Rodent Lab in Kerman Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center
Laboratory Manager: Dr. Mansoureh Sabzali Zadeh
Based on current research facilities in the Rodent Lab in Kerman Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center, different fields of behavioral science and cognitive status of rats such as attention, sensory-motor filtering, learning and memory, and anxiety are studied.
Acoustic Startle Reflex: When a rat hears a loud, abrupt and unexpected sound, it startle, a phenomenon that is common to all mammals. The response consists of a rapid and involuntary extension and then flexion of a series of muscles. The startle response is a reflex; it can be evaluated by Startle box apparatus. In this regard, alteration of prepulse inhibition (PPI) index has been demonstrated in a range of neurodegenerative, psychiatric and affective disorders in our laboratory.
The texture discrimination task
Many mammals use their mystacial vibrissae to palpate objects in their environment and encode information such as size, shape and texture. Here we developed a task specifically to test the whisker sensitivity of rat. This task does not require food or water rewards, surgery, or extensive commitment in time and equipment. In our laboratory, we use the modified- novel object recognition task to create a whisker-dependent texture discrimination task.
Morris Water Maze and 8 Arm-Radial maze
The Morris Water Maze (MWM) and the Radial Arm Maze are widely used behavioral tasks in neuroscience for studying spatial learning and memory. These tasks require use of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. The ability to remember the location of platform in MWM and visited arms can be effected by the administration of certain drugs or disease models in rats.
Five-choice serial reaction time task:
Using by a 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), we assess the attentional processes and impulsivity in rats. During this task, rat is required to respond to the presence of a briefly presented light stimulus in one of 5 locations at the testing chamber. Manipulation of light stimulus, light exposure length and the addition of distracters help us evaluate aspects of attention. In this regard, impulsivity behavior can be measured through the animals’ premature or anticipatory responding (i.e., responding prior to the stimulus light onset).
Two operant chamber task:
In our laboratory, we designed an operant conditioning chamber apparatus that used to assess multisensory processing in rats. Audiovisual stimuli presented by two active speakers and two LEDs. Subject must distinguish the correct side of presented stimuli to receive its reward from the nose poke hole. In this regard, stimulus-onset asynchrony is called the amount of time between the start of one stimulus, and the start of another stimulus; is a criterion for experimental psychology.
Abstractly, based on current research facilities, the laboratory can do following research projects:
- Evaluating learning and spatial memory via MWM
-Evaluating working learning and spatial memory via Radial Maze
- Evaluating stress and anxiety using Open field, Elevated Plus maze
- Evaluating attentional and impulsivity via 5-CSRTT
- Evaluating tactile learning via texture discrimination task
- Evaluating sensory-memory filtering via startle reflex task
The more recent papers of the laboratory are mentioned below:
Afarinesh, M. R., F. Shafiei, et al. (2019). "Effect of mild and chronic neonatal hypothyroidism on sensory information processing in a rodent model: A behavioral and electrophysiological study." Brain Res Bull 155: 29-36.
Nouri, F., M. Afarinesh, et al. (2019). "Concomitant abuse of methadone and methamphetamine could impair spatial learning and memory in male rats." Learning and Motivation 65 43-51.
Sabzalizadeh, M., M. R. Afarinesh, et al. (2019). "Alcohol and nicotine co-Administration during pregnancy and lactation periods alters sensory discrimination of adult NMRI mice offspring." Physiol Behav 213: 112731.
Shafiei, F., M. R. Afarinesh, et al. (2019). "Comparison of pre-pulse inhibition, tactile discrimination learning and barrel cortical neural response in adult male rats following chronic exposure to morphine, methadone and buprenorphine." Physiol Behav 212: 112694.