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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
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Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice
Published on: May 5, 2015
Sniffing behavior of mice during performance in odor-guided tasks
Daniel W Wesson1, Tanya N Donahou, Marc O Johnson
1Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA. wesson@bu.edu
Chemical Senses
|June 7, 2008
Summary
Mouse sniffing behavior is dynamic and context-dependent. Respiration rates change significantly during exploration and tasks, influenced by both odor and non-odor cues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfactory processing
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Sniffing is crucial for olfactory processing, but poorly understood in mice.
- Mice are a key model organism for olfactory research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize mouse sniffing behavior.
- To investigate how sniffing changes during different tasks and behavioral states.
Main Methods:
- Measured intranasal pressure transients in mice.
- Monitored sniffing during exploration and three olfactory tasks (habituation/dishabituation, digging, nose poke).
Main Results:
- Mouse respiration rates (3-5 Hz) are higher than rats'.
- Sniff frequency increased up to ~12 Hz during exploration and was highly dynamic.
- Sniffing varied significantly across tasks and behavioral epochs.
- Increased sniffing occurred before rewards and during non-odor-guided nose poking.
Conclusions:
- Mouse sniffing is a dynamic behavior modulated by behavioral context.
- Both olfactory and non-olfactory events influence sniffing patterns.
