Research Techniques and Protocols
Behavioral Analysis
- Exploration of the Elevated Plus Maze (assay of anxiety)
- Activity in the Open Field Arena (assay of anxiety and locomotion)
- Head poking in the Hole Board Arena (assay of checking and repetition)
- Marble burying (assay of hoarding and contamination)
- Grooming (assay of hygiene activities)
- Checking of Novel Object (assay of checking and neophobia)
Neurochemical Analysis
- Measurement of neurochemical levels using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Detection of stress hormone levels using ELIZA assays and spectrophotometry
- Quantification of neuronal proteins via immunocytochemistry
- PCR quantification of DNA and RNA
Lab Equipment
- high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection
- and auto sampler
- spectrophotometric plate reader
- immunohistochemistry slide racks and glassware
- real-time system PCR analysis system and software
- light microscope (with video camera) hooked up to image software
- refrigerated cryostat
- - 80 and – 20 oC freezers
- bench top centrifuge
- analytical balance
- water bath sonicator
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assorted behavioral arenas and mazes
Key Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Andersen SL, Greene-Colozzi EA, and Sonntag KC (2010). A novel, multiplesymptom model of obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors in animals. Biological Psychiatry 68:741-747.
- Faravelli C, Sauro CL, Godini L, Lelli L, Benni L, Pietrini F, Lazzeretti L, Talamba GA, Fioravanti G, Ricca V (2012) Childhood stressful events, HPA axis and anxiety disorders. World Journal of Psychiatry. 2(1): 13-25.
- Kreiss DS, Coffman CF, Fiacco NR, Granger JC, Helton BM, Jackson JC, Kim LV, Mistry RS, Mizer TM, Palmer LV, Vacca JA, Winkler SS, and Zimmer BA (2013). Ritualistic chewing behavior induced by mCPP in the rat is an animal model of obsessive compulsive disorder. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. 104:119-124.
- Zike I, Xu T, Hong N, and Veenstra-VanderWeele J (2017) Rodent models of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Evaluating validity to interpret emergingneurobiology. Neuroscience. 345: 256–273.
Additional Resources
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