MouseMove: an open source program for semi-automated analysis of movement and cognitive testing in rodents

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The Open Field (OF) test is crucial for evaluating rodent exploratory behavior and locomotor activity.
• Current OF test analysis relies heavily on expensive commercial systems, limiting accessibility for many researchers.
• There is a need for cost-effective, accessible, and unbiased tools for OF test data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a freely available software program, MouseMove, for analyzing Open Field test data.
• To provide a minimally invasive, rapid, and unbiased protocol for rodent behavioral analysis without specialized equipment.
• To offer a viable open-source alternative to commercial systems for high-throughput locomotion analysis.

Main Methods:

• Designed MouseMove, an open-source software for analyzing rodent locomotion in the Open Field test.
• Validated MouseMove by quantifying movement parameters (distance, speed, turning) in mice post-stroke.
• Demonstrated MouseMove's capability to monitor movement within regions of interest for cognitive tests.

Main Results:

• MouseMove accurately quantifies key movement parameters, comparable to commercial systems.
• The software successfully identified unilateral locomotor deficits in a mouse model of ischemic stroke.
• MouseMove is versatile, suitable for OF tests, Novel Object Recognition, and other field-related cognitive assays.

Conclusions:

• MouseMove provides a cost-effective, open-source solution for analyzing rodent locomotion and exploratory behavior.
• The software enables semi-automated, high-throughput behavioral analysis, enhancing research accessibility.
• MouseMove represents a significant advancement, offering a reliable alternative to commercial OF test analysis systems.