TITLE: Open Field Test
AUTHORS: Lani Tieu

[DESCRIPTION]
<div class = "text-blocks"><div class = "text-block">The open field test measures locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in rodents.</div></div>

[STEPS]
?. [Open Field Maze Setup]
Arrange open field boxes like this:
?. [Open Field Maze Setup]
Hang the tripod on hook that is located on ceiling right above the open field boxes
?. [Open Field Maze Setup]
Clean each box with quatricide
?. [Open Field Maze Setup]
Connect camera to computer with USB cord, then attach the camera to tripod
?. [Open Field Maze Setup]
Adjust camera so that the entire open field boxes can be seen on the screen
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Open AnyMaze on computer, then open ‘LOCOMOTOR Protocol’
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Turn on the camera with remote control and select ‘PC camera’ as the source to project the video onto the laptop
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Protocol’ > ‘Video Sources’ > ‘OF1’ > select ‘DEMO1’
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Within each box, select and highlight the open field arena (black space of the field)
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Apparatus’.
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Zone’ under ‘Tracking & Behavior’ and specify the inner and outer zones
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Set animal colors. Check ‘Lighter animals’ for white rats
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go through the tabs to make sure the settings are correct:Test duration = 15 minCan add a column (ex: tail ID) that will show up in ‘View animals’
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Experiment’ then ‘View treatments’
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Test’ and add an animal by pressing the green ‘+’ button. Do this for all 6 boxes.
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Click ‘Start All’ to start the recording when you are ready to begin testing.
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Select 'DEMO1' for all boxes
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Name: OF1 = Open Field 1 = Box 1
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Adjust the apparatus (orange square outline) to fit the entire area of the box
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Adjust the green measure to only fit the black area of the box
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Set ‘Length of ruler line’ to 450mm
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘Grid settings’ then check ‘Include square grid with square at centre’ and set to 10 cm
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Zone name: Inner ZoneSelect the center squares as the inner zones for each box.Go to ‘Set zone entry settings’ then check ‘use the centre of the animal’
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Add another zone by clicking 'Add item'
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Zone name: Outer Zone
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Input the drug under 'Treatments' and the number of animals
?. [Video-tracking Software Setup]
Go to ‘View animals’. Input the treatment and sex for each animal
?. [Testing]
When recording begins gently place rat in the center of the open field box, then step out of the frame to place another rat in another box
Make sure the animal is facing in the same direction each time the experimenter is placing it in the box.Do not cross over to another box as tracking system can pick up the movements.Check to make sure the software is tracking the animal on the screen after placing animal in the box.
?. [Testing]
Step out of the room after placing each animal in each box
?. [Testing]
When the session ends, clean the open field boxes with quatricide before testing another group of animals