Measuring behaviour: from concepts to facts

2 ECTS

SUMMARY

This course aims to set a bridge between the psychological concepts used in behavioural neuroscience, and the real parameters one can assess via the observation of animals.

While the theoretical focus is put on psychological concepts like learning ability, memory, impulsivity, executive functions, attention, anxiety, fear and so on, all what an experimenter can measure is movement (or lack thereof), a movement that must be as closely as possible assessed in the frame of the evoked concepts. Specific test protocols, including experimental design and data analysis strategies will be presented by the course organisers, linking evaluation of observed parameters to general concepts such as state and trait anxiety, motivation, coping strategy, memory formation, recall and extinction, impulsivity. The course will start with a thorough introduction on the choice of animal models, the genetics of lab rodents, and on fundamentals of experimental design.

Two theoretical lectures given by the organisers during the morning session will be followed by a research seminar given by an invited speaker having introduced a novel paradigm in behavioural testing. The session will end at the Center for the Study of Behaviour (CEC) with a practical demonstration of the equipments and paradigms discussed during the day.

The course is conceived for the graduate students of the Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School. However, it is open to master students and post-docs in psychology, biology and medicine.

All participants can obtain a certificate for continuing education in animal experimentation:

• Attendance of at least two days provides credit for one day of continuing education.
• Attendance to the entire course provides credit for 3 days of continuing education in animal experimentation. 

PROGRAM

Feb 22, 2013: Behavioural genetics of laboratory rodents

• 10h-12h:
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Before you start: choice of the animal model, focus on genetics.
    Before you start II: prepare animals and datasheets.

• 14h-16h:
  • Elisabetta Vannoni (Section of functional neuroanatomy, Uni Zürich)
    Behavioral phenotyping of mice in a social homecage setting (IntelliCage).
  • Demo at the CEC
    Assessment of behaviour in homecage settings: from basic ethology to conditioned learning.

March 1, 2013: Assessment of sensory and motor proficiency in the lab rodent

• 10h-12h:
  
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Neurological development of the mouse.
    
  • Gerlinde A. Metz (CCBN, Lethbridge, CA)
    Stress Imprinting: How Experience Shapes Brain Plasticity and Disease.
• 14h-16h: 
  • Gerlinde A. Metz (CCBN, Lethbridge, CA)
    Neurological Testing in Rodent Models.
  • Demo at the CEC
    Assessment of motor proficiency in mice.

March 8, 2013: A (multi)dimensional approach to the study of anxiety

• 10h-12h:
  
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Assessment of acute or trait anxiety: fear of what, when and where?
    
  • Thierry Steimer (Pharmacologie clinique, UniGE)
    From the concept of anxiety to “coping strategy” with real or potential threats

• 14h-16h: 
  
  • Demo at the CEC
    Paradigms to assess anxiety in mice and rats.

Mach 15, 2013: Functional dissection of the learning process

• 10h-12h:
  
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Learning how, what, when, and how fast.
  • Elvira de Leonibus (IGB, Naples, I)
    Do mice have a working memory span? 

• 14h-16h: 
  
  • Demo at the CEC
    Paradigms of reinforced or incidental learning.

Mach 22, 2013

• 10h-12h:
  
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Disentangling cognition from motivation.
  • Christopher R. Pryce (Zürich University Hospital for Psychiatry)
    Mouse models for improved understanding and treatment of depression.

• 13h15-15h30: 
  • Benjamin Boutrel (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Animal models of substance abuse.
  • Demo at the CEC
    Conditioned place preference, operant conditioning.

April 19, 2013: The design of behavioural experiments

• 10h-12h:
  
  • Fulvio Magara (CNP-DP, CHUV)
    Principles of design.
    Choice of the experimental unit.
    The experiment size: Sample size, effect size, power.
    Nesting, blocking, factorial designs.
    Data analysis and Visualization of results.

• 14h-16h: 
  • Thierry Steimer (Pharmacologie clinique, UniGE)
    Psychogenetically selected rat lines: from individual variability to group differences

LOCATION
Hôpital de Cery, Bâtiment Albatros, Salle Forel, Lausanne-Prilly.

EVALUATION
Graduate students of the Lemanic Neuroscie Program will obtain 2 ECTS upon passing a final evaluation, which will take place during the last week of April (April 29 to May 3; dates to be established in accordance with the students).
For this evaluation students will be divided in groups that will have to address three tasks:

1. Sketch a study plan based on a given question (choice of the animal model, choice of the test, sample size, analysis), much like it is done for the request of a licence to the cantonal veterinary authority.
2. Revise a fictive study plan.
3. Present and comment an article from the scientific literature.

The exam will last 60 to 90 minutes for each group.
 

REGISTRATION

LN and EDNE PhD students should register by e-mail to the LN Coordinator before January 31, 2013.
Other participants should announce themselves by e-mail to Fulvio.Magara@chuv.ch