RU2776728C1 - Device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: experimental biology.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of experimental biology and can be used to study the state of the main functions of the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals based on the results of their performance of instrumental skills. The device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals contains a safe compartment and a starting compartment equipped with an electrified conductive floor connected to a current source and holes in the wall with a shutter with an adjustable diaphragm installed on each of the holes. In this case, the diameter of the through hole ensures the penetration of a small laboratory animal through it, and the diameter of the auxiliary holes is less than the diameter of the through hole. The starting compartment is located inside the safe compartment, the distance between the compartments is not less than the length of the body of a small laboratory animal, while the holes in the wall of the starting compartment are combined into identical groups containing one passage and at least two auxiliary holes, and the groups of holes themselves are evenly distributed along the perimeter of the wall of the launch compartment. The bioobject (small laboratory animal) is placed in the starting compartment, and the whole device is covered with a transparent cover from above. Next, the current is supplied from the source to the conductive electrified floor of the starting compartment, which forces the animal to leave it and move to a safe compartment. To do this, the animal searches for the nearest opening for leaving the group, which would be commensurate with the transverse dimensions of its body. At the same time, the test execution time and the number of erroneous attempts made by the biological object are recorded.

EFFECT: use of the device makes it possible to ensure that a biological object performs an unconditioned reflex of active avoidance, complicated by the need for visual differentiation of possible exit routes, which ultimately does not require prior training of the tested biological objects and increases the accuracy of the studies.

1 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of experimental biology and can be used to study the state of the main functions of the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals based on the results of their performance of instrumental skills, in particular, the ability to visually differentiate exit holes when leaving their location under the influence of an unconditioned stimulus.

A device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals is known, which is a chamber made in the form of concentric inner and outer hollow cylinders connected by compartments with hinged doors and removable transparent partitions [USSR author's certificate No. 1410942]. The inner cylinder has an electrode floor, and the outer one is equipped with light sources (incandescent lamps). The device functions as follows. In the learning cycle, the animal moves freely from the inner cylinder to the outer through the compartments. If this does not happen, the biological object is affected by an electric current supplied to the electrode floor, which forces it to carry out the indicated movement, after which the animal is removed and placed in the inner cylinder.

In the course of the study of higher nervous activity, light sources are used. After turning on all the incandescent lamps, the time during which the animal reacts to a given stimulus and makes an attempt to move from the inner cylinder is recorded.

Another version of the device operation is intended to study the ability of an animal to perform a task with a choice, which consists in the fact that the biological object must open the door of the compartment opposite which the light source is turned on.

The disadvantage of this approach is that only one transition compartment is located opposite each light source, which does not provide the animal with the opportunity to choose the optimal path from several possible options and thus excludes the study of the bioobject's ability to visually differentiate the existing transition paths.

A device is known for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals [USSR author's certificate No. 1801360], which is a body divided into two compartments by a partition, one of which is equipped with a conductive electrode floor. The partition has a through hole commensurate with the transverse dimensions of the animal's body, as well as additional holes of various diameters, each of which is smaller than the diameter of the through hole. In this case, the size of the holes can be changed using the installed shutter with adjustable aperture.

The animal under study is placed in the starting compartment, equipped with a conductive floor, after which the current is applied. To avoid pain, the biological object tends to move to another (safe) compartment. To do this, he visually assesses the possible ways to leave the launch compartment, choosing for this an opening commensurate with the transverse dimensions of his body. In the case of an incorrect choice, erroneous, unsuccessful attempts to leave the launch compartment through small holes take place, which generally increases the overall time to complete the task.

This device is selected as a prototype. Its main disadvantage is the significant dependence of the time and accuracy of the animal's reaction to a painful stimulus on the spatial orientation of the biological object at the moment of current supply. So, if the animal is located with its tail in relation to the dividing septum, it will take much more time for it to search for the passage hole than if the specified hole is located directly in front of its organ of vision.

The problem to be solved is to develop a device that eliminates the disadvantage of the prototype.

The technical result, to which the invention is directed, is to develop a device that provides a study of the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals and eliminates the disadvantages of the prototype.

The achievement of the technical result is ensured by the fact that the patented device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals contains a safe compartment and a starting compartment equipped with an electrified conductive floor connected to a power source and holes in the wall with a shutter with an adjustable diaphragm installed on each of the holes, while the diameter the passage hole ensures the penetration of a small laboratory animal through it, and the diameter of the auxiliary holes is less than the diameter of the passage hole, the starting compartment is located inside the safe compartment, the distance between the compartments is not less than the length of the body of a small laboratory animal, while the holes in the wall of the starting compartment are combined into identical groups containing one passage and at least two auxiliary holes, and the groups of holes themselves are evenly distributed along the perimeter of the launch compartment wall.

The patented device consists of two compartments - starting and safe. In this case, the starting compartment is located inside the safe one, and the dimensions of the latter provide free movement between the walls of the tested biological object. The launch compartment itself is equipped with an electrified conductive floor connected to a current source. The walls of the compartments are made of transparent plastic, and the whole device is covered with a transparent cover on top to control the actions of the animal and to ensure that it leaves the starting compartment only through the through hole.

The side wall of the launch compartment is equipped with holes, each of which is equipped with a shutter with an adjustable aperture. Holes are combined into groups. Each group includes one through hole and at least two auxiliary holes of smaller diameter, the dimensions of which are set at 60% and 30% of the through passage size. Equipping the holes with an adjustable diaphragm allows, at the request of the experimenter, each of them to be used as a passage or auxiliary and placed in an arbitrary order. Groups of holes are evenly distributed along the perimeter of the launch compartment wall.

In FIG. 1 shows the starting compartment of the device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals.

1. Side wall.

2. Through hole.

3. Auxiliary hole.

4. Conductive floor.

5. Power supply.

In FIG. 2 shows a top view of a device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals

6. Starting compartment.

7. Power supply.

8. Conductive electrified floor.

9. Safe compartment.

10. Groups of holes

The device functions as follows. The bioobject (small laboratory animal) is placed in the starting compartment 6, and the whole device is covered with a transparent cover from above. Next, current is supplied from the source 7 to the conductive electrified floor 8 of the starting compartment, which forces the animal to leave it and move to the safe compartment 9. To do this, the animal searches for the nearest exit hole from group 10, which would be commensurate with the transverse dimensions of its body. At the same time, the test execution time and the number of erroneous attempts made by the biological object are recorded.

Thus, the patented device eliminates the dependence of the results of testing the ability of small laboratory animals to visual differentiation on their spatial orientation in the starting compartment, which ultimately does not require prior training of the tested biological objects and increases the accuracy of the studies.

Claims (1)

A device for studying the higher nervous activity of small laboratory animals, closed with a transparent plastic cover, containing a safe compartment and a starting compartment, equipped with an electrified conductive floor connected to a power source and holes in the wall with a shutter with an adjustable diaphragm installed on each of the holes, while the diameter of the through hole ensures the penetration of a small laboratory animal through it, and the diameter of the auxiliary holes is less than the diameter of the passage, characterized in that the starting compartment is located inside the safe compartment, the distance between the compartments is not less than the length of the body of a small laboratory animal, while the holes in the wall of the starting compartment are combined into the same groups , containing one passage and at least two auxiliary holes, and the groups of holes themselves are evenly distributed along the perimeter of the wall of the launch compartment, while all the walls of the compartments are made of transparent material eraser.

Images