Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

We propose to purchase a new ultrasonic vocalization (USV) recording system, so that we can record, measure and analyze mouse communication. Differences in ultrasonic vocalizations are an important part of mouse social behavior, and by analyzing these we hope to further examine the effects of genetic mutations on mouse behavior. We will be able to further analyze maternal-pup interactions as well as social interactions between adult mice, and the effects of individual versus group housing. Measurement of ultrasonic vocalizations will also give us insight into the efficacy of various drugs we are using in our mouse models. Ultrasonic vocalizations provide a measure of distress in infant mice and are used as a measure of social communication in adults. In addition, we propose to purchase an OptoMotry system, which is capable of measuring visual ability in mice. The OptoMotry system is integral for evaluating and understanding the genetic and environmental determinants of sensory, motor, social and cognitive functions in mouse models of human disease as it can provide rapid, quantitative and repeatable measures of visual behavior that require no previous behavioral training. The assessment of visual abilities in the mouse is important not only because it provides information regarding the visual capabilities of the mouse, but also because many behavioral tests of higher cognitive function rely on visual cues. Thus, by measuring visual ability using the OptoMotry system, we will be able to evaluate the effects of genetic mutations on visual behavior and determine if deficits in other behavioral tasks that rely on visual cues can be explained by visual impairment. Since many transgenic mice use background strains that have retinal degeneration or suffer from age-related blindness, the accurate phenotyping of transgenic mice is essential for discovering the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural dysfunctions of genetically modified mice.