[Automatic, electronic determination of resting time in small laboratory animals and the effect of...

The free movements of a small laboratory animal on the bottom of a cage, containing capacitive sensors, are measured as electrical signals which are then amplified, classified in a classification device and counted. With reference to the class of the highest sensitivity and by the choice of appropriate device parameters, signals are only counted during the time in which animal movements are below a level defined as rest. By this, the resting time can be determined which expresses the time in which animals are in the defined rest during the whole test time. The ED50, namely the doses after which the resting time increases by 50% during the first 10 min of the exploration phase of mice has been determined of diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, haloperidol, droperidol, fluphenazine, butaperazine, 7-fluorobutaperazine, and chlorpromazine and it was compared with the ED 50 determined in the contact bottom plates motimeter according to Knoll et al. in mice and in the catalepsy test according to Wirth et al. in rats. respectively. The method of resting time determination has proved as to be striking more sensitive (5- to 10-fold) than the other methods.