Background

Pre-clinical studies of psychiatric disorders often include a measure of anxiety-like behavior. Several tasks exist that serve this purpose, but because anxiety is complex with a myriad of anxiogenic stimuli, researchers are often compelled to use multiple tasks. The Light-Dark Open Field (LDOF) combines concepts from two such tasks, Light-Dark Box and Open Field, into one task with the synergistic effect of enhanced discrimination of anxiety-like behavior.

New methods

Our goal was to increase the sensitivity of the Open Field task with the addition of a shadow, conceptually similar to the Light-Dark Box, to detect concealed differences even under bright light, which is highly anxiogenic. The resulting LDOF allows assessment of anxiety due to bright light and open space simultaneously, while retaining the ability to assess the impact of each with custom indices. In addition, it maintains all the advantages and measures of the Open Field.

Results

Using custom created indices from measures collected in the LDOF one can assess anxiety induced by light, open space, or light and open space combined and thus elucidate anxiety-inducing factors. Using two strains of rats: an outbred strain, Sprague-Dawley (SD), and a strain that exhibits high trait anxiety, Lewis rats, we found that increased discrimination for anxiety-like behavior can be achieved with the Light-Dark Open Field.

Comparison with existing models

The LDOF allows researchers to extract the traditional measures of an Open Field, including valuable information about locomotion and habituation while adding a further layer of discrimination with the light-dark component. Because the LDOF is a combination of two different tests, it saves time compared to running multiple experiments in series that then need to be counterbalanced to reduce artefacts and task order effects. In addition, it detects differences even when traditional tasks of anxiety have reached their ceiling sensitivity (i.e. EPM under bright light conditions).

Conclusion

We present the Light-Dark Open Field: a simple modification of an existing Open Field apparatus that incorporates aspects of the Light-Dark Box with the addition of a shadow. The shadow (Dark Perimeter) allows for increased discrimination in detecting anxiety-like behaviors. Comparison of anxiety-like behavior between Lewis and SD rats allowed us to develop the construct and face validity of the LDOF as well as demonstrate its sensitivity even under bright light conditions. In addition, we developed 3 indices that allow one to parse out, from one set of data, the effect of two anxiogenic stimuli- bright light and open space.

背景

精神疾病的临床前研究通常包括对焦虑样行为的测量。有几项任务可以达到这个目的，但由于焦虑与无数的焦虑刺激很复杂，研究人员经常被迫使用多项任务。Light-Dark Open Field (LDOF) 将来自两个此类任务（Light-Dark Box 和 Open Field）的概念结合到一项任务中，并具有增强对焦虑样行为的辨别力的协同效应。

新方法

我们的目标是通过添加阴影来提高开放场任务的灵敏度，在概念上类似于明暗盒，即使在强光下也能检测到隐藏的差异，这是高度焦虑的。由此产生的 LDOF 允许同时评估由于明亮光线和开放空间引起的焦虑，同时保留使用自定义指数评估每种影响的能力。此外，它还保留了 Open Field 的所有优点和措施。

结果

Using custom created indices from measures collected in the LDOF one can assess anxiety induced by light, open space, or light and open space combined and thus elucidate anxiety-inducing factors. Using two strains of rats: an outbred strain, Sprague-Dawley (SD), and a strain that exhibits high trait anxiety, Lewis rats, we found that increased discrimination for anxiety-like behavior can be achieved with the Light-Dark Open Field.

Comparison with existing models

LDOF 允许研究人员提取开放场的传统测量值，包括有关运动和习惯的有价值的信息，同时通过明暗分量添加进一步的区分层。由于 LDOF 是两种不同测试的组合，因此与连续运行多个实验相比，它可以节省时间，然后需要平衡以减少伪影和任务顺序影响。此外，即使传统的焦虑任务已达到其上限敏感度（即强光条件下的 EPM），它也能检测到差异。

结论

我们展示了明暗开放场：对现有开放场设备的简单修改，它结合了明暗盒的各个方面并添加了阴影。阴影（暗周界）允许在检测类似焦虑的行为时增加辨别力。Lewis 和 SD 大鼠之间焦虑样行为的比较使我们能够开发 LDOF 的结构和面部有效性，并证明其即使在强光条件下也具有敏感性。此外，我们开发了 3 个指标，可以从一组数据中解析出两种焦虑刺激物——强光和开放空间的影响。

背景

精神疾病的临床前研究通常包括对焦虑样行为的测量。有几项任务可以达到这个目的，但由于焦虑与无数的焦虑刺激很复杂，研究人员经常被迫使用多项任务。Light-Dark Open Field (LDOF) 将来自两个此类任务（Light-Dark Box 和 Open Field）的概念结合到一项任务中，并具有增强对焦虑样行为的辨别力的协同效应。

新方法

我们的目标是通过添加阴影来提高开放场任务的灵敏度，在概念上类似于明暗盒，即使在强光下也能检测到隐藏的差异，这是高度焦虑的。由此产生的 LDOF 允许同时评估由于明亮光线和开放空间引起的焦虑，同时保留使用自定义指数评估每种影响的能力。此外，它还保留了 Open Field 的所有优点和措施。

结果

使用从 LDOF 中收集的测量值中自定义创建的指数，可以评估由光、开放空间或光和开放空间组合引起的焦虑，从而阐明引起焦虑的因素。使用两种大鼠品系：远交品系 Sprague-Dawley (SD) 和表现出高特质焦虑的品系 Lewis 大鼠，我们发现使用明暗开放场可以增加对焦虑样行为的辨别力。

与现有模型的比较

LDOF 允许研究人员提取开放场的传统测量值，包括有关运动和习惯的有价值的信息，同时通过明暗分量添加进一步的区分层。由于 LDOF 是两种不同测试的组合，因此与连续运行多个实验相比，它可以节省时间，然后需要平衡以减少伪影和任务顺序影响。此外，即使传统的焦虑任务已达到其上限敏感度（即强光条件下的 EPM），它也能检测到差异。

结论

我们展示了明暗开放场：对现有开放场设备的简单修改，它结合了明暗盒的各个方面并添加了阴影。阴影（暗周界）允许在检测类似焦虑的行为时增加辨别力。Lewis 和 SD 大鼠之间焦虑样行为的比较使我们能够开发 LDOF 的结构和面部有效性，并证明其即使在强光条件下也具有敏感性。此外，我们开发了 3 个指标，可以从一组数据中解析出两种焦虑刺激物——强光和开放空间的影响。