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Overview
The Animal Behavior and Physiology (AB&P) Core is designed to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art in vivo preclinical, translational platform for in-depth phenotyping of models of neurodevelopmental disorders, development of reliable and quantitative biomarkers, and to measure the effects of therapeutic interventions. The AB&P leadership and expanded research team includes expertise in translational neuroscience, rodent behavioral and physiological metrics, drug testing, biomedical engineering, and in core management to facilitate efficient planning, execution and analyses of experimental data.
We recognize the need to enhance and integrate multilevel phenotyping capabilities used for characterizing our animal models both at the behavioral and physiological level at Boston Children’s Hospital within one rodent phenotyping core. The AB&P has been serving investigators since 2011 and has contributed to the publication of over 50 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and provided facilities for scientists to obtain data to support numerous successful grant applications. In 2019, the AB&P was recognized for excellence and broad appeal across multiple domains by being made an Institutional Core Facility at Boston Children’s.
Cite the Core
Please cite the Animal Behavior and Physiology Core in your publications in the following way:
We thank the IDDRC Animal Behavior and Physiology Core, funded by NIH P50 HD105351
AB&P Advanced Technologies
The AB&P facilities include a wide range of advanced technologies for acquiring data at single cell, network and the behavioral level. Such technologies can be combined in the majority of cases in conscious freely behaving rodents, allowing top-down and bottom-up analysis. By design, each available technology is modular with capacity for upgrade, thus minimizing risk of obsolescence in coming years. The behavioral and physiological assays of the AB&P are designed to enable deep model phenotyping, and early phase CNS drug discovery and development by collection and analysis of in vivo behavioral and physiological signals. Services that provide a high-throughput platform for preclinical neurophysiological monitoring to support translational research are absent within the greater Boston area (inclusive of industry facilities). The AB&P thus addresses a conspicuous, unmet need and fosters Boston Children’s collaboration with industry and academia both in the Boston area and nationally.
As itemized on the equipment page, the equipment includes unique and modular platforms that will enable multi-layered, comprehensive neurodevelopmental disease model phenotyping. As well, these assays provide measures of target engagement by pharmacological agents and enable necessary preclinical PK/PD studies once a therapeutic is deployed in any of the available models.
Our Offerings
Specifically, the unique features of the AB&P Core include:
- ability to house mice in customized modified environments
- a 24-cage wireless video telemetry setup for continuous recording of EEG, EMG, EKG, actigraphy, body temperature and other metrics
- a setup for rodent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- in vivo calcium imaging by multifiber photometry coupled with behavioral analysis such as operant behavior, social or anxiety tests,
- in vivo microdialysis for sampling neurochemicals and other constituents of the peripheral and central nervous systems in a conscious, freely moving rodent.
Notably, AB&P measures are by design translational, and available in human studies at Boston Children’s for immediate extension of hypotheses formulated in the preclinical AB&P studies to clinical trials.
Contact Us
Core Services
We provide and maintain unique and modular platforms that enable multi-layered, comprehensive neurodevelopmental disease model phenotyping. The available assays provide measures of target engagement by pharmacological agents and enable necessary preclinical PK/PD studies once a therapeutic is deployed in any of the available models.
- One dedicated room with 9 rotating towers that allocate up to 900 cages total for standard care. Each cage can house up to 5 mice and contains highly absorbent bedding, specialized nesting material and tunnels or shelters.
- Reverse light/dark cycle room can house up to 300 cages (lights off from 10:00am to 10:00pm).
- Enriched housing is available with wide range of manipulations of sensory, motor and social environment, such as running wheels, labyrinths, toys and increased social settings, with the ability to significantly impact the trajectory of brain development.
- Housing in special environment to manipulate the visual experience (dark-rearing) or sound exposure (white noise, selective frequency exposure, music exposure).
The IB&P allows precise and reproducible measurements of behavioral phenotypes of standard strains as well as of transgenic, knockout, genetically modified animal models, and rodent models of early life brain injury.
- Neurobehavioral phenotyping with the SHIRPA test
- Gait analysis is measured on a treadmill by video analysis of footprints using Digigait
- Spatial cognition assessment through Morris water maze and Y-maze tests
- Social recognition is evaluated using the 3-chamber test
- Working memory and cognitive flexibility are assessed using novel object/subject recognition, Y maze and water T maze
- Cognitive age-dependent flexibility is tested using foraging task
- 12 operant touchscreens test working memory (2 choice discrimination), flexibility (reversal of previous rule learning), attention (5 choice serial reaction time) and motivation (progressive ratio)
- Pain sensitivity to mechanical, heat and cold stimuli are tested measuring a wide range of voluntary reactions
Equipment – Behavior | Manufacturer | Functionality | Pricing | Location |
Inframot (infrared motion sensor) | tse-systems | Voluntary activity | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Activity wheels | tse-systems | Voluntary activity | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Optomotor | Cerebral Mechanics | Visual acuity (brain stem reflex) | $00 | Karp 04004 |
qOMR (Automated Optomotor) | Phenosys | Visual acuity (brain stem reflex) | $00 | Karp 04004 |
Acoustic Startle Reflex | Kinder Scientific | Hearing reflex | $00 | Karp 04006 |
Pre-pulse Inhibition | Kinder Scientific | Sensorimotor gating | $00 | Karp 04006 |
Rotarod | Columbus Instrument | Ataxia | $00 | Karp 04018 |
Treadmill | IITC Life Science | Forced activity | $00 | Karp 04018 |
DigiGait | Mouse Specifics | Gait analysis | $00 | Karp 04004 |
Grip Strength | tse-systems | Motor strengh | $00 | Karp 04009 |
ActiTrack locomotor activity | Harvard Apparatus | Voluntary activity | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Conditioned Fear | Ugo Basile | Anxiety/Cognition | $00 | Karp 04006 |
Light Dark Box | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Anxiety | $00 | Karp 04014 |
3-Chamber Sociability Test | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Anxiety/Social Recognition | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Elevated Plus Maze | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Anxiety | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Conditioned Place Preference | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Emotional response to stimulus/condition | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Forced Swim | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Response to Stress | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Tail Suspension | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Response to Stress | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Open field/holeboards | Kinder Scientific | Anxiety/Activity | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Ultrasonic Vocalizations | Sonotrack, Metris | Communication | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Contextual Fear Conditioning | Stoelting (ANY-maze) | Anxiety/Cognition | $00 | Karp 04006 |
Novel Object Recognition | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Short term Working memory | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Y Maze | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Spatial short term working memory | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Water T Maze | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Cognitive flexibility | $00 | Karp 04014 |
Morris Water Maze | Ethovision XT (Noldus) | Spatial short term working memory | $00 | Karp 04008 |
Operant Touchscreens | Lafayette Instruments | Attention/working memory/flexibility | $00 | Karp 04015 |
Hot plate | Bioseb | Noxious heat sensitivity | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Thermal Gradient |
Bioseb | Threshold heat preference | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Thermal place preference |
Bioseb | Threshold heat preference | $00 | Karp 04016 |
Von Frey | Stoelting | Mechanical allodynia threshold | $00 | Karp 04009 |
For specific information on core pricing, including industry pricing please contact Nathaniel Hodgson >
- Multi-cage wireless video EEG and related bio-signals such as electrocardiography, core temperature, electromyography and actigraphy, for the identification of epileptic seizures, sleep stages, and effects of drugs, injury, genetic manipulation or other factors on a range of brain and body rhythms.
- Wired EEG via mice head connection (if mice are too small or young for implants of the telemeters).
- The preclinical transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) enables measures of cortical excitability and plasticity that are valuable as metrics of pharmaceutical target engagement, and also enables deeper electrophysiological phenotyping of rodent disease CNS models.
- In vivo calcium imaging by multifiber photometry coupled with behavioral analysis such as operant behavior, social or anxiety tests;
- Whole-body plethysmography system for measuring breathing function in conscious, unrestrained mice;
- ECGenie system for measuring the electrocardiogram of conscious, unrestrained mice.
- In vivo microdialysis for sampling neurochemicals and other constituents of the peripheral and central nervous systems in a conscious, freely moving rodent.
- Open flow microperfusion (OFM) provides dynamic substance profiles and absolute substance quantification in the investigated target tissues and can currently be performed in brain and skin/adipose tissue, with anesthetized or awake and behaving animals.
The combination of traditional microdialysis and OFM allows core users to measure analytes ranging from small molecules to proteins and beyond to extracellular vesicles and infiltrating cells. This capability aids our users in understanding behavior at the neurochemical level.
- Using HPLC and UV-vis, florescent and electrochemical detectors, we can isolate and measure compounds and proteins of interest.
- In addition to the capacity for recording behavioral and electrophysiologic data from any mouse and rat strain, the IB&P Core offers users access to expertise in several epilepsy and traumatic brain injury models as follows:
- Acute chemoconvulsant: pentylenetetrazol, kainate, pilocarpine.
- Acquired epilepsy: fluid percussion traumatic brain injury, perinatal hypoxia/ischemia (by carotid ligation), kainite or pilocarpine status epilepticus (separate from acute chemoconvulsant models)
- Closed head injury concussion model: by single or repeated weight drop
Environmental Modifications | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Reversed lighting (in-house) | $56 for 1 week | $75 for 1 week | ||
Fragmented Care (in-house) | $56 for 1 week | $75 for 1 week | Karp 04013 | |
Acoustic rearing (IAT) | $56 for 1 week | $75 for 1 week | Karp 04013 | |
Dark rearing (Plastic Concepts) | $56 for 1 week | $75 for 1 week | Karp 04013 | |
Enriched Housing (Viewpoint Lifesciences) | $56 for 1 week | $75 for 1 week | Karp 04013 |
EEG Wireless (DSI) | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Surgery, dosing and post-op care (per in-house bred animal) | $334.00 | $584.50 | Karp 04013 | Learn More > |
Neuromonitoring (per day/cage) | $56.34 | $98.60 | Karp 04013 | |
Seizure susceptibility testing (per animal) | $120.90 | $211.60 | Karp 04013 |
EEG Tethered | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Tethered EEG, multichannel (Pinnacle) | $23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04013 | Learn More > |
Non-surgical EEG Subdermal wire electrode EEG (Cadwell) | $23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04013 | Learn More > |
Service | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Non-invasive Brain Stimulation TMS with electromyography and/or accelerometry |
$141.00 per animal | $246.75 per animal | CLS 14 | |
Cardiovascular – ECGenie (Mouse Specifics) | $23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04009 | Learn More > |
Breathing – Whole Body Plethysmography (Scireq) | $23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04009 | |
Pupillometry – In-house system | $23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | ||
Electroretinography (ERG) and visual evoked potential (VEP) Electroretinography (Celeris) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted |
- Compound administration by intravenous, intraperitoneal, sub-cutaneous, oral, intra-muscular, intraventricular and enteric routes.
- Collection of plasma and other body fluids as well as tissue samples for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic measures and toxicology screens.
- Stereotaxic surgery expertise to implant EEG/EMG electrodes, guide cannulae for subsequent drug administration, direct cranial injections and cranial windows.
- Data analysis and metrics extraction either from data collected in the IB&P or from data sets provided by outside clients.
Service – Integrated Systems | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Calcium imaging and Optogenetics Microendoscope (Mightex/OASIS) fitted with fiber-coupled laser and LED light sources that is used in conjunction with implantable gradient-index (GRIN) lenses |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | Learn More > |
Optogenetics Multi-channel, programmable LED driver (Doric) and 473nm DPSS Laser system (Laserglow) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | |
In vivo calcium imaging Multi-fiber photometry (Neurophotometrics) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | |
In vivo microdialysis Raturn enabling freely moving assays (BASi) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04009 | Learn More > |
Service – Surgery | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Surgery Stereotaxic frames, infusion pumps, microscopes, drills, anesthesia vaporizers and more |
Free Unassisted $55.00 Assisted |
Free Unassisted $66.00 Assisted |
Karp 04002/17 | Learn More > |
- Compound administration by intravenous, intraperitoneal, sub-cutaneous, oral, intra-muscular, intraventricular and enteric routes.
- Collection of plasma and other body fluids as well as tissue samples for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic measures and toxicology screens.
- Stereotaxic surgery expertise to implant EEG/EMG electrodes, guide cannulae for subsequent drug administration, direct cranial injections and cranial windows.
- Data analysis and metrics extraction either from data collected in the IB&P or from data sets provided by outside clients.
Service – Integrated Systems | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Calcium imaging and Optogenetics Microendoscope (Mightex/OASIS) fitted with fiber-coupled laser and LED light sources that is used in conjunction with implantable gradient-index (GRIN) lenses |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | Learn More > |
Optogenetics Multi-channel, programmable LED driver (Doric) and 473nm DPSS Laser system (Laserglow) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | |
In vivo calcium imaging Multi-fiber photometry (Neurophotometrics) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 4 Portable | |
In vivo microdialysis Raturn enabling freely moving assays (BASi) |
$23.65/hr Unassisted $30.80 Assisted |
$37.40 Assisted | Karp 04009 | Learn More > |
Service – Surgery | BCH/IDDRC | External Academic | Location | Instrument Details |
Surgery Stereotaxic frames, infusion pumps, microscopes, drills, anesthesia vaporizers and more |
Free Unassisted $55.00 Assisted |
$66.00 Assisted | Karp 04002/17 | Learn More > |