Knowledge Base

Analysis Advisor

What Do You Want to Do?

• Simple calculations (e.g. total distance moved, average velocity)
• Zone visits (entries and time spent)
• Other analyses with zones
• Analysis in relation to the path
• Analysis of regular time intervals
• Analysis of event transitions and sequences

Notes

• To analyze groups of tracks, define first your groups in the Data profile. See Define Groups of Tracks.
• Tip: If none of the dependent variables represents an adequate behavioral endpoint for your research question, please contact Noldus so we can discuss your analysis requirements. EthoVision XT contains functions which can process the raw data based on JavaScript code. See Custom Variables.
• For information on analysis related to specific apparatuses, like the Open Field, the Morris Water Maze, the Novel Object Recognition and others, see also the EthoVision XT 19 Application Manual.

Simple Calculations (e.g. Total Distance Moved, Average Velocity)

What Do You Want to Do?

• Calculate the results for the whole arena
• Calculate the results per zone

Calculate the Results for the Whole Arena

1. Tip: Smooth the tracks to get more realistic measures of distance. See Smooth the Tracks.
2. In the Experiment Explorer, click an Analysis profile, and then click the button next to the dependent variable if it is not already selected. For example, Distance Moved or Velocity. In the Trial Statistics tab, select the statistics you want to calculate (for example, Total for Distance Moved, and Mean for Velocity).
3. In the Experiment Explorer, click Statistics and Charts, then click the Calculate button.

Calculate the Results per Zone

1. Create a new Data profile or open an existing one.
2. Click the Settings button on the Result box. In the Result Settings window, select Results per Zone.
3. Under Settings - For Zones, select the zones you want to analyze your data for.
4. Under Settings - For Body Points, select which body points should be in the selected zones. This option is only available if you track the three body points.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Analysis profile, define the variables you want to calculate.
7. In the Experiment Explorer, under Results, click Statistics and Charts, then click the Calculate button.

Notes

• The Zone Exit Threshold works this way: once the animal's body point is detected in the zone, the animal is considered to be in the zone until its distance from the zone border exceeds that threshold. Use this option to remove false re-entries resulting from random movements of the body point around the zone border. If you enter a value greater than 0, you make sure that when the animal exits the zone border for a short distance (less than the threshold), that data will be included in the results for that zone. For more information, see In Zone.
• Select Apply to All Results if you want to copy the settings specified in the Results Settings window to other Result boxes. This applies if you have defined more than one Result box in that Data profile.

Zone Visits (Entries and Time Spent)

What Do You Want to Do?

• Calculate the number of entries and time spent in specific zones
• Calculate the number of entries and total time spent in two or more zones
• Calculate the number of entries and time spent in an intersection of zones
• Analyze the visits to target zones and errors
• Find out which zone the subject visited first
• Count the number of times that the subject was in a zone for more than N seconds
• Calculate the time that the three body points were in a zone

Calculate the Number of Entries and Time Spent in Specific Zones

1. In the Analysis profile, under Location, click the button next to In Zone. Specify the zones you are interested in. In the Trial Statistics tab, select Frequency (for zone entries) and Cumulative Duration (for time spent).
2. Click Statistics and Charts, then Calculate.

Calculate the Number of Entries and Total Time Spent in Two or More Zones

If you want to group results for two or more zones, like the open arms of an Elevated Plus Maze:

1. In step 1 above, specify the zones you are interested in, and make sure that When in Any of the Selected Zones is selected. In the Trial Statistics tab, select Frequency and Cumulative Duration.
2. Click Statistics and Charts, then Calculate.

Alternatively, in the Arena Settings make a Cumulative zone from the selected zones and calculate the frequency and cumulative duration in this zone.

Calculate the Number of Entries and Time Spent in an Intersection of Zones

When two zones are defined in different layers, it is possible to analyze their intersection. In this example, the intersection of the quadrant "North-West" and the annulus-shape "Maze Border":

1. In the Analysis profile, under Location, click the button next to In Zone. Specify the zones you are interested in, and make sure that When in All Selected Zones is selected. In the Trial Statistics tab, select Frequency and Cumulative Duration.
2. Click Statistics and Charts, then Calculate.

Analyze the Visits to Target Zones and Errors

For example, in a Barnes Maze test, calculate how many non-target holes were visited and the time to the first visit to the escape hole (target visit).