Automated method for measuring fighting behavior and locomotor activity of mice

Abstract A multiunit apparatus for automatic quantification of intermale fighting behavior and locomotor activity of mice is described. The method uses static charge sensitive beds (SCSB) to detect movement, and appropriate hard- and software for data acquisition and analysis. The data obtained with the SCSB-method correlated well with those observed from video-recordings of the same 60 aggression trials for determining both the total fighting times (r=.967) and the latencies to first fighting (r=.982). d-Amphetamine significantly increased locomotor activity counts on the SCSBs, and this increase was blocked by haloperidol. It is concluded, that the SCSB-method is an accurate and flexible technique for quantifying intermale fighting behavior and locomotor activity of mice.