3Rs-based optimization of mice behavioral testing: The habituation/dishabituation olfactory test

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Animal Behavior Research
• Ethology

Background:

• Many behavioral neuroscience paradigms lack reliability due to oversimplified procedures and interpretations.
• Existing behavioral tests, like olfactory habituation/dishabituation, can be improved.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the olfactory habituation/dishabituation task for increased reliability and efficiency.
• To reduce animal numbers and distress while enhancing behavioral data quality.

Main Methods:

• Implemented ethologically relevant technical and procedural changes.
• Utilized videotracking for automated quantification of sniffing behavior.
• Validated the setup through experiments challenging internal and construct validity.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high within- and inter-laboratory replicability.
• Showcased sensitivity to specific experimental factors and insensitivity to others.
• Validated the test's ability to assess hedonism, anxiety, stress, social impairments, and learning/memory.
• Confirmed stable interest in social and nonsocial odors for repetitive testing.

Conclusions:

• Refined behavioral tests using ethologically relevant modifications improve animal welfare and data acquisition.
• Enhanced behavioral test procedures can significantly increase the predictivity of preclinical studies.
• Improvements in behavioral testing support translational research in neuroscience.