Video imaging system for automated shaping and analysis of complex locomotory behavior

Although many observational technologies have been developed for the study of behavior, most of these technologies have suffered from the inability to engender highly reproducible behaviors that can be observed and modified. We have developed ACROBAT (Automated Control in Real-Time of Operant Behavior and Training), a video imaging system and associated computer algorithms that allow the fully automated shaping and analysis of complex locomotory behaviors. While this operant conditioning system is particularly useful for measuring the acquisition and maintenance of complex topographies, it also provides a more general and user friendly platform on which to develop novel paradigms for the study of learning and memory in animals. In this paper we describe the instrumentation and software developed, demonstrate the use of ACROBAT to shape a specific topography, and show how the system can be used to facilitate the study of arthritic pain in mice.