David Schindler and colleagues developed a software, µCap (muCap), which is capable of creating a link between video footage and phases of the experiment, suitable for automated analysis in FaceReader. Content: By David Schindler Introducing µCap David Schindler is the laboratory manager of the interdisciplinary decision making laboratory MELESSA at the University of Munich, currently visiting the University of Pennsylvania. Many researchers interested in human behavior have used Noldus FaceReader in the past to determine emotional states of their subjects. By now, it has become somewhat of a standard to analyze emotions in small-scale psychological studies, to gain insights into consumer behavior from a marketing perspective and in many more areas. In need of larger sample sizes? Very recently, experimental economists and also experimental psychologists who need larger sample sizes (i.e. up to 400 subjects) have found interest in analyzing the role of emotions in decision making. Those studies are often conducted in computerized laboratories, where subjects in several sessions sit in small cubicles at separate computer workstations and, with the help of experimental software, make decisions... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/serotonin-and-social-skills Title: Serotonin and social skills: how adult mice differ from juveniles Description: Serotonin is a busy neurotransmitter, influencing processes as memory, mood, emotion, appetite, and sexuality. A prime role for this neurotransmitter is social behavior, across a variety of species; humans, rodents, primates. Content: Serotonin (5-HT) is a busy neurotransmitter, influencing such varied neuronal processes as memory, mood, emotion, appetite, and even sexuality. A prime role for this neurotransmitter is social behavior, across a variety of species; humans, rodents, primates, and even flies all rely upon serotonin to display normal social behaviors. These social effects are partly mediated through the serotonin receptor 5-HT2CR. This role has been confirmed by pharmacologic treatment, but until recently this work had focused primarily on adult rodents. In this current article, Séjourné and colleagues from the Scripps Research Institute (Florida, USA) for the first time investigated the role of 5-HT2CR in the development of social behavior. Social approach In order to assess the role of 5-HT2CR in proper development of social behavior, Séjourné et al. tested juvenile and adult mice in a three-chambered social approach task. In this task, mice have the choice between remaining in a neutral middle chamber... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/shopping-behavior-analysis Title: Shopping behavior analysis- improving the shopping experience at airports Description: The retail industry is currently booming in some regions, and with travel such an important part of modern life, so is the retail industry at airports. Learn more about consumer buying behavior by reading this blog post. Content: We’ve all been there: arriving at an airport hours before your flight leaves, wandering around to pass time before you can board. Luckily, most airports offer stores where you can buy food, books, and tax-free items, but how often is it that you’re not truly interested in shopping and just keep strolling without actually buying? Improving the shopping experience at the airport The retail industry is currently booming in some regions, and with travel such an important part of modern life, so is the retail industry at airports. Plenty of market researchers have devoted their time to get the numbers behind the perfect selling strategy, but limited research has been done towards the actual retail experiences of passengers at airports. Much of the current work on shopping at the airport focuses on passenger purchasing, and how this expenditure can be increased. But this research does not address the fundamental issue that with so many things going on at airports, passengers are likely to si... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-why-and-how-learn-museum Title: What, Why and How to learn in a museum Description: Although children can learn a great deal on their own, conversations with parents have a big influence on the content, recall and transfer of what they learn. Content: In the Netherlands we have a so called “museum card” which allows you to visit museums for free. In the last few years I visited quite a few of them together with my children. In Amsterdam we saw the ‘Nachtwacht’ in the Rijksmuseum, did science experiments at Nemo, and learned about how the sea has shaped our Dutch culture at The National Maritime Museum. We have also visited the ‘Openluchtmuseum’ (Netherlands Open Air Museum) in Arnhem several times, because this one is the closest to us. At this museum you can learn a lot about how people lived in the past, and the objects they used for cooking their meals, brewing beer, doing the laundry, and so on. Each and every time we visit this museum, my children and I discover new facts. It’s a great learning environment, but what do my children actually recall of these many museum visits? Natural setting for research Researchers from Loyola University Chicago also chose a museum as the setting for their experimental and observational researc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/bird-calls-ultravox-xt Title: How to analyze bird calls with UltraVox XT: a summer love on a spectrogram Description: You may know that the recently-released UltraVox XT 3 is used to study ultrasound vocalizations, especially in rodents and bats. But the fact that it analyzes full-spectrum sound, makes it ideal for analyzing bird calls. Content: You may know that the recently-released UltraVox XT 3 is used to study ultrasound vocalizations, especially in rodents and bats. But the fact that it analyzes full-spectrum sound, together with the filter options and cool features like the spectrogram and the automatic call detection, makes it ideal for analyzing bird calls. Yours truly must admit that he is not fond of quantification of behavior at any cost, but this time he could not resist. How to analyze bird calls with UltraVox XT: A summer love on a spectrogram I am personally interested in the ecology of a small nocturnal raptor, the Scops owl (Otus scops), the cutest of the owls in Europe, and certainly one of the least known. The Scops owl inhabits most of continental Europe, but the Mediterranean regions are definitely its strongholds. There, a melancholic, monosyllabic whistle interrupts the evening chorus of cicadas. It’s the male Scops owl, claiming its territory. “Tjuut, tjuut” resounds almost uninterrupted in the forests... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-insights-alcohol-addiction Title: Zebrafish provide key insights into alcohol addiction Description: Why is it that when people drink, only small subsets of individuals develop an alcohol addiction? Steven Tran from the Gerlai Lab tells us why zebrafish are very helpful in the search for the answer to this question. Content: At this year's Neuroscience I talked to someone from the Gerlai Lab at the University of Toronto (Ontario) who is involved in very interesting research on alcohol addiction. That person was Steven Tran , and I am very happy to say that he agreed to share a story on our Behavioral Research Blog. Take it away, Steven! Two and a Half Men’s Charlie Harper, although fictional, is the prototypical image of alcoholism. What makes individuals such as Charlie Harper different from the rest of us? Why is it that when people drink, only small subsets of individuals develop an alcohol addiction? Despite decades of research into alcohol addiction, the sad truth is that what we know about this debilitating disease is vastly outweighed by what we don’t know. For example, we know that individuals that are more sensitive to the stimulant and pleasurable effects and less sensitive to the sedative and negative effects of alcohol are actually at a much higher risk of developing alcohol addiction. However,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pesticide-resistance-malaria-mosquitoes Title: Does pesticide resistance make malaria mosquitoes “smarter”? Description: In one of my previous blog posts, I wrote about the success of insecticide treated bed nets in preventing malaria. In the past five years, mortality from malaria has dropped with 60%. Content: In one of my previous blog posts, I wrote about the success of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) in preventing malaria. In the past five years, mortality from malaria has dropped with 60%, which is at least partly due to the widespread use of ITNs [1]. However, ITNs do not offer a 100% effective solution against malaria, primarily due to the fact that not everyone in malaria-affected areas has access to ITNs. But even if they did, malaria-spreading mosquitoes may still be able to bite their victims if the bed nets have holes. In addition, mosquitoes may develop resistance against the insecticides the bed nets are treated with. By James D. Gathany (The Public Health Image Library , ID#444) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Insecticide resistance and holes in bed nets The ability of malaria mosquitoes to find holes in bed nets may have a dramatic effect on ITN effectiveness. To investigate this, Malal Diop and colleagues [2] used a free-flight approach in a wind tunnel to see whet... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/consumer-research-food-satisfaction Title: Consumer research – what determines food satisfaction? Description: In a recent study, Barbara Andersen and Grethe Hyldig from the National Food Institute of Denmark zoomed in on food satisfaction from a consumer perspective. Content: My mother makes the best apple crumble. The top is crunchy, the apples warm and mushy (but not too mushy!), and the level of cinnamon is in perfect balance with the sugar and the apples. Honestly, I’ve never tasted a more delicious apple crumble, which sets a high standard for friends or restaurants offering me an apple crumble dessert. Expectations and desires - consumer behavior & emotions Today’s blog is about expectations and desires. In a recent consumer research study, Barbara Andersen and Grethe Hyldig from the National Food Institute of Denmark honed in on food satisfaction from a consumer perspective. You’ll learn, as the researchers did, that expectations and desires based on memories play a very important role in determining the level of food satisfaction (as with my mom’s apple crumble). Gaining insight Barbara Andersen and Grethe Hyldig set up a study using two focus groups (a total of 20 consumers), varying in age, gender, employment level, and food interest (participatio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/positive-behavior-support Title: Positive Behavior Support: Good behavior can be learned Description: With the observed increase in pediatric obesity in recent years, a child’s family, particularly his parents, may influence eating behavior, diet, and physical activity through their parenting and food choices. Content: ‘Mom, what's for dinner tonight?’ It’s a daily recurring question from my children. Having dinner is an important part of the day and also a way for parents or caregivers to influence a child's diet. With the observed increase in pediatric obesity in recent years, a child’s family, particularly his parents, may influence eating behavior, diet, and physical activity through their parenting and food choices. Some factors that affect eating behavior can be: what and how much food do parents serve their children? To what extent do they encourage their children to eat healthy food instead of unhealthy food? It’s important to raise awareness amongst parents of young children of the consequences of unhealthy eating habits, and teach them to create a healthy nutritional environment for their children. FREE WHITE PAPER: Parent-child interaction This free white paper informs you how on to facilitate a parent-child study and how to set up your experiment. Perform tests in a lab or in-home Collect... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-novel-antiepileptic-drugs Title: Seizing fish: a high-throughput screen for novel antiepileptic drugs Description: The lab of Prof. Richard Baines investigates how the electrical development of neurons is regulated. His research was long based on the larvae of fruitfly, but the lab recently started using zebrafish larvae. Content: This week we have a guest blog post from Prof. Richard Baines. His lab investigates how the electrical development of neurons is regulated. His research was long based on the larvae of fruitfly, but the lab recently started using zebrafish larvae. He kindly agreed to share his insights on our blog. Zebrafish are being used to model many human diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer and autism [1]. Many labs are also using this versatile fish to identify novel drugs to treat epilepsy [2,3]. Proconvulsant testing in zebrafish Exposing 2 to 4 dpf fish to moderate concentrations of water-soluble proconvulsants, such as pentylenetetrazol (PTz), is sufficient to dramatically increase locomotion that can very easily be measured using the DanioVision system. Prior exposure to clinically used antiepileptic drugs (e.g. sodium valproate) imparts protection that is evidenced as a reduced locomotor track length. The ability to scale-up the assay to 96-well plates with DanioVision makes this an... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-capture-the-3d-swimming-patterns-of-fish Title: How to capture the 3D swimming patterns of fish Description: Zebrafish have more in common with humans than meets the eye. This is why they have become a “go-to” model in neuroscience research. But one difference remains: we walk and they swim. Content: We have learned that zebrafish have much more in common with humans than meets the eye, which is why they have become a “go-to” model in neuroscience research. But one obvious difference remains: we walk and they swim, which means movement in 3 dimensions. So while video tracking from one camera angle (e.g. above) can give us a lot of information about the movement of humans (or rodents), all the information from the third dimension (depth) is entirely missed from single camera tracking. 3D tracking makes a difference Researchers from Allan Kalueff’s lab demonstrated four years ago that in some studies, tracking depth can really make a difference. When examining different effects from known anxiolytics and anxiogenics, they found that 3D tracking revealed much more pronounced differences in zebrafish behavior, and that some behavioral effects are even undetected when you limit your observations to 2D video tracking. So why are we not all tracking in 3D right now? There are, of course,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/japanese-medaka-toxicology Title: A new fish on the block: Japanese medaka in toxicology studies Description: We are all very familiar with zebrafish as a model species in neuroscience research. Today, let's talk about another fish, the Japanese medaka. Content: By now, we are all familiar with the zebrafish as a model species. It has many advantages over rodent models and thus has complemented and/or replaced many studies that use the traditional mouse or rat. But today, let’s talk about another fish: the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). It has much in common with the zebrafish, such as external embryogenesis and transparency in early life stages, and genetically speaking is also complementary to zebrafish (see Porazinski et al., 2011). Environmental toxicology studies with medaka fish A research group from the University of Bordeaux (France) has published a number of toxicology studies using these fish. In a 2013 study, they reported on the effects of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a class of organic environmental pollutants that have been identified as being carcinogenic as well as mutagenic. Researchers tested the toxicity of PAH as can be found in different compositions (sediment, heavy oil, and light crude oil) by inve... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/dementia-symptoms-following-surgery Title: Dementia symptoms following surgery Description: This week we have a guest post by Iris Hovens. She has done some really interesting research into the consequences of surgery in terms of reduced memory and concentration problems. Content: This week we have a guest post by Iris Hovens. She has done some really interesting research into the consequences of surgery in terms of reduced memory and concentration problems. This is especially a concern for older people. We are very happy that Iris has so kindly agreed to write about her research on our blog. At the end of this post, you will also find a link to a free white paper about this research! Thank you, Iris! Characterizing postoperative cognitive dysfunction with a novel rat-model In the Netherlands, yearly more than 400.000 patients aged over 60 undergo surgery. Although the surgeries are aimed at improving health and well-being, ten percent of these older surgery patients will develop dementia-like symptoms, such as reduced memory and concentration and problems with planning and information processing. This postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) seriously affects the life of patients and their near friends and relatives, as it is associated with a reduced quality... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/testing-sexual-evolution Title: Bigger is not always better: hypothesis testing in sexual evolution Description: Sexual selection can lead to fascinating phenomena. We are all familiar with the fabulous color display of male peacocks to attract females. Less well known, but definitely not less interesting, are stalk-eyed flies. Content: Sexual selection can lead to fascinating phenomena. We are all familiar with the fabulous color display of male peacocks to attract females. Less well known, but definitely not less interesting, are stalk-eyed flies. Due to the fact that the females strongly prefer males with wideset eyes, the males have developed eyes on stalks that can be larger than their bodies. And did you know that the Irish elk developed antlers through sexual selection that span over two-and-a-half meters? Some people believe that the males with antlers this large could hardly move through the forest, which may have led to the species’ extinction. It’s no wonder that sexual preference is so well-studied with so many hypotheses formulated in relation to it. Adaptive canalization hypothesis The adaptive canalization hypothesis is one of these evolutionary hypotheses on sexual preference. In simple words, it says that a feature that is important for fitness will have little variation. For example, if it is importa... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/new-approach-battle-against-malaria Title: A new approach in the battle against malaria Description: Bed nets treated with insecticide (ITNs) greatly decrease malaria illness and mortality. ITNs can decrease infant mortality from all causes by more than 20%. Content: Insecticide treated bed nets Bed nets treated with insecticide (ITNs) greatly decrease malaria illness and mortality. ITNs can decrease infant mortality from all causes by more than 20% [1,2]. However, the development of pesticide resistance is a threat to the effectiveness of ITNs. [3]. WHO standard bioassays In standard bioassays conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) for pesticide effectivity in ITNs, mosquitoes are kept in a small enclosure in which they are forced to touch a piece of treated bed net for three minutes [4,5]. After one hour, the number of immobile mosquitoes is counted, and mortality rates are determined after 24 hours. However, there is no escape for the mosquitoes in these tests. Therefore, a possible repellent effect of the pesticides is not taken into account. If ITNs are repellent to malaria mosquitoes, the mosquitoes will not touch the treated net. This means that the effectiveness of the ITNs can be less than predicted by the WHO standard bioassays.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/rats-run-perfectly Title: How to let rats run perfectly Description: Letting animals walk freely in gait research. At Noldus, we strongly believe this is the way to go, so that is how our CatWalk XT system works. Content: In a recent blog post, we talked about letting animals walk freely in gait research. At Noldus, we strongly believe that this is the way to go in gait research, so our CatWalk XT system makes use of free gait. This is consistent with the constant feedback from, and collaborations with, scientists who actually perform gait, locomotor, or pain research. Stress-less Working with a closed-off, dark corridor like the CatWalk XT walkway has several advantages. It limits the amount of stress placed on the animal. Besides the obvious effect on the wellbeing of an animal, stress can also cause gait artifacts. The animal may freeze up or lose the desire to move at all. The straight corridor also guides the animal to walk in a straight line, which is beneficial for the footprint measurements. Lights off please The dark environment inside the corridor provides the rats with a safe environment, mimicking the natural underground habitat of wild rats. They cannot see the red light in the ceiling that... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mice-in-the-spotlight Title: Mice in the spotlight: why you should perform your tests in a home cage Description: Mouse models are essential for neuroscience research. Many tests are susceptible to bias. Home cage testing provides a number of solutions. Content: Mouse models have proven to be essential in discovering the neurological underpinnings of diseases and to the development of a deeper understanding of genotype-phenotype relations. Behavioral phenotyping of these mice is very important, evidenced by the variety of tests that have been described in literature. Unfortunately, many of these tests are susceptible to bias, for example, testing in a novel environment. Bias can also result from handling animals prior to the tests, which can induce artificial behaviors that confound results. Win-win-win A number of researchers have found the answer to this problem in home cage testing. By letting the animal stay in its familiar environment researchers can prevent pretest stress and the novelty of the environment from influencing the behavior of the animal. Better welfare, better results, and improved efficiency. It seems like a win-win-win situation. Emmeke Aarts and her colleagues thought so too, and they have developed and validated a mild a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/efficiently-screen-plant-resistance-aphids Title: How you can efficiently screen for plant resistance to aphids Description: Aphids are small insects that pierce plant leaves and suck out their contents. Although they inflict limited physical destruction to the plant, aphids commonly infect plants with viruses, which can destroy complete harvests. Content: Aphids are small insects that pierce plant leaves and suck out their contents. They can cause considerable crop damage. Although they inflict limited physical destruction to the plant, aphids commonly infect plants with viruses, which can destroy complete harvests [1]. Plant resistance to aphids In nature, plants have numerous ways to defend themselves against insects. Some species have a thick waxy epidermis or spines on their leaves; others produce toxic substances or nasty smells [2]. By taking advantage of plants’ natural defenses, researchers can breed for plant varieties that are better protected against pest insects [3]. In this way we can decrease the amount of pesticides necessary so we can produce cleaner crops. However, breeding for plant resistance requires an easy method to screen many plants for resistance. Low-throughput screening Until now, host plant resistance to aphids has been investigated either in aphid population growth studies, or in detailed studies of aphid fe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/secret-social-role-ca2-hippocampus Title: Revealing the secret social role of the CA2 hippocampus Description: Aggressive behavior is adaptive for most species. But how is this aggressive behavior mediated in the brain? A study indicates that the hippocampus is a crucial neural component in mediating social recognition. Content: Aggressive behavior is typically adaptive for most species in the animal kingdom. Examples of this can be seen in maternal aggression to protect one’s young, and defense of a home territory; both of these contribute to the survival of an individual, and the species as a whole. But how is aggressive behavior mediated in the brain? Recent work indicates that the hippocampus in general, and the CA2 region in particular, is a crucial neural component in mediating social recognition and aggression. What CA2-specific mechanisms allow for such regulation? Vasopression 1b receptor in the hippocampus The neuropeptides Oxytocin (Oxt) and Vasopression (Avp) underlie many different types of social behaviors in rodents, including maternal behavior, aggression, and social recognition. Oxt receptors, and one type of Avp receptor (Avpr1a) are expressed throughout the central nervous system; a second Avp receptor (Avpr1b) is expressed almost exclusively in the CA2 region of the hippocampus. Indeed, res... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optogenetically-induced-myelination Title: Behavioral effects of optogenetically induced myelination in mice Description: Myelination, the ‘ensheathment’ of neurons, is essential to the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous systems. So it is not surprising that problems with myelination can lead to a number of crippling diseases. Content: Myelination, the ‘ensheathment’ of neurons, is essential to the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous systems. So it is not surprising that problems with myelination can lead to a number of crippling diseases. Known examples include multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative autoimmune diseases. Mature neurons augmenting neural circuits In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes produce myelin, an insulating material, which wraps around nerve axons in order to facilitate fast conduction of neural impulses. This is an especially important process during infancy, and therefore often investigated at this stage. However, how the modulation of myelination takes place after infancy is still largely unclear. Erin Gibson, David Purger, and their colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine (CA, USA) recently looked into the intriguing idea that postnatal myelination may be modulated by mature neurons to augment active neural circuits. Behavioral output of myeli... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-larvaes-response-to-water-motion Title: How to measure a zebrafish larva’s highly stereotyped response to water motion? Description: At the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, Groneberg and colleagues researched one of the neural bases for behavior in Danio rerio. Content: At the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, Groneberg and colleagues researched one of the neural bases for behavior in Danio rerio. They showed that larval zebrafish execute approach reactions followed by a form of positive taxis and gradual motion damping in response to water flows. That might sound complicated, but what it basically means is that zebrafish larvae are able to detect minute movement in the water and respond in a stereotypical way. Interesting experimental set-up Aside from the results, what is also interesting in their research is the way the experiment was conducted. To ensure that the behavior of the zebrafish was as natural as possible, the complete experiment was pre-programmed in the EthoVision XT software. This way, the researchers did not have to interact with the set-up; sounds and vibrations in the room did not influence the behavior of the zebrafish at all. Such automation also eliminated the risk of observer bias, delayed respon... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/examples-infant-behavior-research Title: Examples of infant behavior research experiments Description: In infancy you can observe an explosive growth. A lot of researchers focus on this age group and observe parent-infant dyads to get more insight in specific behaviors. Content: In infancy, you can observe an explosive growth. Many researchers focus on this age group and observe parent-infant dyads to get more insight in specific behaviors. Experiments are often set up to study looking behavior, language acquisition, attachment, or learning behavior. Look Who's Talking Who cannot remember ‘Look Who's Talking’ a 1989 movie with Kirstie Alley and John Travolta in which the audience was given an insight into the infant’s thoughts and behaviors? Since a talking infant is something out of a Hollywood movie, today’s researchers have developed a large number of tests or experiments to get a good impression of developmental processes in infancy. FREE WHITE PAPER: Tools for Infant Studies Download the free White paper to learn more about the software tools available for infant studies. Video observations to capture behaviors Coding behaviors accurately Unobtrusive emotion analysis Download Infant orientation towards their mother For example, Parade and Leerkes examined... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/movement-analysis-in-volleyball Title: Movement analysis in volleyball Description: Researchers from Aix-Marseille Université and the University of Groningen analyzed match plays to gain insight into the whole-body and arm movements. Content: When analyzing movement in sports, there is more that matters than the way players handle their rackets or hockey sticks. Observation of the way players move and their response time, overall fitness, body strength, and, of course, the overall team performance all help create a more complete picture. Sports scientists look into effective interplay of team members and actions including on-the-ball behaviors. In team sports, complex tactics and routines can be revealed by detailed behavior analysis. At the same time, however, it is also important to focus on the individual players in team sports. How does each person move, interact, and balance his/her energy? What can we learn from them? A volleyball player steps into the ball’s trajectory to pass an oncoming serve, a tennis player crosses the court to hit a return, and a baseball player runs to catch a fly ball. Each of these interceptions requires a team member to move both his/her body and arms. Niek Benerink and colleagues from Aix-M... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/study-ataxia Title: How to study ataxia Description: Ataxia is a common problem in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and many early onset Alzheimer’s disease patients (AD) also deal with it. Now there is a non-invasive test for mouse models. Content: Gait and motor performance are studied extensively in neuroscience research, which is not surprising when you come to think of it, because it is affected in many neurological diseases. Ataxia is a common problem in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and many early onset Alzheimer’s disease patients (AD) also deal with it. Motor skills are also affected in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To study the underlying mechanisms and possible treatments of the motor control issues associated with these disorders, several, mostly invasive, tests have been developed to investigate mouse models. The cerebellum plays a crucial role in motor coordination, precision, and accurate timing and thus is the focus of many studies in this area. A couple of years ago, the Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) started the development of the ErasmusLadder, a completely new testing paradigm specially designed to assess motor learning and performance. T... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/persuasion-advertisements-facial-expresssion Title: Behavioral techniques to empower consumers: resisting persuasion by controlling Description: The role of facial expression in resisting enjoyable advertisements. Content: Over a period of 30 months, Peter Lewinski, Research Fellow at the University of Amsterdam and VicarVision B.V., carried out 12 experiments with an automated facial expression coding software called FaceReader Online. This new neuromarketing technology helped him to test more than 1200 facial emotional reactions to dozens of famous advertisements. The experiments yielded 1 million frames that provided more than 10 million data points to analyze on variables such as emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, contempt or valence, arousal, and attention. The role of facial expression in resisting enjoyable advertisements All of the experiments are part of a 200-page PhD dissertation, titled “The role of facial expression in resisting enjoyable advertisements”, to be publicly defended on 24 June 2015 at the University of Amsterdam. The funding for this project came from a European Union €3.76 Million grant for KULeuven, Utrecht University, London Business School, INSEA... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-tolerance-bonobos Title: Bonobos not always as tolerant as generally believed: the plot thickens… Description: In Planckendael Wild Animal Park (Belgium), researchers have been observing a group of bonobos and have found that the differences between chimpanzees and bonobos are not always as black and white as generally believed. Content: A guest blog post by Jeroen MG Stevens & Katherine A Cronin Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are the least well known of the great apes, discovered only in 1929. Often they are contrasted with their closest relatives: the chimpanzees. In a common dichotomous view, chimpanzees are portrayed as brutal, aggressive, and demonic, while bonobos are portrayed as nice, peaceful, and hedonistic. Bonobos and chimpanzees In Planckendael Wild Animal Park (Belgium), researchers have been observing a group of bonobos for twenty years and have found that the differences between chimpanzees and bonobos are not always so black and white. Previous experiments have shown that when it comes to food sharing, bonobos are not always more tolerant than chimpanzees (Jaeggi et al., 2010). Recently scientific interest for tolerance has increased since it is believed to be important factor in human evolution, as it has been shown that tolerance is linked to the evolution of social learning, cooperation, prosociality, and f... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-science-journey-consumer-studies Title: The man in the maze: A behavioral science journey into consumer studies Description: As a researcher, one of my biggest thrills was being able to predict how someone was going to behave, especially without asking him or her. Content: As a researcher, one of my biggest thrills was being able to predict how someone was going to behave, especially without asking him or her. This was a learned skill, forged in the long hours of maze-running on the 11th floor of the Behavioral Science Building at the University of Utah. You see, you cannot ask a rat how he solved a maze, but with a clever design and an observant eye, you just know how he did. It was especially amazing to watch that moment of insight, of AH-HA, when he just ‘got it’ and started running perfectly. But in order to truly understand that moment, I had to have my own AH-HA moment, and it happened five thousand miles from my mazes in Utah. Milan, Italy The Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Italy, is a magnificent plaza. Originally created in the 14th century, it houses one of my favorite churches: the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano). Anyone who knows me knows that I love grand, old churches, but the Milan Cathedral is special for many reasons, including the number... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/dogs-ied-bomb-detection Title: A new method to evaluate if dogs are suitable for IED bomb detection Description: Margaret Gruen and her colleagues recently investigated a new method to assess sound induced fear and anxiety in candidate IED-detection dogs – specifically, Labrador retrievers. Content: Military dogs, especially improvised explosive device (IED)-detection dogs, work in war zones under harsh conditions. Being attuned to fear-inducing sounds and recovering quickly is a critical requirement. Margaret Gruen and her colleagues recently investigated a new method to assess sound induced fear and anxiety in candidate IED-detection dogs – specifically, Labrador retrievers. Working dogs An IED is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. In the second Iraq War, IEDs were used extensively against US-led invasion forces. By the end of 2007 IEDs had become responsible for approximately 63% of coalition deaths in Iraq (source). In 2003, there were 81 recorded IED incidents in Afghanistan. In 2009, there were 7,228 (source: Washington Post). This emphasizes the need for reliable military dogs, dogs who are not easily affected by fear and anxiety due to loud sounds such as rapid gunfire, explosives and other military noise. Recently an Open F... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/alzheimers-groundbreaking-research Title: Alzheimer's: prevent instead of cure? Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a huge public health issue as it affects a large part of the aging population. Neuropathology is studied primarily in the end stages of the disease. What about prevention? Content: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a huge public health issue as it affects a large part of the aging population. By 2050, experts estimate this number will exceed 100 million worldwide. Those of you that are a familiar with the underlying pathological hallmarks of AD will recognize the terms plaques and tangles. These protein built-ups in the brain are well-researched; however, this neuropathology is studied primarily in the end stages of the disease. Plaques and tangles Plaques and tangles are discovered in postmortem studies of humans, and in rodent models of the disease. But while these clusters of beta amyloid plaques between neurons and tangles of tau protein inside of the cells have always been prime suspects in AD symptoms, recent studies show that clinical symptoms can appear independently of their onset. Early onset Alzheimer’s in Columbia One recent study demonstrating groundbreaking research on AD, was carried out in collaboration with a group of 25 families from the Antioquia are... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/berry-spruijt-says-goodbye Title: Prof. Berry Spruijt says goodbye (but not really) Description: Prof. Dr. Berry M. Spruijt recently retired from his position at Utrecht University. I had the honor of attending the symposium that was organized to reflect on and celebrate his career. Content: Did you discover something new today? This was the question Prof. Berry Spruijt used to get from his kids on a daily basis. As little ones, they might have expected their father to come home with the Nobel Prize every day. While we normally focus on a specific study or type of research or research tools, today’s post is a little different. Prof. Dr. Berry M. Spruijt recently retired from his position at Utrecht University. I had the honor of attending the symposium that was organized to reflect on and celebrate his career. On Friday the 10th of April, Berry Spruijt and his family and friends looked back on his career at a symposium organized in his honor. Although he will now retire from his work at Utrecht University, Spruijt made it clear that he is not ready to say goodbye. It is a merely another point in his career, and this symposium was a great opportunity to reunite with former colleagues and old friends. Magic black box Several speakers were there to educate us, not only on the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/does-sex-simulated-patient-affect-cpr Title: Does the sex of a simulated patient affect CPR? Description: When faced with either a male or female patient simulator, both men and women rescuers appeared reluctant to remove a female patient simulator’s clothing. Content: It shouldn’t, but it does. Although men and women are equally at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, studies have found that women are less likely to be resuscitated – by both bystanders and medically-trained personnel. Chelsea Kramer and her colleagues discovered that in the experiment they set up, when faced with either a male or female patient simulator, both men and women rescuers appeared reluctant to remove a female patient simulator’s clothing, with men being significantly more hesitant to do so. However, the hand placement for CPR on the female was more ideal compared to on the male simulated patient. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Kramer and colleagues conducted their study in the Healthcare Human Factors and Simulation Laboratory (HHFSL) at the University of Calgary’s W21C Research and Innovation Centre. They invited 69 participant to the lab and set up two scenarios: an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with a male simulated patient and an OHCA with a female simulated patien... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/head-and-neck-positions-horse Title: Which head and neck positions are stressful for your horse during lunging? Description: Being a horse owner and a Noldus employee is the perfect combination when it comes to keeping track of the scientific background for my horseback riding hobby. Content: Being a horse owner and a Noldus employee is the perfect combination when it comes to keeping track of the scientific background for my horseback riding hobby. Since horses communicate differently than humans, I always wonder if I have a “happy athlete” when we are exercising together. Esmee Smiet and colleagues recently investigated the effects of different head and neck positions (HNPs) on behavior, heart rate variability (HRV) and cortisol levels in lunged Royal Dutch Sport horses. Interestingly, they were able to find significant differences in stress response between different head and neck positions, suggesting that there are indeed low stress and high stress ways to exercise your horse. Horses and people Almost all horse owners, from recreational riders to professional riders, have an opinion on the best way to train your horse. Recently, public awareness has been drawn to the welfare of sport horses and, in particular, dressage horses. For example, “Rollkur”- a position in dres... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/gait-research Title: Gait research: let your animals walk freely Description: Researchers use different ways to analyze gait in animals. In what instances would a study benefit from a system that is based on voluntary walking? Content: Researchers use different ways to analyze gait in animals. Basically we can distinguish two methods: one can either observe or measure gait in an unrestricted manner, or one chooses a forced manner, such as a treadmill or treadwheel. A while back I wrote a post about pros and cons of these methods. Recently, we got in some questions about different ways to measure gait and locomotion in rats and mice, and in what instances a research would benefit from a system that is based on voluntary walking. In this post I will be touching base on some of the factors you can keep in mind when choosing a method for your study. Just like real life Many studies aim to (eventually) find relevant solutions for clinical problems. One might argue that the closer your study resembles real life, the better. What physicians do is closely watch how their patients move while they walk towards and away from them. In a lab situation, you can do something similar by letting the animal walk and observe closely. T... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-effect-influenza-infection Title: Video-tracking the effect of influenza infection on ferrets Description: Ferrets are the ideal animal model to assess influenza virus infection and pathogenicity as they display similar clinical symptoms to humans such as sneezing, fever and lethargy. Content: A guest blogpost by Ding Yuan Oh, PhD Conventional ferret activity measurements by human observation Ferrets are the ideal animal model to assess influenza virus infection and pathogenicity as they display similar clinical symptoms to humans such as sneezing, fever and lethargy. Conventionally, lethargy or ferret activity is determined manually by an observer. However, this method is prone to bias and requires trained personnel to recognise subtle changes in individual ferret activity. Simple and less subjective method by video-tracking We assessed the usefulness of EthoVision XT as an alternative method to measure ferret activity throughout the course of influenza virus infection. We utilise mobility measurements such as activity, distance and velocity in EthoVision XT as a read-out of the ‘activity level’ of ferrets. In contrast to the conventional manual observation method, video-tracking by EthoVision XT proved to be a more sensitive method in detecting a reduction in ferret activi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavior-emotions-older-adults Title: Behavior and emotions of older adults Description: Can TV footage motivate older persons to start being more active? Being active can improve the overall health of a person (65+ but of course also 65-!). Content: With the predicted increase of the older persons population worldwide, it has become increasingly important to develop user-friendly products and services to assist older people in daily activities and improve their quality of life. Did you know that it is expected that in 2050 an estimated 1.5 billion people will be 65+, representing about 16% of the world’s population?[1] Research projects on behavior and emotions of older adults Worldwide researchers focus on aging and health. Some study eating behavior in residential care homes which enables them to take environmental factors into account. Others focus on family relations and communication and try to facilitate and improve contact between parents and children living a distance apart. MIME – a recent project Understanding and acting upon emotional signals is very important. Showing different facial expressions is one way to express emotions. Researchers at TNO started a project called MIME (Memory Banks Interactive Metadata Extracti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/10-studies-alzheimers-parkinsons Title: 10 behavioral studies on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Description: This blog post features 10 interesting studies that use innovative techniques to study models of AD and PD and important underlying neuronal mechanisms. Content: Tomorrow the 12th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (ADPD) in Nice, France starts. Last week I blogged about a study on Ginkgo biloba and Alzheimer's, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight some more studies and get you in the mood for the conference. 10 behavioral studies on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s This blog post features 10 interesting studies that use innovative techniques to study models of AD and PD and important underlying neuronal mechanisms. Gait analysis and locomotion Several methods can measure gait and locomotion, and using an automated one gives researchers many advantages. Let’s start with a recently developed technique called the ErasmusLadder method: a horizontal ladder with rungs that measures the motor performance but also learning abilities of mice. One of the great advantages of this method is that it is non-invasive. Specifically studying the cerebellum Vinueza Veloz et al. used this method to study the role... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/ginkgo-biloba-alzheimers Title: How Ginkgo biloba helps treat Alzheimer’s Description: Xu Liu and colleagues recently investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Content: Ginkgo biloba. Some of you might recognize it as a dietary supplement that is supposed to enhance cognitive function, but studies investigating these claims have mixed results. Xu Liu and colleagues recently investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Interestingly, they were able to confirm positive effects on AD pathology, such as improved memory, but only after long-term treatment. The cause of Alzheimer’s One of the major hallmarks of AD is the build-up of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques outside of the brain cells. These abnormal protein deposits cause inflammation, which damages the neurons, thus leading to the cognitive impairments seen in AD patients. A natural extract The dry extract from Ginkgo biloba leaves has exhibited anti-AD effects in several preclinical and clinical studies (for references, see the article from Liu et al.). To find out how this exactly works, Liu et al. focused on the effects of Ginkgo biloba on a molecular... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/deep-brain-imaging Title: Motivation and eating: deep brain imaging in freely moving mice Description: Craving a snack, the joy of eating it. The part of our brain that regulates this is the lateral hypothalamus. An interesting targer for addiction and eating disorder research. Content: Craving a certain snack, getting it from the fridge or at the store, then the joy of eating it. It’s a familiar ritual for most of us. Scientist say we are performing appetitive and consummatory behavior, and the part of our brain that regulates these behaviors is the lateral hypothalamus (LH). You can imagine that this is an important element in the investigation of, for example, addiction and eating disorders. The problem is that the LH seems to be a mosaic of different neurons with different functions, making it difficult to specifically target them. The mystery of the mosaic So while it is widely known that the LH holds this crucial role, the precise functions and mechanisms of its many different neurons are still largely unknown. Joshua Jennings, Randall Ung, and their colleagues at the Stuber Lab (University of North Carolina) unraveled a part of this mystery when they identified and investigated a specific subpopulation of LH neurons. They did so by applying sophisticated techni... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-autistic-fruit-flies-behave Title: How autistic fruit flies behave Description: The number of children diagnosed with developmental disorders has increased exponentially in the past 20 yearschemicals such as BPA have been under investigation lately. Content: The number of children with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased exponentially in the past 20 years: one out of six children in the US now suffers from a developmental disability. Of course some might say this sharp incline is due to better diagnostics and increased awareness; but whether or not this is the case, such a high prevalence is concerning. And since the environment is considered a strong contributor, chemicals such as BPA have been under investigation lately. BPA and developmental disorders BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used in plastic containers and the lining of food and beverage cans, meaning that a lot of us are exposed to it on a daily basis. BPA has been suggested to play a role in developmental disorders such as ASD. Thousands of studies have investigated the effects of BPA on rats, mice, monkeys, and zebrafish. Far fewer studies have been done with Drosophila melanogaster, w... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-visitor-behavior Title: Location is everything: Measuring visitor behavior Description: Want to know where the action is? Interested in getting real-time feedback about a conference, concert, or event hotspots? Read more about the Crowd Emotion Monitor app. Content: Want to know where the action is? Interested in getting real-time feedback about a conference, concert, or event hotspots? At the Measuring Behavior conference in August 2014, a number of meeting participants took part in an exciting experiment in which they received real-time updates on their own smartphones about the “hotness” of several conference events. Did this information lead them to the most interesting lectures, booths, or poster sessions? Crowd Emotion Monitor and SWEET These conference delegates were the first to test out a special app called the Crowd Emotion Monitor, which they installed on their own phones. This app was created with the goal of enhancing the overall user experience during conferences and other events. With further development, it could potentially also increase safety at mass events by monitoring the emotion of a crowd. Below you can see examples of the app (screenshots). SWEET is short for Sense & Tweet. In this project a software tool is being develope... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-behavior-of-fragile-x-mice Title: How to measure the social behavior of Fragile X mice Description: 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. Content: Fragile X syndrome (FXS), formerly known as mental retardation, is a common developmental disorder with a prevalence of 1 in 3600 to 4000 males and 1 in 4000 to 6000 females (www.fragilex.org). Besides the intellectual challenges, patients often show behavioral abnormalities, which in a large part of the male patients strongly resembles autism-like behavior. Unfortunately, treatment of FXS is limited to the symptoms – think of behavioral therapy or pharmaceuticals to treat attentional deficits, anxiety, and impulse control problems. Finding a treatment According to Celine de Esch and her colleagues at Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), one of the factors currently holding back drug development is the difficulty of finding a reliable behavioral test for neurobiological studies and drug screening. Their recent paper in Neurobiology of Disease describes a good candidate: the Automated Tube Test (ATT). Automated Tube Test The ATT is an apparatus with two goal boxes connected by a tub... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/l-dopa-and-parkinsonian-rats Title: Side effects of L-DOPA investigated in parkinsonian rats Description: These studies specifically investigate the long-term effects of L-DOPA or levopoda, a common clinical treatment for Parkinson's disease, with which many patients struggle. Content: Just recently, I blogged about a Parkinson’s disease (PD) study that compared the locomotion of Parkinsonian rats to those of human patients using automated gait analysis. Following up on that, this time I would like to highlight two recent Parkinson’s studies that use video tracking for their behavioral analysis. These studies specifically investigate the long-term effects of L-DOPA or levopoda, a common clinical treatment for PD, with which many patients struggle. Side effects of common PD treatment Shortage of dopamine in the brain is the well-known cause of PD. L-DOPA (levodopa) is often used to treat PD, but while it initially compensates for the dopamine deficiency, inhibitory feedback eventually leads to more dopamine depletion, resulting in dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements), motor fluctuations, and the ‘wearing-off’ of the effects of the medication. Open field motor and exploratory behaviors In 2014, Susanne Nikolaus and her colleagues published their research on the in... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parkinsons-gait-impairment Title: Parkinson’s & gait impairment: comparing rats and humans Description: Gait impairment is one of the most prominent symptoms of Parkinson's disease. For good research you need good models and good tests. Content: When you hear about Parkinson’s disease (PD), the first thing that comes to mind is probably impaired movement. And that there is no cure. As PD is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, you can imagine why it is the focus of many drug development and clinical studies. Studying gait impairment of PD Dr. Ming Zhou and colleagues (Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China) felt that gait impairment, though it is one of the most prominent symptoms of PD, is still insufficiently studied in research. Before learning how to treat any symptoms, however, you first need to be able to examine them in detail. Simply put, you’ll need two basic ingredients; good models and good tests. Parkinsonism in rats PD – its symptoms, neurology, and possible treatments – is often studied in rat models. Dr. Zhou et al. first created different rat models for PD and compared their locomotion to clinical symptoms in human patients. A common method to induce Parkinsonism in rats is by injecting oxi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/males-females-differences-autism Title: How males and females are different: can this explain autism? Description: Women and Venus, men and Mars, right? In mice, the establishment of social hierarchies is sex-dependent. Content: Women and Venus, men and Mars, right? Men and women are fundamentally, biologically, and emotionally different. We also act differently in social situations. Wouter van den Berg and his colleagues at the Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) recently published an interesting study that, using mice, shows the establishment of social hierarchies as being sex-dependent. Autism caused by an extreme male brain? These sex differences are especially interesting in light of the ‘extreme male brain theory’ that suggests that autism behavior is actually an exaggeration of typical sex differences. In their 2006 paper, Knickmeyer and Baron-Cohen suggest that high testosterone levels during prenatal and neonatal brain development play a causal role in the development of autism. Organizational effects of hormones in early development Population-based studies have shown that autism occurs two to three times more often in males than in females. Also, testosterone is vital in t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-non-verbal-behavior-matters Title: Why non-verbal behavior matters Description: Basil Preisig and his colleagues at the University of Bern, Switzerland, were especially interested in communicative development of people diagnosed with language disorders like aphasia. Content: Take a typical conversation: Hello, how are you? Fine! How are you? {pause} Fine! Shall we …….etcetera. The opening of this conversation is highly structured, isn’t it? The process of turn taking is a crucial and cooperative aspect of conversational speech. Gestures are also of great importance. When your feet are already turned to the door, you are getting ready to run out. Try to read your own signals and you will see! Conversation closers In a conversation we include hints like conversation openers, closers, and shifters. It’s a feeling we’re all familiar with: you’re trying desperately to end a conversation, and the other person keeps on talking and does not read the clues you are giving. You say: “Anyway… “ {…Person B keeps talking} “see you Thursday, all right?” and edge toward the door… {Person B talks over you.} “Thursday noon, was it, right?” {Person B still doesn’t get the hint to leave.}…and so on. In this frustrating exchange, Person B repeatedly ignores your conversation c... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-young-zebrafish-cope-with-stress Title: How young zebrafish cope with stress Description: Stress is a natural thing, and how we cope with it differs from person to person. In research, we use the term coping style, something that emerges early on in life for zebrafish. Content: We are all a bit stressed from time to time. Maybe some of you a bit more than usual right now, it being the post-holiday, catch-up-with-everything season and all… But stress is a natural thing, and how we cope with it differs from person to person. In research, we use the term coping style. And now Christian Tudorache and his colleagues from Leiden University (The Netherlands) have found that these coping styles emerge early on in life, or at least they do in zebrafish. They recently published a paper in Stress. Coping styles based on the emerging test Coping styles can be defined as either proactive or reactive, with proactive individuals being more explorative, bold and aggressive, while reactive animals are shy, nonexploratory and nonagressive. To investigate the difference in behavior and physiology between young individuals with different coping styles, Tudorache and his colleagues used an emergence test to identify zebrafish larvae (8 days post fertilization) as early emerging (... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zinc-deficiency-depression Title: Zinc deficiency, depression and electrical signals in the brain Description: Depression has a dramatic effect on quality of life because it results in a persistent low mood that is accompanied by a low self-esteem and a loss of interest in things that give pleasure. Content: Major depressive disorder The chance that one of us will suffer from a major depressive episode during our life is approximately 10% [1]. Depression has a dramatic effect on quality of life because it results in a persistent low mood that is accompanied by a low self-esteem and a loss of interest in things that give pleasure [2]. Reason enough to carry out research on the background of major depression. Current versus new medicines Traditional medicines to treat a major depression increase the activity of monoamine neurotransmitters like serotonine or dopamine. However, it may take four to six weeks before these medicines have any effect and for a large percentage of people, they do not work at all. More recently, focus has shifted towards N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), which allow transfer of electrical signals between neurons in the brain and the spine. Treatment with ketamine, which is an NMDAR inhibitor, had an antidepressant effect on patients that are resistant to monoam... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fearful-chicken Title: Fearful chicken: Fear affects stress, behavior patterns, and other individuals Description: Elske de Haas, Ph.D. studied the effects of fearfulness on the chickens' own behavior and physiology, but also what it did to other individuals. Content: A guest blog post by Elske de Haas, Ph.D. Fear and stress Being fearful is a state which most humans have experienced at some point in their life. By being easily frightened and anxious, many species show to be very sensitive to stress. Many studies have shown that anxiety can be influenced by the neurophysiological characteristics of an individual. It appears that heightened levels of corticosterone as well as low levels of serotonin constitute to many neuro-pathological disorders, such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). To chicken out We studied the domesticated laying hen chicken (Gallus Gallus domesticus), and found that levels of serotonin coincide with high levels of anxiety and development of feather pecking, a maladaptive behavior which shows similarities with the human OCD trichotillomania [1,2]. We used the Observer XT to assess fearful behavior of young chickens inside the Open Field. The chickens that responded highly fearful were found to be more reacti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/health-information-doctor-patient-interaction Title: The impact of health information technology on doctor-patient interaction Description: Embracing the technological advances of the last decade, many health care professionals have incorporated information technology into their daily routines. Content: Embracing the technological advances of the last decade, many health care professionals have incorporated information technology into their daily routines. Doctors can carry patient files around on their tablets or laptops and can quickly update a status when needed. Convenience has without a doubt increased, but does such easy access to technology impact the quality of doctor-patient interactions? Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine examined and compared clinically experienced primary care physicians’ use of paper medical records and an electronic health record (EHR) (Asan et al., 2014) in order to gain insight into doctor-patient interaction. Human or technology centered? Dr. Onur Asan and colleagues explain that a recent study (Asan and Montague, 2012) identified three different interaction styles that primary care physicians may use with an EHR in the examination room: (1) t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/aphid-predators Title: Ladybugs and lacewings do not spy on their prey’s alarm pheromone Description: Leaf sucking creatures like plant aphids are common and can cause considerable damage to plants. Therefore, quite a lot of effort is made to control these tiny creatures. Content: Leaf sucking creatures like plant aphids are common and can cause considerable damage to plants. Therefore, quite a lot of effort is made to control these tiny creatures. And because of environmental awareness, sustainable methods to control aphids are well developed. Aphids can be controlled successfully with ladybugs (Coccinella septempunctata) and also with lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea). Both species are natural enemies of aphids. How do aphid predators find their prey? Aphids are maximally a few millimeters in size, which makes it difficult to see them by eye, especially from a longer distance. This is something that natural enemies will have to deal with. If they cannot use vision to locate their prey, what feature should they then use? Are odors perhaps more useful? Odors are well known to mediate the interaction between plant-eating insects and their natural enemies [1, 2]. It is, for example, common that natural enemies spy on odors that the plant-eating insects use to communi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mice-cerebellar-plasticity Title: How to really challenge mice cerebellar plasticity Description: Jan-Willem Potters used the ErasmusLadder in his thesis research to study the role of specific mutations of plasticity in the cerebellar microcircuit of mice. Content: Guest post by Jan-Willem Potters Successful locomotion and the maintenance of balance is the result of an intricate collaboration of the sensory system, sensorimotor integration and the motor system. Needless to say, there are many parts of the brain that work together to carry out this type of behavior. Locomotion is affected in many different neurological diseases, and is an interesting candidate to study symptoms in detail and the effect of possible therapies of these diseases. The cerebellum and behavior During my PhD, I studied the role of the cerebellum in different aspects of behavior, ranging from simple reflex-like movements to complex systems such as emotion and cognition. One of the questions our group investigates is how exactly the cerebellum (or ‘little brain’) is involved in locomotion. For scientists that work on the cerebellum there are several interesting reasons to study locomotion. First, patients with cerebellar diseases often display ataxic gait, characterized by... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/sniffing-indicator-tastiness Title: Picky cats and tasty food – sniffing is an indicator for tastiness Description: Cats can be extremely picky when it comes to food. If the cat doesn’t like it, it will refuse to eat. Reason enough for the pet food industry to try to find out what cats really like. Content: Picky cats Any cat owner will acknowledge the fact that cats can be extremely stubborn. They let you hear loud and clear that they want to come in, but when you open the door, they just sit at the doorstep and stare at you. And they can be extremely picky when it comes to food. If the cat doesn’t like it, it will refuse to eat. Reason enough for the pet food industry to try to find out what cats really like. Testing food tastiness Traditionally, the palatability of cat food is assessed by looking at consumption. Cats generally are given the choice between two types of food that are offered simultaneously during a couple of hours. These tests are a bit like a black box, the actual cause of preference remains unknown. Furthermore, it is unclear what the food intake will be when cats have no choice. Cat behavior Aurélie Becques and colleagues (2014) studied food preference of cats in more detail. They followed the cats for two days in a no-choice situation with either tasty or unpalatable... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/high-throughput-method-natural-behavior-mice Title: A high-throughput method to screen natural behavior of mice Description: Traditional standard tests with rats or mice are carried out immediately after human interference. Therefore, the behavior of the animals may not be natural and spontaneous. Content: Standard behavioral tests Traditional standard tests with rats or mice to study human diseases or to test drugs generally take minutes to a few hours. A combination of these tests can give valuable information about the behavior of the rodents. However, these tests are carried out immediately after human interference. Therefore, the behavior of the animals may not be natural and spontaneous. To study spontaneous behavior, long-term studies in the rodents’ home cage are more suitable[1]. Long-term behavioral observation The PhenoTyper home cage observation unit is a cage with a top-view camera. The rodent behavior is analyzed with EthoVision XT video tracking software. Rats or mice can be followed over a long time period without the necessity to carry out labor-intensive experiments. This makes it possible to study the natural behavior of rats and mice in their home environment. Furthermore, it gives a wealth of behavioral data, with hardly any human effort. But which of these data are... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/senses-distraction Title: Making sense of the senses: The real cost of paying attention Description: We live in a demanding world: the snort of an email, the squeal of a text, fare alerts, breaking news, SQUIRREL! What was I saying? Oh yes, we live in a distracted world. Content: We live in a demanding world: the snort of an email, the squeal of a text, fare alerts, breaking news, SQUIRREL! What was I saying? Oh yes, we live in a distracted world. With DVRs holding thousands of hours of entertainment; phones and tablets keeping us occupied while we watch those thousands of DVRed hours, it seems that something always has our attention. But what does that really mean? The term itself is used a bit like a commodity: always demanding that we pay for it. The affectionally dubbed “Brain Bank” allows a controlled bit of withdrawal at any given moment. We are literally trapped in a world bombarded by sensory information. As you read this, you are neglecting your world in order to process these words. What do you hear right now? What sweater are you wearing? Now are you thinking about what you are going to wear tomorrow? Or what’s on your calendar? SQUIRREL! Please allow me to withdrawal a bit of currency from your Brain Bank to discuss the real cost of paying attention... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/anxiety-ancient-crayfish Title: Anxiety is ancient – how crayfish resemble vertebrates Description: Fear is something we all know. It changes our behavior: we freeze, try to escape, or respond with aggression. Fear can also cause anxiety, which is a more complex phenomenon. Content: Fear and anxiety Fear is something we all know. It changes our behavior: we freeze, try to escape, or respond with aggression. Fear can also cause anxiety, which is a more complex phenomenon. While fear disappears when the source is absent, anxiety stays when there is no threat anymore. Rodents, for example, avoid the open arms of an Elevated Plus Maze when they previously were subjected to stress 1,2. Chemistry behind anxiety Anxiety is well-studied in humans, rodents, and zebrafish larvae. There are remarkable similarities between these three vertebrate groups in anxiety behavior and chemical pathways associated with it. Serotonine induces anxiety and benzodiazepine makes it disappear. These compounds are involved in two different chemical pathways, the serotonergic pathway and a pathway in which ɣ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a role. Anxiety in invertebrates Up till now, hardly any research has been done on fear and anxiety in invertebrates. But this has now changed. Fossat et al.... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/inhibitory-avoidance-learning-zebrafish Title: Inhibitory avoidance learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio) Description: The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly being used as model in behavioural, neurobiological and genetic research. Content: By Remy Manuel, Marnix Gorissen and Ruud van den Bos(email: r.manuel@science.ru.nl , m.gorissen@science.ru.nl & r.vandenbos@science.ru.nl ) The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly being used as model in behavioural, neurobiological and genetic research. Underlying reasons are high genetic homology to humans and the many advantages over the use of rodents, such as low cost, easy handling, short reproduction cycle and high fecundity. Furthermore, its genome, transcriptome and proteome are well described, making the species a model of choice for behavioural research linked to genetics. An emerging field addresses learning and memory related to anxiety and fear behaviour, which has been studied through inhibitory avoidance paradigms [1,2]. Assessment of inhibitory avoidance learning in zebrafish is based on the conflict between entering a dark area to avoid a brightly lit area (innate response; innate anxiety) and avoiding this dark area, as it has been associated with an electric shoc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-interaction-task-couples Title: Measuring experiential, behavioral, and physiological outputs Description: In a romantic relationship, it is undoubtedly important to show support when one’s partner shares his or her accomplishments and positive life events. Content: In a romantic relationship, it is undoubtedly important to show support when one’s partner shares his or her accomplishments and positive life events. Retelling and reliving such events can evoke certain emotions, but the listener’s response often impacts the storyteller’s attitude as well. To simulate this process, researchers Samuel Monfort and colleagues created a structured social interaction task with couples: 1) positive event of one partner, 2) disclosure of the event to the other partner, and 3) clear communication of a capitalization response that ranged from actively destructive to enthusiastic, supportive and constructive. Integrating multiple modalities Monfort and his team set out to capture a full range of emotional responses and therefore measured experiential (subjective feelings), behavioral (facial-motor activity), and physiological (skin conductance) outputs. Behavior and physiology are closely linked; as Patrick Zimmerman and his colleagues explain, more and more re... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/motor-functioning-mice Title: Walking the ladder: testing the cellular source of motor functioning in mice Description: The cerebellum, our “little brain”, is all about motor control; more specifically, it’s about coordination, precision, and timing. Content: The cerebellum, our “little brain”, is all about motor control; more specifically, it’s about coordination, precision, and timing. So when the functioning of the cerebellum is compromised, incoordination of movement (ataxia) occurs. Ataxia is found in many neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and early onset Alzheimer’s. Cerebellar cell types functioning Purkinje cells, interneurons, and granule cells of the cerebellar cortex play an important role in reflexive types of motor learning, as we can tell from studies using the eye blink test and vestibulo-ocular testing. But since their role in more complex behaviors is not well understood, Maria Fernanda Vinueza Veloz and her colleagues decided to study the role of each one of these cell types in motor learning, locomotor adaptation, motivation and avoidance behavior using several knock-out mouse strains and testing them on the ErasmusLadder. The ErasmusLadder: unique motor learning testing The ErasmusLadder is an instrument for test... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/test-dietary-preferences-horses Title: What a horse likes to eat: how to test dietary preferences Description: Redgate and colleagues looked into the addition of a monadic phase (a phase in which only one food was offered at a time instead of all of the options) to choice testing. Content: When humans are given a choice of food, we usually go for the best-tasting option. Animals also have a preference in which food they eat, although theirs is not based on taste necessarily, but on nutritional value. This choice feeding can be used to learn more about an animal’s nutritional needs and dietary preferences. However, in animals such as horses, there is a long gut transit time, which means that the horse may have difficulty making the connection between which chosen food has which nutritional consequence. So what can be done about this? Redgate and colleagues looked into the addition of a monadic phase (a phase in which only one food was offered at a time instead of all of the options) to choice testing. For this study, researchers wanted to see how a monadic training phase would impact the horse’s choice of food and if voluntary intake and feeding behavior would be influenced if the energy content was constant, but the macronutrient diet was different. The experiment Seven... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-fish-aggression Title: The accuracy of measuring fish aggression by using mirror tests Description: To examine the response of cichlids to their mirror image, Balzarini et al. used three sympatric species from Lake Tanganyika and did the mirror test for measuring aggression. Content: When we look into a mirror, we see a reflection of ourselves. As humans, we are aware that this is only a reflection and not actually another living person. However, very few animal species are able to acknowledge that their reflection is not another one of their species which could pose a threat to them. Capuchin monkeys, grey parrots, and elephants are among the few that are able to recognize their mirror image. A majority of animal species, including fish, treat the image in the mirror as a conspecific. As a result, it would make sense that a mirror test could be a good indicator of aggression, especially in fish. However, Valentina Balzarini and colleagues questioned this widespread method, noting recent studies which had shown that hormonal and gene expression responses differed between the fish being exposed to a conspecific or a reflection of itself. Three different species of fish To examine the response of cichlids to their mirror image, Balzarini et al. used three sympatric s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/food-scarcity-and-caching-fox-squirrels Title: The relationship between food scarcity and caching in fox squirrels Description: We’ve all seen squirrels carrying acorns around in their mouths and burying them in the ground. This is a way to hoard food, and most squirrels use a strategy called scatter-hoarding. Content: We’ve all seen squirrels carrying acorns around in their mouths and burying them in the ground. This is a way to hoard food, and most squirrels use a strategy called scatter-hoarding. Instead of storing all of their excess food in one spot for easy access later, squirrels spread their food around in so many different caches that it is hard to believe they could find all of the spots again later. However, a squirrel has a choice to make when it comes across a food item – will it cache it and save it for later or will the squirrel eat it right there? Several factors play into this, such as quality, perishability, and scarcity. Mikel Delgado et al. studied how these different factors had an impact on the food-storing decisions of adult fox squirrels. To cache or not to cache? An animal which hoards survives by depending on the caches it has made. Therefore, it is important that it be able to determine the quality of the food that it decides to keep in caches before it goes to the trouble... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-wild-cavies-domesticated-guinea-pigs-differ Title: How wild cavies and domesticated guinea pigs differ Description: 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? Content: Domestication has a considerable effect on the behavior of animals, which is not very surprising. The dramatic change in their environment and provision of food and shelter alter the need for behaviors such as exploration and social behaviors. But what exactly is the difference? Domesticated vs wild animals Not many studies have compared the behaviors of wild and domesticated animals. When they do, such as with guinea pigs, they mostly compare adults. Zipser et al. were curious to find out whether the differences in behavior between domesticated guinea pigs and the wild cavies were also found earlier on, and so they compared these species during the early and late phase of adolescence. They compared 10 male guinea pigs to 8 wild cavies. All tests were done twice: during each phase of adolescence, and recorded on video. Behavior was measured and analyzed using The Observer XT. Emotional guinea pigs Emotionality of the animals was investigated using a variety of tests. In the open field... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/welfare-shelter-dogs Title: The impact of visitor access in a shelter on the welfare of shelter dogs Description: If you’ve ever been to a shelter to adopt a dog, you know that when you walk into the holding area, the dogs can get very noisy. Content: If you’ve ever been to a shelter to adopt a dog, you know that when you walk into the holding area, the dogs can get very noisy. At the introduction of a stranger to the room their kennels are in, the dogs will start barking, which encourages the other dogs around them to bark as well. Barking has been documented as a stressor for dog, as have repetitive behavior and lots of movement. All of these behaviors seem to increase by the access of visitors to the kennel area. Lynn Hewison and colleagues decided to investigate if preventing visitor access to the dogs could lower stress levels and therefore increase general welfare of the animals. The experiment Researchers determined that a cross-over design would not be possible because the dogs that had access to the visitors would still influence the dogs that had prohibited visitor access. So instead, the set up was two weeks of pre-intervention (which was used as the baseline), two weeks of intervention during which there was prohibited v... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-mother-infant-behavior Title: Adolescent Motherhood – observing mother-infant behavior Description: Adolescent mothers are tackling their transition to adulthood and the transition to parenthood. This is called the double risk for mother and infant, inherent in adolescent motherhood. Content: Teenagers have the perfect life, right? Living at mom and dad’s, eating without worrying about gaining weight, and relaxing all the way through high school. Unfortunately, not all adolescents have an easy-peasy life. Some have to study to achieve good grades and others have to deal with grownup problems on top of dealing with the emotional ups and downs of adolescence. What about teenage moms? Next to dealing with a newborn, adolescent mothers are tackling their transition to adulthood (taking more distance from parental figures) and the transition to parenthood (the nurturing of an infant and caring for his or her physical and emotional needs). This is called the double risk for mother and infant, inherent in adolescent motherhood. (Riva Crugnola et al. 2014) Double risk – invest in a solution Current research from Prof. Cristina Riva Crugnola, University of Milano-Bicocca tells us that adolescent mothers as well as their babies (vs. adult mother and infant interactions) spent more ti... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/internal-clock-gene-mice Title: How an internal clock gene can alter innate behaviors in mice Description: Some might argue that laboratory mice are not the same as wild mice, yet they remain capable of performing the innate, routine behaviors necessary to survive in natural environments, such as courtship and nest-building, Content: Some might argue that laboratory mice are not the same as wild mice, yet they remain capable of performing the innate, routine behaviors necessary to survive in natural environments, such as courtship, nest-building, and exploratory activities. Still, their ‘non-natural’ (read: laboratory) environment may limit them in the expression of these behaviors. Circadian rhythmicity The internal circadian clock is of fundamental importance for animals to anticipate recurring events and ensuring basic behaviors, such as gathering food and building a nest, occur in time. One of the ways we influence the animal’s natural capacity to perform these and other innate behaviors is by altering the light/dark cycle in a laboratory setting. Internal clock functioning In addition to the external environment, proper functioning of the internal clock also depends on biological factors such as genes; specifically, the Per1 gene Bechstein et al. took a closer look at the role of the Per1 gene in cyclical beha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/interspecific-aggression-dolphins Title: Interspecific aggression: spotted dolphins vs. bottlenose dolphins Description: In the animal kingdom, competition is a part of life. Dominance hierarchies are common both within a group in a species (intergroup) or between two different species (interspecific). Content: In the animal kingdom, competition is a part of life. Dominance hierarchies are common both within a group in a species (intergroup) or between two different species (interspecific). These hierarchies often result in aggression as the groups fight for dominance. It would make sense, therefore, that two species who are similar in status in the dominance hierarchy would have an unstable relationship and therefore engage in interspecific aggression continuously over time. One example of two species consistently engaging in interspecific aggression to establish dominance would be the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Building on previous research This is not the first study done on the Atlantic spotted dolphin and Atlantic bottlenose dolphin populations at Little Bahama Bank in the Bahamas. These species have been observed since 1985 in the Wild Dolphin Project’s long-term study. The previous years of study have revealed t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/welfare-therapy-dogs Title: The welfare of therapy dogs Description: Dogs have been used with adult substance abuse patients in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Why use dogs in therapy? The impact of animal-assisted therapy on the dogs. Content: As anyone who owns a pet could probably tell you, animals are great comforts to their human partners. The relationship between animal and human can go beyond just pet and owner, however, and become a therapeutic relationship. For example, dogs have been used with adult substance abuse patients in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Why use dogs in therapy? They can be a good motivator for participation in an intervention and become a source of trust and comfort to the patient, thus improving the chance of therapy success. There has been a lot of research done on the impact that using dogs in therapy can have on humans. But what about the effect it has on the welfare of the dogs? The impact of animal-assisted therapy on the dogs Although research has focused mainly on the impact of using dogs in therapy for humans, there still is another side to this story. There have been few attempts to monitor the welfare of the animals – in this case, the dog’s ab... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-measure-emotions-pigs Title: How to measure emotions in pigs Description: A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test.In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors are scored. Content: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about why social pigs do better . This week, one of the researchers in this project, Inonge Reimert explains about the novel object/novel environment test they performed. Exploring or looking for an escape? A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test (Forkman et al., 2007). In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors such as walking, standing, standing alert/freezing, and number of defecations and vocalizations are generally scored. Although these behaviors can provide insight into how fearful an animal was during the test (e.g. Boissy, 1995; Manteuffel et al., 2004; Mendl and Paul, 2004), they also may lead to confusion in this respect. For example, if an animal is found to be very mobile, does this indicate that the animal is not fearful and merely exploring the arena, or does it indicate that the animal is looking for an escape and is thus afraid (Rutherford et al.,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/improve-your-open-field-testing Title: 6 things you must consider to improve your open field testing Description: Here are six recommendations the authors list to improve the translational and predictive value of behavioral readouts. Content: Last week we talked about the new publication by Berry Spruijt and his colleagues in Journal of Neuroscience Methods, in which they tell us about the limitations of classical behavioral tests such as the open field. The article focused particularly on the great lack of reliability and validity in the use of these tests within and across laboratories. So what can we do to fix this problem? Here are six recommendations the authors list to improve the translational and predictive value of behavioral readouts: 1. Research context As mentioned in the previous post, behavioral tests are generally used for two different purposes. Behavior can be used as a simple indicator, in which it has limited explanatory power, or it can be studied to understand its functional role. According to Spruijt et al. the classical tests are sufficient for the first purpose. However, understanding the biological function of behavior requires more. The latter should be done in natural, more ethological settings (e... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-testing-improve-your-open-field-test Title: The do’s and don’ts in behavioral testing: improve your open field test Description: Scientists have been performing open field tests for quite some time now. Over the years it has become one of the most popular tests in rodent behavioral research. So what’s not to love? Content: Scientists have been performing open field tests for quite some time now. For eighty years, to be exact. And over the years it has become one of the most popular tests in rodent behavioral research, as it allows the researcher to study (locomotor) activity, exploration, and anxiety all in one test environment. So what’s not to love? It’s easy, short, and straight-forward. Plus, it is a highly validated test…or is it? In their recent review in Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Berry Spruijt (Professor of Ethology and Animal Welfare, Utrecht University, the Netherlands) and his colleagues tell us that, like most of the popular classical tests, it is actually not well validated. This is a well-known problem in behavioral research. In fact, specific for the open field test, there seems to be a lack of reliability and validity. Despite all the efforts labs put into standardizing their methods and procedures, there is still a great amount of variability in behavioral results within and across... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optimizing-pollination Title: Insect damage on leaves changes the reproductive strategy of plants Description: We all know that the majority of plant species depends on pollinators, like bees and syrphid flies, for reproduction. What most of us do not know is that this process is far more complex than it looks at first sight. Content: Optimizing pollination We all know that the majority of plant species depends on pollinators, like bees and syrphid flies, for reproduction. What most of us do not know is that this process is far more complex than it looks at first sight. Think about it: pollinators do not visit flowers to transfer pollen, but to collect nectar. If the amount of nectar in the flowers is too large, the pollinators will not visit other flowers to collect more, so no pollen is transferred to other plants. Conversely, if the amount of nectar is too small, it will not pay for the pollinators to visit those flowers. So plants have to fine-tune the nectar production in their flowers to optimize pollination. And did you know that some plant species even add toxins to their nectar, which stimulates pollinators to move to other plants, bringing the pollen with them [1]? Caterpillar damage and seed production The story gets even more complicated when plant-eating insects become involved. Plants may have to chang... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-regenerate-measure-their-recovery Title: How zebrafish regenerate (and how to measure their recovery) Description: We all know of animals that are able to regenerate: lizards that grow back their tails, flatworms that can grow into new worms when cut in half. Zebrafish have this special ability as well. Content: We all know of animals that are able to regenerate: lizards that grow back their tails, flatworms that can grow into new worms when cut in half. Zebrafish have this special ability as well. You can’t cut them in half and expect two new zebrafish, but there are parts of their body that are able to regenerate, such as heart tissue. The heart cell can divide to replenish missing tissue; interestingly, this property is also shown in a newborn mouse heart, but is lost as the mouse matures (European Biopharmaceutical Review, April issue). The key to spinal cord injury treatment? Regenerative abilities may also be the key to spinal cord injury treatment; yet another good reason for scientists to study zebrafish in the lab. They may hold the key to the development of important therapies for spinal cord injury, as Liping Ma and colleagues show us in the April issue of PLOS ONE. Special enzyme Spinal cord injury often leads to permanent disabilities in humans (and other mammals), but zebrafish c... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-zebrafish-are-changing-neuroscience Title: How zebrafish are changing neuroscience Description: 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. Content: Zebrafish. This small little fish is a vertebrate, and a relatively complex one at that. Looking at all the major neurotransmitters and hormones that are investigated in neuroscience, they are as good of a model as many mammalian species. Indeed, recent studies have shown how they are ideal for testing in behavioral domains such as anxiety, sociality, sleep, reward, and cognition. Only fifteen years ago researchers thought fish were too simple, but zebrafish have proven their worth and so Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry is dedicating a special issue to this striped creature. Allan Kalueff and his colleagues have written the preface to this issue and introduce us elegantly into the world of zebrafish and brain disorder research. The zebrafish fan club Why have neuroscientists grown so fond of zebrafish? Kalueff et al. list a great number of reasons. They make a great in-vivo model, offering great translational value due to common organ systems and cell types... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/objective-tests-predicting-autism-severity Title: Are there objective tests for predicting autism severity? Description: Some disorders cannot simply be diagnosed with a blood test or tissue-culture. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a good example; its diagnosis relies upon behavioral tests and questionnaires. Content: Some disorders cannot simply be diagnosed with a blood test or tissue-culture. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a good example; its diagnosis relies upon behavioral tests and questionnaires. Both are inherently subjective – you can imagine that research, diagnosis, and treatment of autism would benefit from a more efficient and objective way to measure behavior and quantify the severity of autism. FREE WHITE PAPER: Autism Research Download the free White paper to learn how and why observational research methods are used in autism research. Why observe behavior How to observe behavior in a structured way What research tools are available Download Video tracking children with ASD Ira Cohen and his colleagues have made some significant steps in this direction in recent years. We wrote about his research last year in this blog post, telling you about how video tracking data correlated with the severity of autism in children. This research was presented at the International Meeting for Aut... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/physiological-and-behavioral-analysis Title: Physiological and behavioral analysis: coping with stress Description: Having a behavioral coping strategy means that a person can regulate emotions and deal with stressful situations. Content: Coping with stress I may be atypical, but for the ease of explaining coping mechanisms in stressful situations, I put myself in the spotlight. I am afraid of heights, spiders, mice, rats, ants, horror movies, needles, and skiing downhill at high speed. So to keep myself from going crazy, I sometimes need to lower my stress levels. How? For example, when watching a scary movie, I tend to look away from the screen when it gets really scary. In those cases, I immediately feel my stress levels reduce. I can breathe again and my heart rate lowers. That’s how I cope with stress. Science tells us that when confronted with a stimulus that is threatening, a person can either adopt a vigilant strategy by looking more at the stimulus or an avoidant strategy by looking away. Having a behavioral coping strategy means that a person can regulate emotions and deal with stressful situations. Gaze aversion Danielle de Veld and colleagues from the Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmege... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-wolves-cry-out-for-their-friends Title: Why wolves cry out for their friends Description: 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. Content: 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. These calls are a functional way of long-distance communication, not only for wolves but also other species such as birds and mammals. So the functional importance of this behavior seems evident. But what actually makes a wolf cry? Is it because it misses its friends? Or is it simply something its body tells it to do? Howling for pack members Researchers at the Wolf Science Center in Austria noticed that whenever a wolf was taken out for a walk, the pack members left behind howled. They always cried out for the one that left. Last year, they published a study (Mazzini et al., 2013) which explains why. Why do they cry? One possible mechanism driving the howling could be a purely physiological one. In other words, the body automatically reacts by howling when a pack member leaves or when other members howl. I... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/healthcare-communication-dealing-emotions Title: Healthcare communication - dealing with emotions Description: Communication studies have shown that breaking bad news is best be done immediately and with clear wording. What is the best step forward? Content: The importance of dealing with emotions in medical encounters Unfortunately, sometimes doctors have to give bad news to their patients. Communication studies have shown that breaking bad news is best be done immediately and with clear wording. What is the best step forward? From previous research, we know that hearing bad news evokes physiological arousal. In an aroused condition, it can be hard to stay focused. The information density of a medical encounter can be quite overwhelming. Since doctors explain treatment options and implications in a medical encounter, it is important that the patient recalls the information given to be able to take a well-founded decision. In a recent study, researchers gave the following advice: Clinicians should deal with patients’ emotions before providing additional medical information (Sep et al., 2014). Affective communication Milou Sep and colleagues explain how behavioral research techniques can help us understand and improve doctor-patient interac... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-mark-zebrafish Title: How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior Description: 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. Content: How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior is a recurring question in zebrafish research. They may have just found the answer to this at the University of Toronto, Mississauga (Canada). Cheung et al. tried out a method using subcutaneous injection with dyes. How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior Clipping fins and adding tags There have been many advances in methods and techniques for experiments with zebrafish, but identifying individuals seems like a difficult problem to tackle. You can’t just tell from the pattern of their stripes like with zebras, so even the trained eye can’t tell them apart. Many researchers use markings – clipping the fins in a specific way. It’s a relatively easy method, but because these fins are mainly transparent, these markings are difficult to see. Moreover, clipping fins might interfere with the fish’s swimming abilities, which poses a new problem, especially for behavioral studies. Other well-established methods include... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-rats-help-other-rats Title: Why rats help other rats Description: 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? Content: 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? Most of us would do about anything to help those we love if they are in need, but how far would we go for a stranger? And would this change if we have met that person before? It all has to do with our empathetic abilities. The emotional status of someone in need ‘transfers’ to us, making us want to help him or her. How emphatic are rats? Our capacity to help strangers is often contributed to our highly developed cognitive abilities. Ben-Ami Bartal et al. wanted to find out if rats have this capacity as well. Previously, they found that albino rats of the Sprague-Dawley (SD) strain can learn to release a cage mate that was trapped in a restrainer. In a recent publication in eLife, they show how the familiarity of this trapped individual influenced the helping behavior of the free rat. Testing the importance of familiarity for helping beha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-automate-the-elevated-plus-maze-test Title: How to easily automate the elevated plus maze test Description: Anxiety. It is nature’s way to keep us out of harm’s way, so it is a useful emotion. At times, though, it can also be overwhelming. For some, it gets out of control, irrational, and even disabling. Content: Anxiety. It is nature’s way to keep us out of harm’s way, so it is a useful emotion. At times, though, it can also be overwhelming. For some, it gets out of control, irrational, and even disabling. This is when we call it an anxiety disorder. Did you know that anxiety affects 20% of all people in some way or form? No wonder anxiety disorders are often subject of scientific study. Anxiety in animals Rats and mice are often used as model organism to study the basics of anxiety and anxiety disorders, possible treatments, neurodevelopment, and genetic backgrounds. The most well-known test paradigm is the elevated plus maze. The elevated plus maze This maze is just what its name suggests it to be: a maze shaped like a +, elevated from the floor. Two opposite arms are sheltered with walls and the remaining two arms are open. How the animals explores this maze says something about its level of anxiety. Rats and mice have a natural tendency to explore, but this can be inhibited by their innate... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/memory-loss-prevented-transgenic-mice Title: How memory loss caused by diabetes was prevented in transgenic mice Description: Did you know that Alzheimer’s and diabetes are linked? Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and patients with AD show impaired insulin function and glucose metabolism. Content: Did you know that Alzheimer’s and diabetes are linked? Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and patients with AD show impaired insulin function and glucose metabolism. The tau protein might be one of the connecting factors. This protein, found in neurons, can get hyperphosphorylated, causing it to tangle and ‘clog up’ the neuron - one of the pathological hallmarks of AD. Investigating tau as the possible link between AD and diabetes Serena Abbondante and her colleagues (The American Journal of Pathology, 2014) investigated the protein tau as a possible link between the two diseases, because according to them, recent evidence from animal models of diabetes shows that impaired insulin signaling causes tau hyperphosphorylation. Tau-knockout and diabetic mice In order to investigate this relationship, they tested both non-transgenic (Ntg) mice as well as a knock-out strain for tau (tau-KO). From both groups a selection of mice were treated with strepto... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-guinea-pigs-are-just-like-us Title: Why guinea pigs are just like us Description: If zebrafish are the new mice, guinea pigs might be the new rats. Guinea pigs differ from mice and rats, and that just might make them more suitable due to the fact that these results are more easily translated to humans. Content: If zebrafish are the new mice, guinea pigs might be the new rats. According to Kiera-Nicole Lee and her colleagues, guinea pigs differ from mice and rats, and that just might make them more suitable for some neuroscience research due to the fact that these results are more easily translated to humans. Guinea pigs are different than rats and mice Lee predicts that “guinea pigs may offer subtle behavior repertoires that better mimic human activity”. They are already favored in ontological research as their ears are similar to ours, and they are widely used in immunology. And while rats and mice are born with relatively underdeveloped eyes and brain, guinea pigs, like humans, are more advanced at birth. Activity data and consequences of methamphetamine In their recent publication in Synapse researchers set out to provide baseline data on activity and how this was influenced by dopaminergic drugs as well as methamphetamine, as they expected guinea pigs to provide a robust small model to me... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/nurse-child-interaction Title: Nurse-child interaction - observing medical encounters Description: In order to help health professionals and parents manage child distress more effectively, researchers started observations of real interactions in healthcare in a community setting. Content: Does reassuring help a child to settle down and be comforted? In order to help health professionals and parents manage child distress more effectively, researchers started observations of interactions in healthcare. They were not observing simulated events, but real interactions in a community setting. In medical encounters, both the parents and the health professionals can play an important role in handling the stress level of children. Yuefang Zhou and Gerry Michael Humphris from the University of St Andrews, Scotland (2013) investigated the relationship between reassurance by dental staff and distress behavior of children receiving preventive procedures. Since this study concerned a preventive procedure where no pain was involved, this study aims to shed light on these specific interventions in healthcare. The researchers selected children aged 3 to 5 years and measured the level of anxiety to determine a base level. The knowledge gained from this study could be used to design more... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/doctor-patient-communication Title: Doctor-patient communication training program evaluated Description: Every day, new training programs find their way to hospitals and clinics to help professionals convey their message efficiently and effectively in order to practice their profession. Content: Colleagues from many different universities study communication in healthcare to empower themselves in this process. Every day, new training programs find their way to hospitals and clinics in order to help professionals. From medical encounters between patient and radiation oncologists to nurse-patient interaction between direct-care staff and Korean Americans in nursing or senior living homes, all of these professionals need to be able to convey their message efficiently and effectively in order to practice their profession. Recent project Special education courses are being developed for specific groups - for example, to empower general practitioners (GPs) in palliative care. Willemjan Slort and colleagues (2013) explain that little is known about communication in palliative care. In The Netherlands, an overall majority of patients visits a GP before going to the hospital. This way, a GP has a central role in medical care and also in palliative care. Communication training could hel... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/autism-8-blog-posts Title: Autism Top 8 Blog Articles from the Behavioral Research Blog Description: It was no surprise that these blog articles attracted lots of attention. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. (www.autismspeaks.org). Read the Autism Top 8 Blog Articles. Content: It was no surprise that these blog articles attracted lots of attention. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. (www.autismspeaks.org). Read the Autism Top 8 Blog Articles from the Behavioral Research Blog to stay updated on the latest developments in Autism Research. Behavioral observations in autism research – mothers of high-risk children use more gestures Video tracking of children with autism Parent-child interaction in autism: play behavior The search for autism models continues - why rats are important Can a food preservative increase symptoms of autism? Vocalizations as an early life behavioral marker for ASD How research on Autism Spectrum Disorders is developing Robot-child interactions – helping children with autism learn skills Free white paper on Autism Research Feel free to download the free white paper on Autism Research to learn more about observational research methods in autism studies. In this free white paper we will describe how... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/automatic-rat-behavior-recognition Title: How Automatic Rat Behavior Recognition was developed Description: If you are familiar with neurobehavioral research in any way, you will know that variables like velocity and distance moved are important parameters in a lot of animal behavioral experiments. Content: If you are familiar with neurobehavioral research in any way, you will know that variables like velocity and distance moved are important parameters in a lot of animal behavioral experiments. While these are difficult to measure with the naked eye, video tracking software does an excellent job of doing this automatically. How Automatic Rat Behavior Recognition was developed More specific behaviors, such as rearing and grooming, are also important in these experiments. They are traditionally assessed by the trained eye, but manual scoring is time consuming and expensive. Automation of this process would bring several advantages, but it seemed difficult to develop the software for it. Until now, as EthoVision XT 10 has a new software module for automatic Rat Behavior Recognition. I talked to one of the developers of this software, Elsbeth van Dam (MA), about the process it took to get to this exciting new technology. Why use automatic behavior recognition? While variables such as velocit... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-effects-laboratory-rearing Title: Measuring behavioral effects of laboratory rearing on starlings Description: Rearing animals specifically for behavioral research is a very common practice. However, the results from behavioral studies with laboratory animals should be interpreted with care. Content: Laboratory animals and behavioral research Rearing animals specifically for behavioral research is a very common practice. However, the results from behavioral studies with laboratory animals should be interpreted with care. There is much evidence indicating that the behavior of laboratory animals differs from that of animals caught in the wild. Laboratory animals are likely to be tamer than wild animals, but they can also be impaired in some behaviors. Some mammals have impairments in learning and memory when reared in a laboratory. They can also develop abnormal behaviors, called stereotypies, such as route-tracing. Similar effects of rearing in laboratories can be found in some bird species. Does laboratory rearing affect starlings? Gesa Feenders and Melissa Bateson compared the behavior of wild-caught starlings with the behavior of starlings that were taken from nest boxes when they were approximately 10 days old and hand-reared. They hypothesized that the hand-reared birds would h... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/top-5-novel-object-recognition-articles Title: Top 5 novel object recognition articles Description: Novel object recognition is one of the most commonly used behavioral tests on laboratory rodents. It is also easily automated with video tracking software. Want to know how? Content: Novel object recognition is one of the most commonly used behavioral tests on laboratory rodents. It is also easily automated with video tracking software. Want to know how? I’ve lined up five of the most popular blog posts about this test from our Behavioral Research Blog. Here you go! 1) Cognitive ability of schizophrenic mice Cognitive ability is one of the major functions affected by schizophrenia. So logically, research on this disease and possible therapies often involves object recognition. Glass et al. (2013) investigated the involvement of the NR1 gene in schizophrenia. During a training session, mice were confronted with two identical objects to familiarize. In the first testing round, one object was replaced by a novel one. In a second test, another novel object replaced the second familiar one. EthoVision XT video tracking was used to automatically calculate variables such as duration, latency, and frequency of contact with the object. Read the blog post: Using several beha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/facial-expressions-reactions-to-bitter-food Title: Facial expressions - reactions to bitter food vary between high and low BMI Description: Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions. By 2050, as much as 50% of the UK population could be obese at a cost of £50 billion a year. Content: Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions. By 2050, as much as 50% of the UK population could be obese at a cost of £50 billion a year, warns the National Obesity Awareness Week. To create awareness, they have organized a National Awareness Week from 13 to 19 January 2014. Their goal is twofold: putting the obesity crisis at the top of the agenda and teaching people how they can begin to tackle the problem. In many recent research projects, the overweight and obese are the subjects under investigation. “Why do people who are overweight or are at risk of becoming overweight eat differently from thinner people?” is the question David Garcia-Burgos and Maria Clara Zamora asked. Basing their study on recent hedonic eating theories of obesity, they hypothesized that overweight individuals would be more reactive to unpleasant tasting food than lean people. Is there a link between obesity and a dislike of bitter-tasting food? Garcia-Burgos... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/measuring-the-creative-process Title: Measuring the creative process Description: How can you come to better understand what is going on in the creative process? A living lab studying the work of a writer, painter, musician or other creative person might provide the answer. Content: After Albert Einstein died, his brain was preserved and in the following decades scientists have studied it to try and see if there was anything exceptional about it. It is hard to draw conclusions from just one subject, but one clear difference is that he had an exceptionally large number of glial cells in the area of the brain responsible for incorporating and synthesizing information from other brain regions [1]. Glial cells are important for a number of brain functions, including signal transmission. Really understand creativity It is all very well to see something in brain anatomy, but if you really want to understand creativity then you need to study the process as it takes place in a live subject. That is easier said than done. Brain imaging techniques can be used to see what parts of the brain are active when a person is presented with various stimuli, or when they are asked to think about certain things. Brain imaging is used in a variety of contexts, including clinical studie... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/family-based-treatment-in-anorexia Title: Behavior predicts success of family-based treatment in anorexia Description: Anorexia nervosa is a horrible eating disorder that affects many people around the world. Looking at the United States only, between 0.5–1% of all women suffer from anorexia. Content: Anorexia nervosa is a horrible eating disorder that affects many people around the world. Looking at the United States only, between 0.5–1% of all women suffer from anorexia. Moreover, anorexia is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women [1]. No matter how hard governments and parents try to influence adolescents, there are still those who are unable to be reached. Among other factors, anorexia is characterized by [2]: A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight Intense fear of gaining weight Distorted body image There are a number of treatment options for those girls (and boys of course) already diagnosed with anorexia. Different forms of psychotherapy (including individual, group, and family-based) can help address the psychological causes for the illness [2]. The study Recently, Alison Darcy and colleagues [3] from the Stanford University School of Medicine and The University of Chicago presented their study in Behavio... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/primate-behavior-mating Title: Primate behavior - cracking the nut, fur rubbing & mating behavior Description: Interested in primatology? Today we present to you three blog posts and a couple of interesting websites! Content: Interested in primatology? Today we present to you three blog posts and a couple of interesting websites! 3 blog articles about primate behavior Observing monkey behavior – cracking the nut We already know some monkeys display above average intelligence. One way by which we can tell is their use of tools. Behavioral studies have shown that capuchin monkeys use boulders and logs as anvils upon which they can crush nuts. Furthermore, these monkeys have demonstrated that they are able to identify hammer stones best for cracking, and nuts that are easy to crack. Fragaszy et al. decided to add to this knowledge-base with their behavioral study, which was published as Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) Strategically Place Nuts in a Stable Position during Nut-Cracking. This publication in PLOS ONE elaborates upon the detailed study of monkey behavior, specifically the placement of nuts prior to striking them. An interesting detail: they studied this same behavior in humans as... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-glass-eels Title: Making the impossible possible – Tracking under water in the dark Description: European eels (Anguilla anguilla) have a life cycle in which both larvae and adults travel incredible distances. The eggs hatch in the Sargasso Sea near North America and the larvae swim all the way to Europe. Content: European eels (Anguilla anguilla) have a life cycle in which both larvae and adults travel incredible distances. The eggs hatch in the Sargasso Sea near North America and the larvae swim all the way to Europe. Near the European estuaries (the coastal areas with brackish water) they transform into the so-called glass eels that are transparent and approximately 8 cm in size. These glass eels enter the estuaries and move upstream in the fresh water, overcoming all sorts of natural challenges and tackling many obstacles to reach the waters where they will grow up. Then after 5 to 20 years, they mature and make the entire difficult journey back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die [1,2]. Dramatic population drop The number of eels that reaches the European estuaries yearly has dropped dramatically during the last decades, with a drop of at least 90% [2]. Most likely this is caused by overfishing, pollution, parasites, and changes in the ocean currents. However, an increased occurrence of ob... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-malaria-mosquitoes-find-their-hosts Title: Smelly feet and heat – how malaria mosquitoes find their hosts Description: It seems that mosquitoes use human body odor to locate suitable hosts, and different people smell differently to mosquitoes. Content: Why is it that if there is a mosquito in my bedroom, usually it won’t bite me, but it does bite my partner? It seems that mosquitoes use human body odor to locate suitable hosts, and different people smell differently to mosquitoes.However, it is not only body odor, but also body heat, CO2 from breathing and wind direction may also be important for the mosquitoes to find you. Furthermore, different mosquito species use different cues. For many mosquito species it is still not known exactly what they do to find their hosts. Malaria mosquitoes It is no accident that many of the studies on host-seeking behavior have been carried out on malaria mosquitoes. Over a million people are killed by malaria every year. This makes research on how these mosquitoes find their hosts ever so important. If we know how they these insects find their hosts, we may be able to stop them. Tracking in 3D Spitzen et al. [1], studied the host-seeking behavior of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stric... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/testing-pcbs-toxicity-behavior-zebrafish Title: Testing PCBs toxicity - behavior in zebrafish and their offspring Description: PCBs are synthetic molecules that were used in transformers, electric motors, and more applications. It was quickly discovered that these molecules are toxic, and subsequently, they were banned. Content: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are synthetic molecules that were used in transformers, electric motors, and more applications from the 1930s onwards. It was quickly discovered that these molecules are toxic, and subsequently, they were banned. Still, their heavy use then and their long half-life still cause PCB contamination today. As dietary intake is the main source of exposure, it often finds its way into our food chains trough fish. It has been linked to alterations in reproduction, the endocrine system, and organ functioning in both animals and humans. In addition, epidemiological studies have found a link between PCB exposure and ADHD. A new approach to toxicological studies of PCBs Many studies on the effects of PCBs have focused on short-term exposure to high doses. Péan et al. (2013) decided to take a more elaborate approach. They chronically exposed zebrafish to PCBs at levels that were similar to those found at contaminated sites, tested their behavior, and then tested the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/unraveling-chemistry-mood-disorders Title: Unraveling the chemistry of mood disorders Description: The most common psychiatric disorders are mood and anxiety related. However, the underlying mechanisms of these diseases are still largely unknown. This complicates the development of effective treatment and drugs. Content: The most common psychiatric disorders are mood and anxiety related. However, the underlying mechanisms of these diseases are still largely unknown. This complicates the development of effective treatment and drugs. There are a large number of standard behavioral tests for mouse or rat models of psychiatric disorders. Many of these tests have a very short duration, between 5 and 60 minutes. Handling the animals prior to the test and their response to the new environment can influence the test results. Standard behavioral tests for psychiatric mood disorders Long term observation with PhenoTyper Kas et al. [1] developed a method for testing avoidance behavior in mice over a longer time period in an environment that resembles their home cage. They determined motor and avoidance behavior of different mice strains during 72 hours. The authors used PhenoTyper, an observation cage for rats or mice which is completely optimized for video tracking. The cage contained two feeding areas, one with... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavior-airport Title: Effective security screening and airport processes Description: Do you know this feeling? You are impatiently waiting in line for the security screening. There is a lot going on at an airport and the security screening is just one of the activities. Content: Do you know this feeling? You are impatiently waiting in line for the security screening. While in line you have to take off your shoes and gather all small change from your pockets to put it in a container before walking through a metal detector hoping that it won’t detect any forgotten coins or other metal on you? There is a lot going on at an airport and the security screening is just one of the activities. A group of researchers looked into the security screening process at two airports. So how do people behave and what is their role in the process? What actions can be observed and is there a difference between domestic and international airports, and quiet and busy times? Behavior at an airport Passengers play an active role in making airport security screening work, according to Kraal and colleagues. Dr. Ben Kraal from the People and Systems Lab, Queensland University of Technology, Australia presented his work at the 5th International Congress of International Association of Soc... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/standing-cows Title: Standing cows Description: Does it matter how much time a cow spends standing up or lying down? Bert Tolkamp thought that it did matter, and he proved his point by winning an IgNobel prize for his work on this. Content: Does it matter how much time a cow spends standing up or lying down? Bert Tolkamp thought that it did matter, and last week he proved his point by winning an IgNobel prize[1] for his work on this[2]. He attached a sensor to the legs of some cows and measured tens of thousands of episodes of lying and standing. His findings were at first sight puzzling and on reflection, revealing (hence the prize). If a cow was lying for a long time, it was more likely to stand up, but it if had been standing for a long time, it was not more likely to lie down. Cow behavior What does this mean? A cow lies down to ruminate (that is, digest its food), and stands to eat. So that means that after it has been lying down (ruminating) a while it is therefore more likely to stand up to eat. The longer it lies, the more likely it is to have finished ruminating, and the more likely it is to be hungry. Cows sitting or lying down But what about the opposite, if a cow has been standing for a long time, will it want... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-and-optogenetics Title: How zebrafish and optogenetics are great for investigating stress Description: By this point, we do not need to tell you how popular zebrafish are. We also probably do not need to point out the great technological advances that are being made in research because of the use of optogenetics. Content: By this point, we do not need to tell you how popular zebrafish are in scientific research. We also probably do not need to point out the great technological advances that are being made in research because of the use of optogenetics. It is safe to say that zebrafish and optogenetics are popular in neuroscience research. Today, let us tell you about the study of De Marco et al. (2013), which combined the two. Stress in humans and animals Stress can have detrimental impact on our health and well-being – ranging from cardiovascular effects to depression and other psychiatric disorders. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the final effector hormones of the brain stress center (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis) and the focus of many animal and human studies. Investigating glucocorticoids Traditionally, methods to investigate the effects of GCs include stressor exposure or GC infusion. The problem with using stressor exposure is that it only increases the GC levels via the stimulation of oth... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/arthritis-gait-analysis Title: Using CatWalk gait analysis to study monoarthritis in mice Description: Researchers are always looking for new ways to alleviate symptoms of arthritis. The CatWalk XT has been shown to be very useful in research involving arthritis in rodent models. Content: Researchers are always looking for new ways to alleviate symptoms of arthritis. The CatWalk XT has been shown to be very useful in research involving arthritis in rodent models. Most of the research done on arthritis with CatWalk has been done with rats, but Parvathy et al. decided that they would use mice in their experiment, being that mice are frequently used in disease studies and they are the preferred animal for genetic modifications when studying biology and disease. The researchers looked at both static and dynamic parameters in this experiment. Methods Researchers injected two groups of mice with the same amount but different types of liquid in their right hind leg. A third group was run through the experiment prior to using the two injected groups to collect baseline data. The control group received phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to make sure that the results were not affected by the injection or the amount of liquid. The experimental group was injected with complete Freund’... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/quantum-dots-toxicity-zebrafish-larvae Title: The effects of quantum dots on zebrafish larvae locomotor behavior Description: Ever heard of quantum dots? These dots are nanoparticles made of a semiconductor material, which have unique optical properties, making them of great interest for fields such as biological imaging, medical diagnostics. Content: Ever heard of quantum dots? These dots are nanoparticles made of a semiconductor material, which have unique optical properties: the wavelength (and thus color) of their light emission depends on their size, rather than the material they are made of. This is why they are of great interest for fields such as biological imaging, medical diagnostics, drug delivery, and gene therapy. Image courtesy: Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Toxicity of tiny dots Quantum dots (QDs) are great stuff, but of course, their value also depends on how safe they are. For example, QDs made of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) are used to make solar cells, can be used in optical windows and lenses, and are also promising in the field of life sciences (e.g. bio-medicine labeling). However, their use is limited by their toxicity. Testing toxicity in zebrafish Duan et al. recently published an article on the developmental toxicity of CdTe QDs in zebrafish in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research. For their study, th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parent-substance-use-disorder-influence-child Title: A-bad-influence: Parent substance use disorder and child outcomes Description: Like parent, like child. Children become who they are with the influence of all of their past experiences and often, the parents are a large part of that influence. Content: Like parent, like child. Children become who they are with the influence of all of their past experiences and often, the parents are a large part of that influence. When there is trouble at home, that can impact a child’s everyday life in their behaviors and performance. Prior studies have found associations between parent substance use disorder and negative child outcome (problem behaviors, performing poorly in school, and child substance use). Bailey and colleagues expanded on previous work with their study and took a developmental approach to the association between parental substance abuse and the behaviors children exhibited. The purpose of this experiment Bailey et al. were looking specifically at how parental substance abuse problems affect the parenting behavior and child behavior during key developmental transitions like the one from childhood to adulthood. They had three hypotheses that were possible. The first was that early adult substance abuse ends up disrupting the trans... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-wide-variety-animals Title: Tracking a wide variety of animals Description: Video tracking is used to track a widevariety of animal species in even more different test arenas. From insects of 1 mm on leaf discs, to monkeys in a cage, or zebra fish in an aquarium. Content: Video tracking is used to track a widevariety of animal species in even more different test arenas. While one researcher wants to track insects of 1 mm on leaf discs, another one is interested in monkeys in a cage, or zebra fish in an aquarium. It will be clear that the settings created for detection of the tiny insect may not be suitable to detect the monkey, or the zebra fish. Different setups require different detection methods EthoVision XT tracking and analysis software has four methods to optimize the detection of your animals. Each method has its own benefits. This way the program offers possibilities to track many different animal species under very different circumstances. Below we summarize which method is most suited in which situation and give some examples of research carried out with these methods. FREE TRIAL: Try EthoVision XT yourself! Request a free trial and find out what EthoVision XT can do for your zebrafish research! Track zebrafish adult, larvae or embryo Suitabl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fish-mating-preference Title: To mate or not to mate? Females are less choosy when males are rare Description: Having a choice for a mating partner is extremely important for females, so they can be critical in choosing which male to mate with. Content: Having a choice for a mating partner is extremely important for females, so they can be critical in choosing which male to mate with. However, being critical also has its disadvantages; it costs time, energy, and may subject the females to an increased mortality risk (for example due to a higher predation risk. Therefore, being critical about a potential mating partner only pays off when males are abundant or when the risk of being critical is not too high. There are animals, such as green swordtail fish [1], which change their mating preference when predation risk becomes higher or when the mating season is nearing its end. Mating and species diversification Mating usually takes place between a male and a female from the same species. However, there are also examples of hybridization, where males and females of different species mate and produce offspring. This usually happens when mating partners of the own species are rare. Hybridization is an extremely interesting phenomenon from a... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/vocalizations-asd Title: Vocalizations as an early life behavioral marker for ASD Description: One of the prominent features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is impaired communication. However, most diagnoses of ASD happen after the child is more than 3 years old. Content: One of the prominent features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is impaired communication. However, most diagnoses of ASD happen after the child is more than 3 years old, so there is not much information on the vocalizations of young children with ASD. Vocalizations as an early life behavioral marker for ASD For children under the age of 3, certain communication skills are not applicable – more information is needed on purely vocalizations (not conversation or language) in order to work on identifying another early life behavioral marker for ASD. In this study, Allison M. Plumb and Amy M. Wetherby chose to examine the vocalizations of ASD children at age 2 and the relationship of these vocalizations to other areas of development. The goals of the study Plumb and Wetherby wanted to examine the vocalizations of children aged 18 to 24 months in one group with those who were later diagnosed with ASD and two matched groups for children with developmental delays (DD) and typical development... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-behavioral-differences Title: Zebrafish research: behavioral differences between wild-type strains Description: Often in animal research, animals with a certain genetic alteration are compared to a “wild-type”. One might assume that there is no differences between wild-types, but many different strains of wild-type animals are used. Content: Often in animal research, animals with a certain genetic alteration are compared to a “wild-type” (this being the ‘normal’ rat, mouse, or zebrafish). One might assume that there is no difference between one wild-type animal and the next, but in fact, many different strains of wild-type animals are used. Many wild-type zebrafish strains The same is true for zebrafish. Many studies talk of wild-type animals, but the strain is not always mentioned. Furthermore, wild-type fish can be acquired at the pet shop, from a commercial scientific supplier, or simply caught in the wild. Vignet et al. noticed that there have been reports of differences in behavior between wild-type strains, and therefore they stress the importance of matching the most appropriate strain to the behavioral test. Comparing AB and TU zebrafish strains In their study, recently published in Zebrafish, Vignet et al. report about their comparison between two well-established wild-type strains of zebrafish (AB and TU). They s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/classroom-observations-adhd Title: Classroom observations - behavior of children with and without ADHD Description: The relationship between reaction time variability and observed attention in children with and without ADHD. Content: The relationship between reaction time variability and observed attention in children with and without ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become a fairly common subject of research in today’s society. The disorder affects working memory, attention span, and inhibitory control. There are two types, Combined and Predominantly Inattentive. In this study, 146 participants between the ages of 7 and 11 were split into three groups: ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C), ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I), and a control. Tanya Antonini and colleagues looked for an association between reaction time (RT) variability and observed behavioral indicators of attention. Building on results Antonini et al.’s study (2013) built on the results that were presented in Epstein et al.’s study (2011). This study examined differences in RT variability between children with and without ADHD across five computerized tasks. The results of this study showed that the RTs of children with ADHD were more... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/seed-production-plants Title: Caterpillars speed up seed production in plants Description: Did you know that plants are not as passive as they appear to be at first sight? Although plants cannot run away when they are attacked by plant eating insects, they have several sophisticated ways to defend themselves. Content: Plants are sophisticated Did you know that plants are not as passive as they appear to be at first sight? Although plants cannot run away when they are attacked by plant eating insects, they have several sophisticated ways to defend themselves. They can produce nasty substances upon attack. Or they can produce smells that attract natural enemies of their attackers [1]. Now it also shown that the threat of being eaten can speed up seed production in plants and affect the behavior of pollinators. A field study with Pocket Observer Lucas-Barbosa et al. [2] did a field study with the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) on black mustard (Brassica nigra) plants. They investigated whether the presence of caterpillars influenced the behavior of pollinating insects like honey bees, bumble bees, and syrphid flies. They used Pocket Observer mobile scoring software to study the pollinators’ behavior in the field. FREE TRIAL: Try The Observer XT yourself! Request a free trial and see for you... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-observations-autism-research Title: Autism research - mothers of high-risk children use more gestures Description: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have delayed development in communication and language. This impaired development can be present even in the first year of their lives. Content: Autism, language and gestures Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have delayed development in communication and language. This impaired development can be present even in the first year of their lives. The use of gestures, like pointing and nodding, is very important in communication. Impairments in the use of those gestures goes hand-in-hand with impairments in language development. This is seen in young children with ASD. But such deficits are also more common in infants and toddlers that have a higher risk on autism (HRA), because they have an older brother or sister that was diagnosed with ASD. Gesture use by mothers Mothers play a crucial role in the development of communication of their children. The use of gestures by the mother strongly correlates with the gesture use and language development of their children. Mothers that have an older daughter or son that was diagnosed with ASD, may change their behavior towards the younger HRA children. For example, these mot... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/environmental-enrichment-stroke Title: How environmental enrichment reduces the effects of stroke Description: 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. Content: A study of environmental enrichment as possible brain tolerance inducing factor for strokes Some research requires animals to be studied in groups. Of course, this is evident in social interaction studies, but it is also done simply to study each individual’s behavior while they are in a group. In both cases, it is very useful to have video tracking software that can automatically track the behavior of multiple animals simultaneously. Xie et al. recently published a study which shows just that. Research on ischemic stroke The study of Xie and his colleagues focuses on strokes. A stroke has a high impact on the individual that suffers from one, as well as on society. The rapid loss of brain function due to insufficient blood flow causes a deficiency in oxygen. This can have a number of consequences, varying from minor to major, such as memory loss, paralysis, or inability to speak. Most strokes are ischemic strokes, meaning that they are caused by a blood clot. Brain tolerance to stroke... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-tests-gene-schizophrenia Title: Using several behavioral tests to investigate the role of the NR1 gene in schizo Description: Studies of the mental disorder schizophrenia in lab animals often include behavioral tests to investigate social behavior, cognitive abilities, and motor functioning. Content: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes several deficits: emotional, cognitive, and in motor function. So logically, studies of this disease (in lab animals) often include behavioral tests to investigate social behavior, cognitive abilities, and motor functioning. Recently, Michael Glass and his colleagues did just that - they published a study that describes the use of a sociability test and a novel object recognition test, and used automated video tracking in both to investigate the involvement of a specific gene in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia and the NMDA receptor in the nucleus accumbens The gene in question is the one that encodes the NMDA receptor subtype 1 (NR1). This is an important receptor type found in neurons of the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that is involved in pleasure, addiction, the integration of motivated behaviors, and so on. NR1 is often co-expressed with the dopamine receptor D1R and the opioid receptor µ-OR and seems to have a role in the functionin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/attention-training-social-anxiety-disorder Title: The effect attention training has on social anxiety disorder Description: It is inevitable that everyone will experience anxiety and stress at some point in their lives. Most individuals are able to move past their stress with just a little bit of effort. Content: It is inevitable that everyone will experience anxiety and stress at some point in their lives. Most individuals are able to move past their stress with just a little bit of effort. For those with social anxiety disorder (SAD), this becomes a huge task. The effect attention training has on social anxiety disorder Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is defined by Bunnell et al. as an intense fear and apprehension of social scenarios in which the individual may be assessed or evaluated by others. This social distress is combined with avoidance of the anxiety-provoking situation, thus creating significant functional impairment for those with this disorder. Brian Bunnell and his colleagues chose to replicate a previous study on attention training that had received positive results, and see if they could replicate these results and also observe any changes in social behavior that might occur as a result. Attention training and SAD Cognitive theories tend to suggest that an... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mice-alzheimers-disease Title: Mice with Alzheimer’s disease walk well but remember poorly Description: A large number of genetically engineered mouse models are available to study different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Content: Modeling Alzheimer’s disease A large number of genetically engineered mouse models are available to study different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. APP/PS1 knock-in mice are mice in which two genes associated with the disease are inserted at a specific place in the genome. Much is known about the development of the disease in these mice. But until recently, there was less detailed knowledge on behavioral changes in APP/PS1 knock-in mice that are associated with the disease. Alzheimer’s disease and symptoms It is very well known that Alzheimer’s disease affects the memory of people. But the disease can also affect other behavior. People with Alzheimer’s disease may be more anxious, can be depressed and can lose initiative and interest when the disease proceeds. Locomotor deficits may also occur, like a lower walking speed and a more variable stride rhythm. Behavioral testing To determine what behaviors are affected in APP/PS1 knock-in mice by the progressing disease, Webster et al. carr... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/avatars-human-computer-interaction Title: Relational Agents: the use and testing of avatars for HCI Description: Relational Agents (RAs) are computer constructs designed to interact with humans in a way that promotes the long-term formation of social and emotional bonds. Content: Relational Agents (RAs) are computer constructs designed to interact with humans in a way that promotes the long-term formation of social and emotional bonds. Integrating social psychological principles of relationship building such as empathy, shared self-disclosure and emotional feedback into the RA interface helps to establish these bonds. Relational agents Relational agents are generally created with an anthropomorphic (i.e. human-like) form that may be more or less realistic, varying from cartoon-like two-dimensional drawings to animated three-dimensional models developed with advanced graphics software. This type of model, or avatar, is known to most as a character representation found in third-person video games in which the game player character is visible. However, RAs are usually limited to frontal views from the shoulders or neck up due to constraints imposed by limits on computer processing power and the simulation capabilities of artificial intelligence algorithms. The vid... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/circadian-rhythmicity-behavioral-studies Title: Circadian rhythmicity and other behavioral studies Description: 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. Content: 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. I spoke with Dr. Ilia Karatsoreos, who placed the order, and found out that he was helping to furnish a completely new facility at the Washington State University, and does some very interesting research. (Image courtesy of Lara Swimmer Photography.) Integrative and neuroscience based work Dr. Karatsoreos is part of the Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, and they just moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility in Pullman, Washington. The department itself also just got a name change to “align our identity with the current work that is going on in the department. The work of the labs here is quite clearly ‘integrative’ and neuroscience based”, he tells me. Core lab The department is furnishing a core lab to facilitate the works of several labs. Dr. Karatsoreos explains a bit... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/frames-display-influences-behavior Title: Playing virtual games with frames Description: For public displays nowadays, we are no longer limited to traditional square and flat designs. More wild and appealing forms like curves, spheres, or columns are now possible as well. Content: For public displays nowadays, we are no longer limited to traditional square and flat designs. More wild and appealing forms like curves, spheres, or columns are now possible as well. Wild and appealing public displays People that pass by such displays may behave differently than when they see a traditional square and flat one. This effect may be unwanted and people might miss important information on the display because they mainly look at other eye-catching parts. But it also offers interesting possibilities to manipulate the people passing by the display. If you know how the display shape influences people, you can use this knowledge to optimize information transfer. Games with frames Beyer et al. [1] investigated in a recent paper whether the presence of frames influences the behavior of people in front of a display. In a human computer interaction (HCI) study, they displayed a virtual game on a large cylinder. Using Microsoft Kinect, they projected cartoon-like images of the peopl... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/stress-scale-horses Title: Combining physiology and behavior to create a stress scale for horses Description: We all are familiar with stress, and how it can have an impact not only on our behavior, but on our bodies and physiology as well. Many people get stress headaches or start to feel sick if they reach high levels of stress. Content: We all are familiar with stress, and how it can have an impact not only on our behavior, but on our bodies and physiology as well. Many people get stress headaches or start to feel sick if they reach high levels of stress. However, most studies use scales which focus on behavioral scores for animals and don’t account for the physiological responses to stress. Young et al.’s goal was to create a scale that could rapidly and reliably measure stress in domestic stable horses while integrating both behavioral and physiological measures. Mixed results in previous studies One thing to note is that there have been mixed results in studies which have tried to correlate physiological measures with behavioral measures. Some studies have had success and found links between the two, where others have found no link or correlation between the behavioral and physiological measures they were studying. Using husbandry routines for evaluating stress For this study, a sample of 32 horses (a mixture of va... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/insect-studies Title: Plants with more linalool smell good, but taste bad Description: Plant volatiles play an important role in the interaction between plants and insects that eat them. Insect damage very often induces plants to produce volatiles. Content: The importance of plant volatiles Plant volatiles play an important role in the interaction between plants and insects that eat them. Insect damage very often induces plants to produce volatiles. These volatiles can improve the plant’s defense against insect herbivores. But they can also help the plants indirectly by attracting natural enemies of the plant eating insects. Investigating linalool Linalool is a volatile chemical that is produced by plant leaves in a wide variety of plant species, when they are damaged by insect herbivores. Yang et al. [1] investigated the effect of linalool on Western Flower Thrips (WFT, Frankliniella occidentalis), a common insect pest in greenhouses. They used several transgenic chrysanthemum plant lines that had a higher linalool production than wild type chrysanthemum. The transgenic plants also had a higher concentration of non-volatile linalool derivatives in the leaves. Testing attraction by linalool To test the effect of linalool, dual choice test... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/pesticides-in-bee-colonies Title: Pesticides in bee colonies affect the behavior of bees Description: In the past 20 years, populations of honeybees have declined all over the world. This is partly caused by the increased occurrence of parasites and pathogens. Content: In the past 20 years, populations of honeybees have declined all over the world. This is partly caused by the increased occurrence of parasites and pathogens. But the use of pesticides may also affect honeybee health. Pesticides accumulate in bees' food to such levels that the behavior of the bees is affected. Pesticides in beehives Some pesticides are applied in the hives directly, for example to control parasites like Varroa mites. Other pesticides are transferred from crops to the hives by the bees themselves. Some compounds can accumulate in the comb wax to very high levels. Observing bee behavior after pesticide consumption Williamson et al., [1] investigated the effect of several pesticides on the behavior of honeybees. The authors used The Observer XT to observe honeybees. They studied four different pesticides and applied doses that are actually found in the bees’ food. To observe behavior, the authors recorded the duration and frequency of walking, flying, falling upside down,... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/effect-social-hierarchy-coyotes Title: Determining the effect of social hierarchy on foraging in coyotes Description: 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. Content: 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. Generally, the stronger individual is at the top of the food chain – for example, the older sibling or the dominant coyote. Getting to the resource first doesn’t matter if you can’t defend the resource, as can be seen very well in the example of coyotes. Even if the subordinate coyote discovers the food source, the dominant will still monopolize the food there. Dominant or subordinate? Recently, a study was done by scientists in Millville, Utah, to investigate the effects of social hierarchy on the foraging efficiency of an individual. Eight pairs of coyotes (one male and one female in each pair) were observed in order to determine the effects of a dominant and subordinate being paired in the hunt for food. Before scientists could observe the coyotes, though, they had to determine which of th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/high-throughput-method-ethogenomics Title: Developing a high-throughput method - EthoGenomics Description: Ornamental flowers are among the main export products of The Netherlands. Thrips are one of the most important pests on ornamental flowers. Content: Flowers and pesticides Ornamental flowers are among the main export products of The Netherlands. Thrips are one of the most important pests on ornamental flowers. Not only do thrips damage the flowers and the leaves, but they can also infest the plants with devastating plant viruses. Therefore, very strict export regulations apply for the presence of these pest insects and the damage they cause on the plants. This traditionally led to the use of a high amount of pesticides with ornamentals. But pest species become resistant to pesticides over time and, in addition to this, we do not want our flowers covered with pesticides. Breeding for flowers without pesticides There is tremendous natural variation in plant mechanisms for defending themselves against insects. This offers a rich source of possibilities for breeding for plant varieties that are better protected against pest insects. Breeding for plant resistance to pest insects can cause a large decrease in the use of pesticides on orn... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/predicting-advertising-effectiveness Title: Predicting Advertising Effectiveness: Facial Coding of 120.000 Video Frames Description: The advertising and marketing companies have just received a new addition to their repertoire of the neuromarketing tools – automated coding of facial expressions of basic emotions. Content: The advertising and marketing companies have just received a new addition to their repertoire of the neuromarketing tools – automated coding of facial expressions of basic emotions. Three researchers from the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have demonstrated that the specific patterns of facial expressions partially explain the advertisement’s effectiveness in the amusing persuasive video stimuli [1]. This study was conducted on a crowdsourcing platform – yielding more than 120.000 frames of facial video-reactions, which in turn were analyzed within a few hours by a facial coding system called FaceReader [2]. Automatic analysis for facial expressions The software allows automatic analysis for facial expressions of happiness, surprise, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust in a fraction of the time that it would take a team of the independent human facial coders. In the past, it could have taken up to two or three months of tedious man... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/how-to-analyze-nurse-patient-consultations Title: How to analyze nurse-patient consultations Description: Efficient and effective communication is necessary in doctor-patient as well as nurse-patient consultations. Content: Efficient and effective communication is necessary in doctor-patient as well as nurse-patient consultations. When listening to a patient, the professional uses the information given to organize care, diagnostics, or treatment, and utilizes skills which are crucial in these professional conversations, such as summarization as a check on correct interpretation. Good communication is key Communicating at the right level is of great importance, but to do so, the professional needs to know what level the patient is at. To explain further: when changing behavior, such as an unhealthy lifestyle, a patient might not be ready to receive, understand, and process certain messages at the start of an intervention program. However, he or she will more likely be ready closer to the end of the intervention program. To find out how these communication processes work in a real-life situation, Dr. Janneke Noordman and colleagues recently analyzed a large number of practice nurse-patient consultations. Th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-children-autism Title: Video tracking of children with autism Description: Automated video tracking is a valuable tool for studies on animal models of autism (ASD). Diagnosis of ASD is based on behavior alone in humans, so naturally, behavior is an important part of human as well as rodent studies. Content: Automated video tracking is a valuable tool in many rodent studies, such as research on animal models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Diagnosis of ASD is based on behavior alone in humans, so naturally, behavior is an important part of human as well as rodent studies. Using video tracking to study human behavior objectively In children, diagnosis and research is based on behavioral tests and questionnaires. These are, by nature, always more or less subjective. The study of behavior in rodents and other animals can be done objectively by using automated video tracking and Dr. Cohen thought this might possibly be of use for children as well who have ASD because of their observed tendency to remain at a distance from their parents and, in an unfamiliar room, to stay near the periphery (a type of thigmotaxis). Dr. Cohen and his colleagues from the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NY, USA) presented their research at the International Meeting for... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/robot-child-interactions-children-autism Title: Robot-child interactions – helping children with autism learn skills Description: Human-Computer Interaction research may go a lot further than just evaluating an office worker interacting with a stationary computer or laptop. Content: Human-Computer Interaction research may go a lot further than just evaluating an office worker interacting with a stationary computer or laptop. For example, researchers worldwide develop and evaluate robots in order to learn more about human-robot interaction, robot-robot interaction, and the roles robots can play in numerous processes taking place in our daily lives. Many years ago it all seemed too futuristic: who doesn’t know R2-D2 or C-3PO from the Star Wars movies? Now we know that the future has started. Next to being friendly helpers, film robots such as R2-D2 and the robots in WALL-E also interact with people similarly to how a person would interact with another person. These processes are important to study, because, for example, autistic children often have serious difficulty learning social skills and could potentially benefit from learning these skills by interacting with a robot. Evaluate interactions objectively No matter what kind of HCI or Robotics research topic, beha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/the-power-of-zebrafish-parkinsons-disease Title: The power of zebrafish in the study on Parkinson’s Disease Description: Zebrafish have proven to be a good model for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research. They express several highly conserved genes that are associated with PD. Content: Zebrafish have proven to be a good model for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research, as I already wrote about in Zebrafish with Parkinson’s . They express several highly conserved genes that are associated with PD. Lopes de Fonseca et al. recently published about another interesting protein that has been linked to cases of PD in humans that run in families (familial). Zebrafish homologue to human PD gene Point mutations in ATP13A2 have been linked to several familial cases of PD, and zebrafish also express this gene. In fact, it has a high degree of homology with the human version. This particular study showed that it also plays a crucial role in embryonic development, and that partial knockdown of this gene affected zebrafish larvae behaviorally. Gene expression and knockdown model The first step in this study was to confirm ATP13A2 expression in zebrafish. It was found expressed in the entire body of the embryo during the initial stages of development, but in later stages expression was r... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/high-throughput-phenotyping-home-cage Title: Testing without stress: high-throughput phenotyping Description: The ability to recognize harmful situations and respond accurately is important for the survival of any animal. In order to respond to these situations the animal must be able to learn, remember, and alter its behavior. Content: The importance of being flexible The ability to recognize harmful situations and respond accurately is important for the survival of any animal. In order to respond to these situations the animal must be able to learn, remember, and alter its behavior. Deficits in these abilities are associated with many affective and psychiatric disorders, like Schizophrenia and ADHD. Testing without severe stress Classical behavioral tests on learning and responding to aversive situations make use of rather severe stimuli. An example is the use of foot shock floors in behavioral tests with rats and mice. In addition to this, the animals are manually handled prior to testing because they are transferred to a test cage. This itself is a stress factor and influences the behavior of the animals and thereby the test results. Automated observations in a home cage The PhenoTyper is an observation environment with all the attributes of a home cage. Rats and mice can be observed in a non-intrusive way in a Ph... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/classroom-observations-facial-expression Title: Classroom observations including facial expression analysis Description: Internet and technology usage, including computers, tablets, and mobile phones, has increased exponentially in the past few years. Content: Internet and technology usage, including computers, tablets, and mobile phones, has increased exponentially in the past few years. Besides the fact that people are becoming accustomed to a variety of technology in the workplace and at home; technology has also entered other domains such as in schools, libraries, shopping malls, and restaurants. Classroom observations including facial expression analysis Dr. Tiffany Drape and her colleagues from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia were interested in the integration of technology in higher education. Why specifically higher education, you might ask? The researchers explain that technology can help students meet higher standards and promote innovative approaches to teaching and learning. However, many schools are still struggling with this integration. Case study on technology integration using video collection In NACTA Journal, Drape et al. (2013) presented a case study that explored technology integration using video co... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-activity-circadian-rhythmicity Title: Tracking zebrafish activity to study a key element in circadian rhythmicity Description: Zebrafish are a popular model of choice for many researchers, including chronobiologists. That’s because zebrafish rapidly develop their ‘inner clock’ (circadian system) – and because this system is highly light-entrainable. Content: Zebrafish are a popular model of choice for many researchers, including chronobiologists. That’s because zebrafish rapidly develop their ‘inner clock’ – their circadian system – and because this system is highly light-entrainable. Most zebrafish tissues (in vivo) have clocks, similar to the mammalian system, which can be studied in cell lines (ex vivo). Although the functional development of this clock system and the genes that compose the ‘core clock’ of zebrafish are already well understood, specific details of how the core oscillator functions remain unclear. The influence of enzyme activity on circadian rhythmicity Smadja Storz et al. investigated the influence of the activity of two isoforms of the CK1 family. CK1, short for casein kinase 1, is a group of enzymes that function as regulators of signal transduction in many processes, including circadian rhythmicity. The researchers studied the importance of CK1δ and CK1ε activity in circadian rhythmicity on several levels; in zebraf... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-monkey-behavior Title: Observing monkey behavior – cracking the nut Description: We already know some monkeys display above average intelligence. One way by which we can tell is their use of tools. Studies have shown that capuchin monkeys use boulders and logs as anvils upon which they can crush nuts. Content: We already know some monkeys display above average intelligence. One way by which we can tell is their use of tools. Behavioral studies have shown that capuchin monkeys use boulders and logs as anvils upon which they can crush nuts. Furthermore, these monkeys have demonstrated that they are able to identify hammer stones best for cracking, and nuts that are easy to crack. Fragaszy et al. decided to add to this knowledge-base with their behavioral study, which was recently published as Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) Strategically Place Nuts in a Stable Position during Nut-Cracking. This publication in PLOS ONE elaborates upon the detailed study of monkey behavior, specifically the placement of nuts prior to striking them. An interesting detail: they studied this same behavior in humans as well. Strategic placement of the nut before cracking it The researchers studied a group of wild capuchin monkeys at Fazenda Boa Vista in Brazil. They found that these monkeys have... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-parkinsons-research Title: Zebrafish with Parkinson's Description: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is one of the main neurodegenerative diseases and many researchers are involved in investigating this disease and developing treatments Content: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is one of the main neurodegenerative diseases and many researchers are involved in investigating this disease and developing treatments. Still, the underlying mechanisms of PD remain largely unknown. Zebrafish turn out to be a big help in this research, as researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) recently proved. They created a new model for PD in zebrafish, getting us one step closer to a better understanding of this debilitating disease. Zebrafish model for Parkinson's Tianna Zhao and her colleagues established this PD model in zebrafish. Specifically, it is a model for PARK15, a form of early-onset parkinsonism (atypical Parkinson’s Disease). PARK15, and PD in general is typified by locomotor disturbances; the slow initiation of movement called bradykinesia. This is essentially caused by cell death of the dopamine producing neurons in the midbrain. In humans, this type of Parkinson’s is caused by a mutation in a gene called FB... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/cognitive-impairment-cranial-radiation Title: Connects some dots - cognitive impairment and cranial radiation Description: On a yearly basis, an estimated 20.000 individuals are diagnosed with primary brain tumors in the United States alone. About ten times that number of patients will receive treatment for primary or metastatic brain cancer. Content: By Dr. Christine Buske On a yearly basis, an estimated 20.000 individuals are diagnosed with primary brain tumors in the United States alone (Langley & Fidler, 2013). About ten times that number of patients will receive treatment for primary or metastatic brain cancer. Often times, these brain tumors are located in regions that are difficult to reach surgically. This leaves whole brain radiation therapy as the only viable treatment. While effective for many patients, damage to the brain is inevitable and can leave as many as 50% of surviving patients with cognitive impairments. These include functional deficits in attention, memory, and executive functioning that severely affects the patient’s quality of life. Radiation-induced cognitive impairments Quality of life is an important consideration, in particular when cognitive impairments are severe after long therapy sessions. While the risks are well known, the mechanisms underlying radiation-induced cognitive impairments are not well u... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/human-robot-interaction Title: Human-robot interaction: Can you trust a robot? Description: How do you know if someone with whom you do business is telling the truth? When buying something from a stranger, we are trying to determine if he or she can be trusted, either consciously or unconsciously. Content: How do you know if someone with whom you do business is telling the truth? When buying something from a stranger, we are trying to determine if he or she can be trusted, either consciously or unconsciously. Non-verbal behavior can often give us cues about the trustworthiness of a person. In a recent study by DeSteno et al. two experiments were performed to identify non-verbal cues. In the first experiment, groups of two people interacted with one another other using a predefined script. The interactions were recorded on video and The Observer XT was used to code and analyze behaviors that indicate whether or not someone is telling the truth. The results revealed that it is very difficult to detect trustworthiness using single cues. However, sets of cues in a specific order can determine a level of trustworthiness. In the second experiment the state-of-the-art robot Nexi from MIT was programmed to mimic specific human behaviors. A group of test participants interacted with the robot whi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/beautiful-birds-and-uv-what-we-cannot-see Title: Beautiful birds and UV – What we cannot see Description: Don’t we all enjoy the variety and intensity of bird colors? Male birds have perhaps the most impressive color display in nature. Content: Beautiful birds Don’t we all enjoy the variety and intensity of bird colors? Male birds have perhaps the most impressive color display in nature. Those with bright colors are generally healthier and have access to good food which contains pigments. Therefore, in general, female birds prefer males with the most conspicuous colors. The importance of UV Unlike humans, birds are able to see light in the ultraviolet color range. Some bird species have structures in their feathers that reflect UV light. A well-known example of structural coloration is peacock feathers which are pigmented brown, but appear blue, turquoise and green because of reflection by a microscopically structured surface [1]. Most research on the role of colors in the UV range on mating preference is done with species with such structural coloration. But pigments themselves can also contain components that are visible in the UV range and these may affect mating preference. Investigating this will increase our knowledge o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-tracking-embryonic-alcohol-exposure Title: Zebrafish tracking to uncover subtle effects of embryonic alcohol exposure Description: Zebrafish are not the first species one might think of as being exposed to alcohol in their natural environment. Content: Zebrafish are not the first species one might think of as being exposed to alcohol in their natural environment. Nevertheless, they have been used in alcohol related research for years. Recently, zebrafish have been shown to be useful in studying Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A relevant and current problem When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, her fetus is at risk of developing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. There is no known safe amount that can be consumed, and risks involve neurological, physical, and behavioral disabilities. These can be severe, in which case the symptoms are grouped under Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. When symptoms are mild, they are difficult to diagnose and are grouped under Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Due to the difficulty of diagnosis, it is also difficult to estimate an exact prevalence of these developmental problems. Equally difficult then, is to estimate the cost to society. As far as this can be estimated, co... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/home-cage-testing Title: Why it is smart to test your animal in its home cage Description: Behavior of laboratory rodents is often studied in well-controlled, simple experiments, in an environment that is fundamentally different from the animal’s home cage. Content: Behavior of laboratory rodents is often studied in well-controlled, simple experiments, in an environment that is fundamentally different from the animal’s home cage. These tests usually involve repeated handling of the animal, elevated stress levels due to the new surroundings, and a great variety in laboratory environments. This makes results difficult to interpret, decreases reproducibility and compromises validity. Besides, it can have a negative effect on animal welfare. Why it is smart to test your animal in its home cage Executing tests in a home cage provides a solution to these problems. The PhenoTyper is a home cage that is suitable for a wide variety of tests, including tests on learning and memory, anxiety and depression or eating and drinking behavior. One can also use it to monitor the circadian rhythmicity of your lab animal for days or even weeks with minimal human interference. On the Behavioral Research Blog we have published several articles about home cage assessmen... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optogenetics-and-operant-conditioning Title: Optogenetics and operant conditioning Description: A great example of optogenetics in behavioral studies is the work of Dr. Kravitz and Dr. Kreitzer at the Kreitzer lab (currently, Kravitz works at the NIDDK in Bethesda). Let me tell you about it. Content: Not long ago, I wrote about optogenetics (in this post) and the work of Dr. Stuber and his colleagues at the Stuberlab (www.stuberlab.org). Another great example of optogenetics in behavioral studies is the work of Dr. Kravitz and Dr. Kreitzer at the Kreitzer lab. Let me tell you about it. Investigating the dopamine system We all heard about dopamine, right? This chemical in your brain that makes you happy? Actually, dopamine is involved, and even crucial, in a number of processes that take place in the brain. You need it to control and coordinate your movements (so it is not surprising that the loss of dopamine producing neurons (brain cells) is associated with Parkinson’s disease). It is also involved in thinking processes and so on. The third important process that involves dopamine is that of emotion and motivation, a focus in the study conducted by Kravitz and Kreitzer. These researchers investigated the function of two types of neurons in the dopamine system of the striatum, spec... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observations-surgeons-assess-competency Title: Observations of surgeons as a tool to assess competency Description: Medical doctors receive extensive education and training before and during their time spent working at a hospital or clinic. Content: Medical doctors receive extensive education and training before and during their time spent working at a hospital or clinic. There are many training sessions organized by groups of medical specialists, hospitals, and professional societies worldwide that doctors can choose from to continue improving their communication and technical skills. How can we consistently evaluate performance? Skills and knowledge should be evaluated on a regular basis, shouldn’t they? Many researchers are receiving funding to investigate how skills are best taught and practiced. Also, effective communication and positive team interactions are becoming increasingly recognized as crucial components for success in the workplace. Studies are investigating the best way for a physician to speak to a patient while simultaneously obtaining the appropriate medical information and putting the patient at ease. Below you can find a summary of an observational research study conducted by Miskovic et al. (2012) about a new... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-bug-repellant Title: Video tracking and a bug repellant stronger than DEET Description: Last year the news was hitting the internet: The Zwiebel lab (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA) may have found a new bug repellant that is stronger than DEET. Content: Last year the news was hitting the internet: The Zwiebel lab (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA) may have found a new bug repellant that is stronger than DEET. They published a paper on it this year. It tells us how they used video tracking of insect larvae to test a range of possible variants of this new compound called VUAA1. Stronger than DEET Dr. Zwiebel and his team identified the VUAA1 compound to work like DEET (a well-known insect repellant), only a thousand times stronger. It turns on all the receptors in the mosquito’s “nose”, effectively overloading the odor-sensing system. Messing with their noses The research of the Zwiebel lab team started at the mosquito’s antennae, where their olfactory system is located. They need their antennae to locate their prey: humans. That’s why messing with this system might be a perfect way to disrupt their hunt for our blood. This is very important, because mosquitos aren’t just annoying, they can also transmit diseases, like m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/optogenetics Title: Optogenetics - Shining a light on brains and behavior Description: Brains are complicated. We all know that. Like an entangled bunch of wires. Still, over the years, neuroscientists have been able to map out several brain regions and their functions in behavior and physiology. Content: Brains are complicated. We all know that. Like an entangled bunch of wires. Still, over the years, neuroscientists have been able to map out several brain regions and their functions in behavior and physiology. Pretty impressive but when it comes down to the precise determination of which brain cells are responsible for what function, many things are still a mystery. Traditional methods Traditionally two methods were used for this kind of research, being pharmaceuticals (chemical compounds, drugs) and electrodes. While pharmaceuticals can target specific cell receptors to trigger specific neurons, they are not temporally precise. It takes time for them to work after administration, and once they work, the drugs can stay in the system for a certain amount of time. In most cases, activation actually lasts too long. It would be so much easier if cells could be turned on and off like a light switch. Therefore, many scientists have started using electrodes. The problem with electrodes, howe... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/passenger-retail-experience Title: What behaviors to focus on – Airport passenger experiences Description: To learn more about airport design and to investigate how to make time at an airport more enjoyable, Livingstone et al. undertook a study into passenger experience. Content: Airport design - passenger retail experience To learn more about airport design and to investigate how to make time at an airport more enjoyable, Livingstone et al. undertook a study into passenger experience. To be more specific, they looked into airport behavior and experiences in Landside Retail Locations. They specifically chose this part of the airport because people tend to experience travel stress and other negative emotions when inside the Landside Retail Locations. To measure airport experiences accurately Livingstone et al. developed a coding scheme and used several cameras and The Observer XT research software for data collection. They used codes such as Activity – Walking whilst browsing, Purchase type – Book, Alcohol, or Electronic, or Landside Retail Locations – News Travels, Australia Way, Merlo. Processing and discretionary Livingstone et al. explain that passengers undertake two separate categories of activities: processing and discretionary. The results of this study... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/examples-autism-research-studies Title: Three examples of autism research studies Description: Knowledge is the key to developing a better understanding of autism. Researchers often observe and code behavior in combination with other research methods. Content: Knowledge is the key to developing a better understanding of autism. Researchers often observe and code behavior in combination with other research methods such as questionnaires or parental interviews to be able to understand, recognize, and explain specific behaviors that are linked to autism. Three examples of autism research studies 1. Novel social object learning task Take for example a study Bhat et al. (2010) carried out – it included a novel social object learning task, where novel stands for a not often used triadic interaction: infant, object, and social interaction with a caregiver. Naturally, you can ask the caregiver afterwards about his or her experiences. But, behavioral observation will deliver more in-depth information about the triadic interaction. 2. New insights into self-injury behavior New insights into self-injury behavior are presented by Sandman et al. 2012. T-pattern analysis allowed them to reveal temporal patterns associated with self-injurious events. The p... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/tracking-zebrafish-in-3d Title: Tracking zebrafish in 3D Description: Recognizing the lack of hands-on education, Dr. Kalueff has started organizing zebrafish behavioral neuroscience and phenotyping workshops. The workshops ran just before and after the SfN annual meeting, October 2012. Content: Zebrafish are an exciting, but still relatively new, model organism growing in popularity in behavioral neuroscience. We have highlighted recent behavioral work using zebrafish extensively, but compared to other models there are few textbooks or protocols available to those entering the field. Compared to mouse and rat phenotyping, the zebrafish community has a long way to go. Not only when it comes to protocol development and the availability of handbooks, but also with regards to professional training. Tracking zebrafish in 3D at the Zebrafish Behavioral Neuroscience and Neurophenotyping workshop Recognizing the lack of hands-on education, Dr. Kalueff has started organizing zebrafish behavioral neuroscience and phenotyping workshops. The workshops ran just before and after the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, October 2012. The combination of the two events attracted researchers from around the world to join in on a lively discussion on zebrafish behavioral neuroscience. I had... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/video-tracking-ecotoxicology Title: Tracking tadpoles – why video tracking is important in ecotoxicology Description: The study of behavior has proven itself to be useful in the context of ecotoxicology; the assessment of the impact of pesticides on ecology systems. It is a valuable tool in the risk assessment. Content: The study of behavior has proven itself to be useful in the context of ecotoxicology; the assessment of the impact of pesticides on ecology systems. It is a valuable tool in the risk assessment, beyond the level of just determining mortality rates. Video tracking and ecotoxicology Of course, studying behavior can be done in many ways. In the past, analysis mostly relied on direct visual observation and manual analysis. This is time-consuming and sometimes highly subjective. Video tracking allows for accurate quantifying of locomotor behavior. It delivers objective spatio-temporal data and can be of great help in the advancement of ecotoxicology. Denoël et al. tried it on the evaluation of the toxicity of pesticides in amphibians. Why this research? So why is this research important? Because more and more species are becoming extinct. Amphibians are suffering a major decline, and they are very important in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Testing possible pollutants for more tha... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-behavioral-research Title: 5 must-read articles on zebrafish behavioral research Description: I have been reading a lot about zebrafish research lately and I thought it would be nice to share some of my favorite articles with you. Content: I have been reading a lot about zebrafish research lately and I thought it would be nice to share some of my favorite articles with you. Think I missed one? Please let me know what your favorite zebrafish article is by commenting below! (Scroll down for a video on zebrafish video tracking!) Unmarked tracking of shoaling This brand new article was submitted for Neuroscience 2012, which is being held right now, even as I am posting this blog. Green and his colleagues investigated the effect of group-size, LSD, MDMA, and alarm pheromone in the shoaling paradigm. I like this article because they compared the (traditional) manual method of measuring inter-fish distances with automated video tracking. For this experiment they used EthoVision XT in combination with the Social Interaction Module, and they did not mark the zebrafish. Shoal density They found that pairs of fish stays closer together than larger groups, and between the larger groups, no differences were found in shoal density. Th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/dive-into-zebrafish-research Title: Don’t dwell on it… dive into zebrafish research! Description: I recently wrote about other translations from rodent studies to zebrafish, such as the investigation of learning and memory and social behavior. Now it’s time to talk about anxiety and exploration. Content: About the novel tank diving test and bottom dwelling in zebrafish research I recently wrote about other translations from rodent studies to zebrafish, such as the investigation of learning and memory and social behavior. Now it’s time to talk about anxiety and exploration. In zebrafish research, the novel tank diving test and behavior known as bottom dwelling are ways to measure anxiety-related responses. The importance of research on anxiety We all know what anxiety is, and normally it is one of the ways your body helps keep you safe. But for some, anxiety is something that can deeply interfere with normal functioning. In fact, anxiety disorders are amongst the most common mental health problems, often with great costs to society. Research on anxiety disorders can shed light on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It also helps discover possible genetic components and environmental factors that contribute to these disorders. Many paradigms for studies on rodents have been well valida... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/autism-models Title: The search for autism models continues - why rats are important Description: Autism (ASD) continues to be an important topic in scientific research. Although finding the actual cause of ASD is still years away, there have been several studies that point to a strong genetic component. Content: Autism, or rather Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), continues to be an important topic in scientific research. Although finding the actual cause of ASD is still years away, there have been several studies that point to a strong genetic component (though not all cases are hereditary). People with ASD suffer from difficulties in social interaction and communication because they are limited in their empathic abilities and intuition and have a hard time expressing their emotions. There are also a number of other ways ASD expresses itself, such as compulsive and repetitive behavior. The search for autism models continues - why rats are important You can image this can make life hard, and a large part of people suffering from ASD lead lonely lives. There is no cure, but there are some therapies. That is why scientific research is important. As potential causes and cures are being studied, the need for good animal models of ASD is becoming more and more important. Rats over mice ASD is uniquely... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/why-observe-driver-behavior-and-distraction Title: Why observe driver behavior and distraction Description: Listening to your favorite music in your car can have a very uplifting effect and can help create a pleasant atmosphere. Also, having a conversation while driving can be a very efficient way of spending your time. Content: Listening to your favorite music in your car can have a very uplifting effect and can help create a pleasant atmosphere. Also, having a conversation while driving can be a very efficient way of spending your time. By selecting great songs or having a fun conversation, our in-car-time becomes enjoyable, sometimes even relaxing (somewhat depending on your choice of music). Nowadays, most people do not simply listen to their CD player - the technology for listening to music has become more sophisticated. A number of different devices and techniques are built into cars to allow the driver to select music while keeping his or her eyes on the road. However, performing a task other than driving can still result in an extremely dangerous situation. There is a reason why making a phone call with a telephone in your hand is forbidden in many countries! Researchers are taking on the challenge to look into the best possible way to select music while driving. Driving simulation experiment Tuomo Kuj... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/drunken-mice-get-aggressive-alzheimers-drugs Title: Drunken mice get aggressive on Alzheimer’s drugs Description: 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. Content: 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. Drunken mice on drugs Newman et al. tested the behavior of alcoholic mice under the influence of several glutamate-antagonists; drugs that play a role in disorders such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia but might also be beneficial for recovering alcoholics. They found that certain drugs combined with alcohol resulted in escalated aggressive behavior, while others did not. Their results were recently published in Psychopharmacology. Glutamate can cause brain damage Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that plays an essential role in learning and memory, but overstimulation of brain cells by glutamate causes disruption or even cell death. It is what happens in disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Not surprisingly, substances that prevent the work of glutamate (so called glutamate antagonists) are widely s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/a-story-of-dogs-and-dolls Title: A story of dogs and dolls Description: When finding the right dog for yourself, you probably won’t choose an aggressive one, will you? You don’t want it to attack your friends, kids, or other dogs. You could try using a temperament test, but how reliable are they? Content: When finding the right dog for yourself, you probably won’t choose an aggressive one, will you? You don’t want it to attack your friends, kids, or other dogs. You could try using a temperament test to predict behavior in dogs, but how reliable are they? As good as the real thing? That was the question researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine (University of Pennsylvania, USA) were asking themselves, too, because these temperament tests involve dolls. And dolls just aren’t human. For obvious reasons, you don’t want to go about testing if your dog is aggressive towards children by putting an actual child in front of it. So using a doll seems like a good plan. But can it really say something about how the dog is going to react to an actual child, in everyday life, that smells and moves different than the doll? It turns out, it can. Investigating the predictability of the doll-test For the same reason you don’t want to challenge a dog with a real child, it is difficult to compare te... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/unraveling-primate-behavior Title: Unraveling primate behavior, why do monkeys rub their fur? Description: Did you know that tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) rub their fur vigorously with substances such as leaves, fruit, or insects? Such substances are often insecticidal, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory. Content: Did you know that tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) rub their fur vigorously with substances such as leaves, fruit, or insects? Such substances are often insecticidal, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory. Therefore, fur rubbing may improve fur condition along with having a medical function. Fur rubbing leads to aggression In animal behavior research, it is widely believed that fur rubbing is used in social bonding. However, for tufted capuchin monkeys, this is not true [1]. Animals that rub their fur encounter more aggression and have less friendly behavior. They have less grooming behavior and play less than animals that do not rub their fur. This of course puzzles the scientists that study primate behavior. Do the monkeys perhaps fight for fur rubbing material? Or does fur rubbing make them smell so bad that their group members become aggressive? What is causing this aggression? In a recent study, Paukner and Suomi (2012) [2] investigate the cause of the aggression after fur rubbin... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/mating-behavior-rhesus-monkeys Title: Secret sex and promiscuity - Mating behavior of Rhesus monkeys Description: In Rhesus monkeys the optimal sexual strategy is different for Alpha males, other males and females. Alpha males want females to mate exclusively with them, whereas other males and females benefit from promiscuity. Content: In Rhesus monkeys the optimal sexual strategy is different for Alpha males, other males and females. Alpha males want females to mate exclusively with them, whereas other males and females benefit from promiscuity. With secret sex, females and bystander males counteract the strategies of alpha males to dominate the group. Conflicting mating strategies Did you know that in social groups of monkeys, the optimal mating strategy of alpha males conflicts with the optimal strategy of females and the other males? A dominant male wants females to mate exclusively with him to ensure that the offspring is his. To ensure this, the alpha male guards females and interrupts mating by other males [1,2]. On the other hand, bystander males of course also want to mate and produce offspring. But how do they achieve this? The benefits of promiscuity While alpha males want females to be monogamous, females benefit from promiscuity. Having more mating partners decreases the chance that offspring is attacked... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/social-aspects-zebrafish-behavior Title: Sex preference and other social aspects of zebrafish behavior Description: Social behavior is a well-known topic of neuroscience research, since it is so often affected in psychiatric disorders. Think of obvious examples such as schizophrenia and autism. Content: Image courtesy: Prof. Gerlai, University of Toronto Missisauga Social behavior is a well-known topic of neuroscience research, since it is so often affected in psychiatric disorders. Think of obvious examples such as schizophrenia and autism. Social dysfunction can have a severe impact on daily functioning, therefore many studies in search of genetic disposition or drug targets include social behavior paradigms. Social behavior is complex and multi-faceted. But actually, in studies using animal models, most social interaction is measured in a very straight-forward way; by proximity. Zebrafish have a strong, natural tendency to form shoals, and this tendency and the density of these groups is influenced by several factors, from genetics to pharmacological manipulation. How close they swim together or if one fish approaches the other are practical measures to investigate social behavior in zebrafish. The influence of food and predation on shoaling When competition for food increases, the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/human-robot-interaction-in-relations Title: Human-robot interaction in remote friendships and family relations Description: Don’t you miss the touch of a loved-one when they are far-away? Skype and a number of other communication channels are great solutions to talk and even video chat when you are apart. Content: Don’t you miss the touch of a loved-one when they are far-away? Skype and a number of other communication channels are great solutions to talk and even video chat when you are apart, but they can’t make up for the physical connection. There might be a fresh and original alternative. Since robots are becoming more and more common, and technology is improving rapidly, researchers are now looking into the possibilities of using robots as social mediators to enhance remote communication between people. Gaze, smile, talk Papadopoulos et al. (2012) investigated the role of interactive robots as communication mediators. For this study, a Sony AIBO robot was used. This is a little pet-like autonomous robot that is able to learn and mature. Participants were asked to play a game with the help of the robot while communicating with another participant seated in another room. Behavior and game experience were measured using video recording and coding, and a questionnaire. For the video analysis, t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/temporal-gait-parameters Title: Time based relations in gait analysis Description: I have written two blog posts about static gait parameters. Now it’s time to talk about all four paws, and the time based relationships between them. If you ask me, we’ve been saving the best blog post for last! Content: In my last two blog posts, I wrote about static gait parameters. Specifically, what a single footprint can tell you and what kind of information you can get from the distance relationships between prints. Now it’s time to talk about all four paws, and the time based relationships between them. If you ask me, we’ve been saving the best blog post for last! Temporal relations Temporal relations are the parameters that have to do with time, such as timing and duration. This is where automation of gait research shows it true colors. So why would you want to know about the timing of footfalls? Let’s say you have two rats that walk in exactly the same way, with the same distances between each paw print, and the same pattern of walking. But one gets to the other side faster. In theory, this is because one walks faster. In other words, while the distance between the successive placement of one paw remains the same, the time it took to move this foot, was less. The stride (stance plus swing phas... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/nurse-patient-interaction-two-coding-schemes Title: Nurse patient interaction - two coding schemes Description: The world's population is ageing. International dementia and Alzheimer organizations state that there are an estimated 36 million people worldwide with dementia. Content: The world's population is ageing. International dementia and Alzheimer organizations state that there are an estimated 36 million people worldwide with dementia. And that figure is set to increase to more than 115 million people by 2050. Since dementia primarily affects older people who are often in need of special care, the number of people living in nursing or senior living homes has increased dramatically. Cultural living People with a specific cultural background such as Hindustani people or Korean Americans will establish their own nursing homes to incorporate cultural living into daily care and activities. Why? Sometimes what is seen as polite in one culture can be seen as impolite in another. For example, when you lower your eyes in Japan it is interpreted as a sign of respect as if talking to someone superior. However, when doing the same in a western country, such as the UK or The Netherlands, it might be interpreted as evasive, lying, or uninterested. Two social interaction c... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/automated-gait-analysis Title: Going the distance - and why it matters in gait analysis Description: A footprint, that is. With CatWalk XT, you can extract a lot of information from just one footprint. In this post, I am taking it a step further by talking about the relationship between prints. Content: Parameters that describe the relation and distances between footfalls Last week I wrote about the value of a print. A footprint, that is. With CatWalk XT, you can extract a lot of information from just one footprint. In this post, I am taking it a step further by talking about the relationship between prints. In the study of many different disorders that affect the nervous system, muscles, or bones, it is important to know how the animal walks. Does it have a regular gait, following a normal pattern of footsteps? Or can we detect a lack of coordination, or ataxia? Those are important behavioral observations in many studies. So how can you detect them: by looking at the relation between prints. Clinicians are trained to visually observe the gait of their patients to detect abnormalities. They can ask their patients to walk a certain way or direction, to watch their stability and balance. But what if your patient is a small rodent? Small rodents are often used in research on a wide scale... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/footprint-parameters Title: What a print can tell Description: So what can one footprint tell you? Well, it could tell you a lot. Simply putting the paw in ink and studying the print left behind is one way to go about it, but there are far more sophisticated ways of footprint analysis. Content: Gait parameters as behavioral endpoints – parameters from a footprint So here it is – the first blog in a series of three, about rodent gait analysis and what a single footprint can tell us. Modern systems – better than ink So what can one footprint tell you? Well, it could tell you a lot. Simply putting the paw in ink and studying the print left behind is one way to go about it, but there are far more sophisticated ways of footprint analysis. While an ink-print can give you an idea of the print area of a foot, you cannot tell how the animal is distributing his weight across its feet. It also cannot tell you the maximum surface area of a foot touching the ground during the duration of the entire footfall. Modern systems can. Print intensity Modern systems that use light to detect a footfall can indicate the intensity of a print, which in turn can correlate with how the animal is bearing its weight. In models of conditions that affect a single limb, the animal often shows less use of th... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-t-maze Title: What we can learn from zebrafish in a T-maze Description: Scrolling through our recent blogs, you can tell how important zebrafish have become in behavioral research. So we thought it was time to tell you a little more about some popular paradigms. Starting with the T-maze. Content: Scrolling through our recent blogs, you can tell how important zebrafish have become in behavioral research. So we thought it was time to tell you a little more about some popular paradigms. Starting with the T-maze. ‘T’ For those of you who have never seen one; is it exactly what you expect it to be. A maze formed like the letter T. The animal tested starts out at the bottom of the T, and to teach it to choose the ‘correct’ goal arm, positive or aversive stimuli are used to motivate the animal. By the way, ‘T’ has a big sister: ‘Y’. The Y-maze is similar to the T-maze, the arms are just connected a bit differently. The T-maze was already popular in rodent studies, and seems to work in quite a same way with zebrafish. But why would let your zebrafish swim around in a T? Learning and memory The T-maze is a straightforward method to test the learning ability, long- and short-term memory, and memory plasticity of your animal. And how this is altered due to genetics, chemicals, etc. Just l... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/infant-behavior-experiments Title: Infant behavior experiments Description: When a baby is born prematurely, this baby and his or her parents often experience a rough start. You can think about eating problems, high risk of infection, or even anemia. Content: When a baby is born prematurely, this baby and his or her parents often experience a rough start. You can think about eating problems, high risk of infection, or even anemia. Researchers focus on the differences between term and preterm infants in order to understand certain behavior, communication abilities, and learning skills so they learn more about the effects of a preterm birth. Learn more about the Early Social Communication Scales And researchers try to assess the effectiveness of interventions, such as the “Vermont Intervention Program for Low Birthweight Infants” (Rauh, 1979). By observing parent-infant interaction, researchers gain more insight in specific behaviors such as joint attention. Observing mother-infant interaction Olafsen et al. (2006) observed mother-infant interaction and investigated whether early intervention could be beneficial for infants with a low birth weight. The observers classified children’s behavior into one of three mutually exclusive categories of... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/horse-training-methods Title: Horse training methods: The importance of behavioral analysis Description: In equitation sciences, there are at least two training strategies: the ‘natural’ way of horsemanship that allows the horse to evaluate action and reaction and horsemanship that is based on ‘overruling’ of the animal. Content: Nowadays there are many different methods to train a horse. Looking at equitation sciences, it seems you can distinguish al least two different training strategies applied and investigated. First, there is the ‘natural’ way of horsemanship that allows the horse to evaluate action and reaction. This is often claimed to be the “new” way, but it actually seems based on very ancient methods. The other extreme is horsemanship that is based on desensitizing or ‘overruling’ of the animal. Scientific research on different horse training methods Baragli et al. (2012, in press) wrote an article comparing two different methods of training young horses, providing a scientific approach to evaluate the success of these methods by closely looking at the behavior of the horses. Twelve young ponies were used, and split up into two groups. Both were trained using a similar basis of learning theory, but provided the horses with different opportunities to control their environment. Group A: in a paddock G... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/what-gait-can-tell Title: What gait can tell: 3 blogs that will help you understand Description: The usefulness of gait is well established in research on spinal cord injury, ataxia, and arthritis. But in fact, research on all disorders that influence gait in any way, can benefit from gait and footfall analysis. Content: The usefulness of gait is well-established in research on spinal cord injury, ataxia, and arthritis. But in fact, research on all disorders that influence gait in any way, can benefit from gait and footfall analysis. Gait is an important part of the behavioral repertoire of animals, and detailed gait analysis is a logical endpoint to take into account. What gait can tell: 3 blogs that will help you understand The cause of gait disturbances Numerous diseases and disorders affect gait and four categories of origin can be described. First, the central nervous system can be affected, resulting in lack of coordination, ataxia, paralysis, etc. Examples include Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, cerebellar ataxia, and ALS. Second, disorders that originate from the peripheral nervous system can cause similar symptoms. Examples include ischemia and sciatic nerve injury. Third, if skeletal systems are affected, as is the case with arthritis or knee and ankle injury, symptoms include less use of a paw or... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/brain-waves-behavior-sleep Title: Brain waves and behavior: sleep to learn Description: To find out more about human and animal learning and memory, we might just have to go to sleep. Ahem – research on sleep, I mean. Content: To find out more about human and animal learning and memory, we might just have to go to sleep. Ahem – research on sleep, I mean. Sleep to learn At the institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology at Heidelberg University (Germany), they study REM sleep. REM is an important phase in our sleep, not just for humans, but for other mammals as well. We need REM sleep to process recent events, to learn skills, and regulate our emotions. It is thought that predators ‘relive’ catching their prey during sleep, improving their skills for the next hunt. Brain waves Late 2010, Scheffzük et al. published a paper on brain waves that were recorded with EEG in mice during active wakefulness and REM sleep. This study investigates the cross-frequency coupling between two different ‘brain waves’: theta and gamma waves. Theta waves are slow waves; in rodents they originate from the hippocampal network and are conducted to the neocortex. Gamma waves are faster, local waves, and can be divided into slow and... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/animal-model-obsessive-compulsive-disorder Title: How to find an animal model for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Description: We all show some form of compulsive behavior. I triple check to make sure I locked my car, knowing that it’s locked but still feeling the need. But what if compulsions, rituals, and repetition rule your everyday live? Content: The power of temporal behavioral pattern analysis and video tracking We all show some form of compulsive behavior. I triple check to make sure I locked my car, knowing that it’s locked but still feeling the need. But what if compulsions, rituals, and repetition rule your everyday live? Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex psychiatric disease that can have a profound impact on the lives of those affected by it. Typical single-drug treatment (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) fails to help a large percentage of patients, so researchers are trying to come up with more effective therapies. In search of the next top-model Figuring out the biomechanical basis of OCD and finding more successful methods of treatment depends largely on research with animal models. However, finding an adequate model remains difficult. In 2010 de Haas et al. published a paper on an OCD model using quinpirole on rats. They aimed to quantify the dimensions of ritualistic ‘compulsive-like’ behavi... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/food-preservative-increase-symptoms-of-autism Title: Can a food preservative increase symptoms of autism? Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a strong genetic component – a well-known fact. However, recent studies suggest that environmental factors, such as dietary ingredients, can cause exacerbation of the symptoms. Content: Autism-like behavior studied in rats treated with propionic acid In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, this post will focus on autism research. In particular, I want to share this interesting and very readable publication of MacFabe et al. (2011) with you. Environmental factors in autism Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a strong genetic component – a well-known fact. However, recent studies suggest that environmental factors, such as dietary ingredients, can cause exacerbation of the symptoms. Propionic acid (PPA) is a good example, as MacFabe et al. explain to us in their article. They investigated the effects of PPA on several behavioral and physiological measurements as part of the autistic phenotype of rats. PPA is a fatty acid used as a food preservative, and studies have shown that eating food containing this additive exacerbates the symptoms in children with autism. PPA is also a product of gut bacteria, thus produced in our own body. A subset of ASD patients are reported to... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/exploratory-activity-drosophila Title: Walking in circles - the exploratory activity of Drosophila Description: Like rats and mice, fruit flies avoid open spaces and stay close to physical borders. In rats and mice this is caused by fear to be out in the open and preference for close contact with borders. Content: Like rats and mice, fruit flies avoid open spaces and stay close to physical borders. In rats and mice this is caused by fear to be out in the open and preference for close contact with borders. However, fruit flies are different from rats and mice. They stay close to the borders because they explore them visually. Uncomfortable to be out in the open Do we not all feel a little uncomfortable when we cross a large square and do we not all secretly prefer to walk along its edges? Centrophobicity, the tendency to avoid open spaces, is a well-known phenomenon in behavioral science. Rats and mice, for example, are strongly centrophobic, because being out in the open makes them vulnerable to predators. This behavior is commonly used in the development of antidepressants, to determine whether the drugs succeed in making the animals braver and more eager to explore their environment. Fruit flies are like rats and mice The habits of insects are comparable to the habits of rodents. Insect studie... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/parent-child-interaction-effectiveness Title: Parent-child interaction: Measuring the effectiveness of interactions Description: Quality of parent-child interaction is one of the major predictors of emotional and social development of children, which makes parent-child interaction an important focus of child development research. Content: Quality of parent-child interaction is one of the major predictors of emotional and social development of children, which makes parent-child interaction an important focus of child development research. By examining patterns of parent-child interaction before and after an intervention, researchers try to identify changes in behavior. In order to reach desired behavior patterns, certain changes need to occur. Then an intervention can be evaluated as effective or non-effective. Understanding treatment effectiveness Recently, De Rubeis and Granic presented an interesting study: Understanding treatment effectiveness for aggressive youth: the importance of regulation in mother-child interactions. They state that studies continue to report variability in outcomes, and researchers have yet to understand why certain interventions only produce behavior change in some children. It is understandable that not all will produce changes, but in behavioral research, you would like to give a negative o... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/know-if-an-animal-nauseated Title: How to know if an animal is nauseated Description: Nausea is a prominent factor influencing the quality of life for patients undergoing chemotherapy. That is why it is useful to study the nauseating side effects of therapies or the anti-nauseating potential of drugs. Content: Studying behavioral patterns associated with emesis (vomiting) Nausea and vomiting. Not the most pleasant thing to talk about, but unfortunately it is a prominent factor influencing the quality of life for patients undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy. That is why it is useful to study the nauseating side effects of therapies or the anti-nauseating potential of drugs on animal models. But rats and mice cannot vomit, making it hard to study nausea in animal models. Finding behavioral indicators When you cannot observe the clear sign of nausea known as emesis (vomiting), other related behaviors become especially important. But to find out what these behavioral changes associated with emesis are, you need to start with an animal model that actually can vomit. Horn et al. (2011) recently used shrews in their research to get a better understanding of nausea. With a statistical method to determine patterns of behavior associated with emesis, they use a computational approach that could... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-and-withdrawal Title: Zebrafish and withdrawal Description: Recent work done by Khor et al. (2011) looked at the effect of mitragynine on behavior in zebrafish going through withdrawal after chronic morphine exposure. The effects of Mitragynine on morphine-withdrawn zebrafish. Content: A major challenge in treatment of drug addictions is the management of withdrawal symptoms, which often lead to relapse. Several pharmacological strategies exist to mitigate withdrawal symptoms, but nevertheless there is a strong need for additional options, and an increased understanding of some strategies of ‘self medication’ currently being used. The effects of Mitragynine on morphine-withdrawn zebrafish Recent work done by Khor et al. (2011) looked at the effect of mitragynine on behavior in zebrafish going through withdrawal after chronic morphine exposure. Mitragynine is the most common compound found in the native south asian kratom leafs (Mitragyna speciosa). These are frequently used by drug addicts as a self-medication strategy when going through opioid withdrawal. It has a documented use for diarrhea, cough, muscular pain and fatigue, and is a natural antidepressant. Some of these symptoms are common to those experienced in opioid withdrawal as well. Despite its documented u... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/test-hallucinogens-on-zebrafish Title: Three ways to test hallucinogens on zebrafish Description: Hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelics) have a growing significance in biopsychiatric research. Zebrafish are a popular animal model and seem highly sensitive to various drugs of abuse. Content: Behavioral endpoints of zebrafish in the novel tank test, the open field test, and the shoaling behavior test Hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelics) have a growing significance in biopsychiatric research. Zebrafish are a popular animal model and seem highly sensitive to various drugs of abuse. The Kalueff lab established these two facts and in a study described in Effects of hallucinogenic agents mescaline and phencyclidine on zebrafish behavior and physiology (Kyzar et al., 2012). To shed some light on the poorly understood psychotropic effects of mescaline and phencyclidine (PCP), Kyzar et al. performed three behavioral tests, each with a naïve group of adult zebrafish. Fish were pretreated with mescaline, PCP, or no drugs at all (control group). 1. Measure behavior in the novel tank In the novel tank test, behavior was viewed from the side of the trapezoidal tank. EthoVision XT video tracking was used to measure distance traveled, velocity, and durations of highly mobile and immobile s... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/bed-bug-behavior Title: Bed bug behavior - What smell can tell Description: Bed bugs are on the rebound in developed countries. Traditionally, bed bugs are controlled with pesticides. However, traps with attractive human body odors are a promising alternative. Content: Bed bugs are on the rebound in developed countries. Traditionally, bed bugs are controlled with pesticides. However, traps with attractive human body odors are a promising alternative. In two interesting studies Harraca et al. investigated the response of bed bugs to human body odors. Bed bug behavior - What smell can tell Bed bugs on the rebound Those of you who think that bed bugs belong to developing countries are wrong. Bed bugs are on the rebound in developed countries. Traditionally, bed bugs are controlled with pesticides. But the development of pesticide resistance has led to a need for alternative control methods. Trapped in odors For blood-feeding insects, traps baited with attractive odors are promising. Experimental biology therefore focuses on the host searching behavior of those insects. Once the attractive body odors are identified, they can be applied to traps to attract the blood-sucking insects. What bed bugs smell Harraca et al. investigated in two interesting studie... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/fear-inducing-stimuli-zebrafish-research Title: The search for robust fear inducing stimuli in zebrafish research Description: Zebrafish behavioral research has grown by leaps and bounds, and behavioral paradigms are being developed with the aim of better understanding mechanisms that might underlie aberrant behavioral phenotypes. Content: Zebrafish behavioral research has grown by leaps and bounds, and behavioral paradigms are being developed with the aim of better understanding mechanisms that might underlie aberrant behavioral phenotypes. This knowledge can be applied to complex human conditions, such as anxiety disorders. Fear paradigms can potentially bring more insights into mechanisms that are involved in these disorders. These require stimuli that consistently produce robust fear responses in zebrafish. Luca and Gerlai (2012) have attempted to expand on the small but growing arsenal of behavioral stimuli that can be used. The search for robust fear inducing stimuli in zebrafish research Not a large body of knowledge exists on effective fear stimuli for zebrafish research prior to this study being published, and this paper definitely provides a greater appreciation for the complexities involved in fear paradigms, and stimulus selection. Not all stimuli that are intended to elicit a fear response, actually do. And... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/clinical-interviews Title: Clinical interviews – analyzing verbal and non-verbal behavior Description: In general, researchers choose the methods and techniques that best suit their research objectives. That’s no different when researching doctor-patient communication or any other clinical interview setting. Content: In general, researchers choose the methods and techniques that best suit their research objectives. That’s no different when researching doctor-patient communication or any other clinical interview setting. Some researchers use audio recordings to study verbal behavior while others try to get more insight in non-verbal behavior by recording behavior on video. Both of these techniques are aimed at studying the interaction process between clinician and patient. For each research question a different approach can be selected. Let’s have a look at two different approaches. In communication verbal and non-verbal behaviors can both be essential to understand the meaning of an utterance or statement. However, in these cases researchers have chosen to study either verbal utterances or non-verbal behavior. Download here the FREE white paper 'How to set up behavioral coding - 7 tips' Non-verbal behavior Montague and colleagues presented a study in which they analyzed non-verbal behavior in clini... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-research-south-america Title: Zebrafish research: growing demands in South America Description: It was at the Society for Neuroscience last November that I was invited to speak at the second annual LAZEN meeting held last December in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Content: Recently I wrote about the growing presence of zebrafish related studies at big international conferences, like the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. This general infiltration of zebrafish in behavioral and biological sciences as a whole has been significant enough that the demand for specialized zebrafish meetings continues to grow. Specialized meetings have been established for years and new ones continue to surface; from the 10th zebrafish genetics and development conference, to the 13th Australia and New Zealand zebrafish meeting, the 2nd European Zebrafish PI Meeting, and now the second Latin American Zebrafish Network (LAZEN) course. It was at the Society for Neuroscience last November that I was invited to speak at the second annual LAZEN meeting held last December in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This opportunity not only offered a chance for me to speak on zebrafish, behavioral paradigms, and my own research but also gave me a new view and appreciation for the potential of this... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/traumatic-brain-injury-research Title: Three examples of swimming rats in traumatic brain injury research (TBI) Description: The Morris water maze and EthoVision, a validated solution to investigate learning and memory in rats and mice. Content: Studies with EthoVision XT and the Morris water maze test The Morris water maze test is a well validated and often used tool to investigate learning and memory in rats and mice. This blog post elaborates on three studies from The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring (Maryland, USA) that use the Morris water maze in combination with automated tracking software EthoVision XT. At the Walter Reed Army Institute, scientists investigate TBI (a leading cause of death and disability in the USA), and established the PBBI model for TBI; penetrating ballistic-like brain injury in rodents. In Shear et al. (2010) the focus is on advancing the test platform for longitudinal research on the PBBI model. When motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits are investigated, a Morris water maze test in combination with behavioral tracking software EthoVision XT is used for the latter. PBBI rats showed thigmotaxic swim patterns, suggesting a general incapacity to switch to a good search pattern... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-behavior-jury-deliberations Title: Observing behavior - Jury deliberations, what happens behind closed doors Description: Researchers increasingly study what goes on behind closed doors. Thirty mock-jury deliberations were filmed and behaviors were then coded using The Observer software. Content: Jury deliberations expected to begin today in Iredell murder trial — Jury deliberations in Whitehead trial continues Wednesday – Jurors continue deliberations in Padilla trial – These are just a few headlines that mention jury trials. Nowadays, researchers increasingly study this deliberation process, which goes on behind closed doors. Take for example Behind closed doors: the effect of pretrial publicity on jury deliberations (Ruva, 2011). The results of this study suggest that negative pretrial publicity (PTP) has a biasing effect on jury verdicts and that PTP exposure can influence juror’s interpretations and discussion of trial evidence. Observing mock-jury deliberations Christine Ruva et al. (2011) analyzed 30 mock-jury deliberations. One point of interest, which they explored, was the behavior of jurors who were asked to read actual negative pretrial publicity from the murder trail that they later viewed in comparison with jurors who read unrelated news articles. Researchers perf... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-observation Title: Systematic behavioral observation – two coding scales Description: Structured observations are one of the many ways to gather data. Observing behavior rather than asking questions about it can provide you with a multitude of valuable information. Content: Structured observations are one of the many ways to gather data. Observing behavior rather than asking questions about it can provide you with a multitude of valuable information. When you start using observations, you can structure the research method by developing a coding scheme and determine what you want to focus on. Structuring your observations means thinking about what you want to observe rather than simply noting down whatever is visible and seems relevant. Martin and Bateson (2007) state that the problem with this type of sampling, ad libitum sampling, is that observations will be biased towards those behavior patterns and individuals which happen to be most conspicuous. So let’s see what observation scales are and how they can contribute to observational research. 1) Pretend Play Observation Scale The Pretend Play Observation Scale was developed by Brown in 1997 and over time has been further developed and used in studies which investigated the pretend play of mother –toddle... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/locomotor-and-gait-analysis Title: Recent applications of locomotor and gait analysis Description: Stem cell research is a promising area of research for spinal cord injury. With 1,25 million individuals suffering from chronic spinal cord injury in the US alone, new treatment approaches are necessary. Content: Stem cell research is a promising area of research for spinal cord injury. With 1,250,000 individuals suffering from chronic spinal cord injury in the US alone, new treatment approaches are necessary and research in this area is not slowing down (Salazar, Uchida, Hamers, Cummings, & Anderson, 2010). Spinal cord injury typically involves the loss of neurons in the spinal column, which depending on the location of the injury can lead to motor deficits or complete paralysis. Stem cell therapies are a promising area of research for treatment, as stem cells might be able to replace lost neurons and recover some or all motor function. However, there is a strong lack of consensus about the types of stem cell therapies that might be useful (Schira et al. 2011). This is partially fuelled by inconsistent functional outcomes in studies investigating different therapeutic strategies. Functional outcomes can also seem more variable due to different tests being applied to assess the success of a the... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/equitation-sciences Title: Horses: behavioral research, physiology and biomechanics Description: Besides the study of the relation between humans and popular pets such as cats and dogs, human-horse interaction is an increasingly popular subject of science. Content: Not long ago, we wrote a blog post on human-cat interaction. Besides the study of the relation between humans and popular pets such as cats and dogs, human-horse interaction is an increasingly popular subject of science. International Society of Equitation Sciences There has always been a lot of discussion amongst people that have something to do with horses. Whether leisurely riding them or training them for high level sports, the emotional component of the horse business has always caused many opinions that often clash. Of course, we human beings know the answer to that problem: let’s add some science to the mix. What can we actually say with some certainty on horse behavior, welfare, and health? This is where the ISES (International Society of Equitation Sciences) comes in. This year their 7th international conference was held in the Netherlands, and it brought together scientists from many different nationalities and disciplines. Research presented varied from learning and stress t... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/behavioral-assays-zebrafish-drug-screening Title: Behavioral assays establish zebrafish in drug screening Description: Zebrafish are increasingly swimming into the view of large-scale drug screening projects. Behavioral screens can be used as a first-line detection tool for new drug effects, and their popularity continues to grow. Content: Zebrafish are increasingly swimming into the view of large-scale drug screening projects. Behavioral screens can be used as a first-line detection tool for new drug effects, and their popularity continues to grow. Translating results to what we might see in humans requires an appropriate (vertebrate) model suited for large-scale studies. This is a tall order, but one zebrafish easily fill. Mice and rats are more established model systems, but size and cost are often prohibitive to large-scale analyses. Compromising in favor of size and cost points to an invertebrate model like Drosophila. However, in zebrafish researchers find the economy required for high throughput studies, in a vertebrate model. Swimming down the pipeline: behavioral assays establish zebrafish in drug screening Collwill and Creton (2011) recently reviewed zebrafish behavioral assays and highlight how these can help in discovering new drug targets for anxiety. Successful high throughput screens using zebrafish hinge... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/observing-wild-elephants Title: Observing social behavior and communication in wild elephants Description: A trunk-to-mouth greeting ritual. Yes. We are talking about elephants here. Content: A trunk-to-mouth greeting ritual. Yes. We are talking about elephants here. Dynamics of dominance hierarchies Last week we’ve put a great link on our Facebook page, to a blog post from the New York Times. In their ‘scientists at work’ section, world renowned elephant specialist Dr. Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell writes about her study on the dynamics of dominance hierarchies in male elephants. Both engaging and intriguing, this post is ready worth a read. Check it out at: http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/carrots-and-sticks-in-elephant-land/ Dr. O’Connell-Rodwell seems to be camping out at the Mushara drinking hole in Namibia for quite some time now, in her latest book ‘The Elephant Scientist’ you can read her research there started almost twenty years ago. From their research tower, she and her colleagues scan the horizon until the elephants appear and they can start observing and documenting their behavior on video and by live scoring (with The Observer XT). A trunk-to-m... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/animal-models-psychiatric-disorders Title: Learning to use animal models for psychiatric disorders Description: Recently Lucas Noldus was interviewed for a technology feature in Nature; “Inside the minds of mice and men” by Monya Baker. Content: Recently Lucas Noldus was interviewed for a technology feature in Nature; “Inside the minds of mice and men” by Monya Baker. Nature, 475, 123 - 128. “As more molecular biologists want to monitor genetically engineered mice, demand for and applications of automated systems are increasing.” Monya Baker quotes Lucas Noldus, president of Noldus Information Technology, in her technology feature in Nature this month. Some animal models for human disorders are pretty straight-forward. Down’s syndrome, for instance, has a clear recognized cause and behavioral consequences in animal models (motor problems and learning deficits). However, challenges that researchers face today include neurocognitive disorders that are multifaceted in genetics as well as environmental contributors. Those include autism, schizophrenia, and depression. Engineering the right animal model may be difficult to start with, assessing these models properly can involve even more complications. “Current tests are blunt tool... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/zebrafish-as-lab-animal-increasingly-popular Title: Zebrafish as lab animal increasingly popular Description: Zebrafish is the new rat. Or mouse. More and more rodents in the lab are being replaced by these nifty little striped fish. They are easy to maintain, reproduce and develop rapidly. Content: Zebrafish is the new rat. Or mouse. More and more rodents in the lab are being replaced by these nifty little striped fish. They are easy to maintain, reproduce and develop rapidly, and there is a great similarity between the human and zebrafish genome. And because they are easily genetically manipulated, many human diseases and developmental disorders can be modeled in zebrafish, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. One stripe ahead; zebrafish increasingly popular as lab animal Like rodents, zebrafish (Danio rerio) can be used in tests investigating fear, stress, and anxiety, learning and memory, and social behavior. And these behaviors can be manipulated by changing their genetics (testing different strains as models for diseases), providing stressful stimuli (tapping on the tank, visuals of predators, etc.) and adding substances (anxiolytics such as buspirone, chlordiazepoxide, and diazepam; anxiogenics; socially relevant substances as ethanol and nicotin) to the water. Man... URL: https://noldus.com/blog/temporal-patterns-cats-owners Title: Temporal patterns (T-patterns) in behaviors cats and their owners Description: Noldus provides many solutions for research on the behavior of both animals and humans. On occasion, a Noldus solution is used for both animal and human research at the same time. Content: Crossing the bridge between human and animal behavior research Noldus provides many solutions for research on the behavior of both animals and humans. And on occasion, a Noldus solution is used for both animal and human research at the same time. Manuela Wedl and her colleagues are a prime example with their study on human-animal interaction. In ‘Factors unfluencing the temporal patterns of dyadic behaviours and interactions between domestic cats and their owners’, Wedl et al. wrote about their study on forty cat-owner couples. Their experiment comprised of questionnaires, the NEO-FFI scales to determine the personality of the owners, and behavioral scoring to determine the correlation between the personality, age, and sex of both the cat and owner and the durations and complexity of their interactions. The observations (four for each couple) took place in their home situation, and were recorded on video for accurate scoring with The Observer XT. (The elaborate ethogram is published in...