Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025
A System for Tracking the Dynamics of Social Preference Behavior in Small Rodents
Published on: November 21, 2019
Simultaneous analysis of social behaviors and neural responses in mice using round social arena system
Sunwhi Kim1, Yong-Eun Kim1, Il Hwan Kim1
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
Abstract:
Stable and accurate capturing of detailed social behaviors is essential for studying rodent sociability. Here, we introduce a round social arena (RSA) system that enables close-up monitoring of detailed social behaviors in mice. We describe the steps to build RSA apparatus and set up the wiring for video synchronization. We then detail how to conduct RSA experiment with simultaneous Ca2+ imaging or optogenetics. This protocol also includes a custom MATLAB script for aligning the behavioral dataset to Ca2+ trace data. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kim et al. (2022).
