Social Interaction is a test for sociability, anxiety, and social recognition in rodents.
This test is used to assess willingness to interact with a novel conspecific animal, as well as memory for previously encountered, non-cage mate animals.
Procedure
The test is performed in a 3 chamber apparatus. The subject is habituated to the entire apparatus and allowed to freely explore for a set time. A novel animal (conspecific) is placed under a cup in one of the chambers and a cup with a mouse sized object is placed in the opposite chamber. For social recognition, the original conspecific is placed in one chamber, and a novel conspecific is placed in the opposite chamber.
Measures
Primary: duration of time spent with the conspecific mouse (or novel mouse for phase 3)
Available Equipment
We currently have 2 three-chamber apparatuses available for use
