Patent ID: 7877241

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for identifying behavioral signatures for drug discovery, said method comprising: recording tracking coordinates for each of a plurality of animals in an open-field test at a fixed rate for a period of time in a walled arena; quantifying, by a computer, said tracking coordinates as behavioral data points of n dimensions, said n dimensions corresponding to n behavioral feature variables, wherein said n behavioral feature variables include: time from a beginning of said period, momentary distance from a wall, momentary speed, momentary acceleration, momentary jerk of movement, momentary movement direction relative to said wall, and momentary path curvature; for each of said n dimensions, dividing, by said computer, said behavioral data points into a plurality of intervals, such that each of said plurality of intervals contains an approximately equal number of behavioral data points; defining, by said computer, a number of behavioral feature spaces of from 1 to n dimensions based on all possible combinations of said n dimensions, each of said number of behavioral feature spaces being divided into cells of said from 1 to n dimensions corresponding to each of said plurality of intervals for each of said from 1 to n dimensions; dividing, by said computer, a number of behavioral data points within each cell by a total number of behavioral points for said open-field test to determine a relative frequency of said each cell; analyzing, by said computer, a relative frequency of said each cell having a mean number of behavioral data points per test subject indicating said test subject spent on average at least one cumulative second performing a pattern of one or more of said n behavioral feature variables corresponding to said each cell; and eliminating, by said computer, cells showing high cross-cell correlations by storing a cell having a maximal p-value and discarding other cells having a cross-correlation value greater than R 2 =0.4, and iteratively storing a remaining cell having a next highest maximal p-value and discarding other remaining cells having a subsequent cross-correlation value greater than R 2 =0.4, until there are no remaining cells, to produce most significant cells, which correspond to different patterns of movement, wherein frequencies of said different patterns of movement by said plurality of animals constitute behavioral signatures for said drug discovery.