Extended analysis of path data from mutant mice using the public domain software Wintrack

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Biotechnology
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Videocamera-based animal tracking has advanced significantly, enabling high-frequency xy path data collection.
• Current analysis methods for this data often lack the desired analytical power and flexibility.
• Existing tools limit the potential for in-depth behavioral analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop Wintrack, a Windows application for enhanced numerical and graphical analysis of animal tracking data.
• To provide researchers with a flexible and powerful tool for processing diverse tracking system outputs.
• To enable custom analysis by integrating path data with other experimental events.

Main Methods:

• Development of Wintrack, a Windows application compatible with various commercial tracking systems.
• Implementation of an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for standard analysis and graphical representation.
• Inclusion of a flexible scripting language for custom arena and parameter definition, and a macro language for automated large-scale data analysis.

Main Results:

• Wintrack processes xy path data from multiple videocamera tracking systems.
• The software offers advanced analytical capabilities, including custom parameter definition and integration with external event data (e.g., keyboard input, GPS).
• Automated large-scale data analysis is facilitated through a macro language, supporting retrospective evaluation of thousands of animal movement datasets.

Conclusions:

• Wintrack significantly increases analytical power and flexibility for animal tracking data.
• The software is adaptable for diverse experimental setups, including indoor (water maze, open field) and outdoor GPS tracking.
• Wintrack provides a valuable, free resource for the scientific community to advance animal behavior research.