Behavioral Research Blog

G. Smit

Recent Posts

Alzheimer's: prevent instead of cure? Groundbreaking research and animal models

Posted by G. Smit on Apr 23, 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a huge public health issue as it affects a large part of the aging population. By 2050, experts estimate this number will exceed 100 million worldwide. Those of you that are a familiar with the underlying pathological hallmarks of  AD will recognize the terms plaques and tangles. These protein built-ups in the brain are well-researched; however, this neuropathology is studied primarily in the end stages of the disease.

Read More

Topics: mice, Alzheimer's disease, locomotion, ErasmusLadder, motor learning, motor performance

Prof. Berry Spruijt says goodbye (but not really)

Posted by G. Smit on Apr 21, 2015

Did you discover something new today? This was the question Prof. Berry Spruijt used to get from his kids on a daily basis. As little ones, they might have expected their father to come home with the Nobel Prize every day.

While we normally focus on a specific study or type of research or research tools, today’s post is a little different. Prof. Dr. Berry M. Spruijt recently retired from his position at Utrecht University. I had the honor of attending the symposium that was organized to reflect on and celebrate his career.

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, animal behavior research, animal welfare, PhenoTyper, UltraVox XT

Gait research: let your animals walk freely

Posted by G. Smit on Apr 15, 2015

Researchers use different ways to analyze gait in animals. Basically we can distinguish two methods: one can either observe or measure gait in an unrestricted manner, or one chooses a forced manner, such as a treadmill or treadwheel.

Read More

Topics: Parkinson's Disease, CatWalk XT, gait analysis, spinal cord injury, ataxia, locomotion

10 Innovative behavioral studies on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Posted by G. Smit on Mar 17, 2015

Tomorrow the 12th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (ADPD) in Nice, France starts. Last week I blogged about a study on Ginkgo biloba and Alzheimer's, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight some more studies and get you in the mood for the conference. This blog post features 10 interesting studies that use innovative techniques to study models of AD and PD and important underlying neuronal mechanisms.

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, mice, Alzheimer's disease, Video tracking, zebrafish, Danio rerio, DanioVision, Parkinson's Disease, learning and memory, rats, CatWalk XT, gait analysis, locomotion, top 10, ErasmusLadder, reflexive motor learning, motor performance

How Ginkgo biloba helps treat Alzheimer’s

Posted by G. Smit on Mar 12, 2015

Ginkgo biloba. Some of you might recognize it as a dietary supplement that is supposed to enhance cognitive function, but studies investigating these claims have mixed results. Xu Liu and colleagues recently investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Interestingly, they were able to confirm positive effects on AD pathology, such as improved memory, but only after long-term treatment.  

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, mice, Alzheimer's disease, Video tracking, learning and memory, Barnes maze

Motivation and eating: deep brain imaging in freely moving mice

Posted by G. Smit on Mar 5, 2015

Craving a certain snack, getting it from the fridge or at the store, then the joy of eating it. It’s a familiar ritual for most of us. Scientist say we are performing appetitive and consummatory behavior, and the part of our brain that regulates these behaviors is the lateral hypothalamus (LH). You can imagine that this is an important element in the investigation of, for example, addiction and eating disorders. The problem is that the LH seems to be a mosaic of different neurons with different functions, making it difficult to specifically target them. 

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, mice, Video tracking, optogenetics, eating disorder, deep brain imaging, addiction

How autistic fruit flies behave

Posted by G. Smit on Feb 26, 2015

The number of children with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased exponentially in the past 20 years: one out of six children in the US now suffers from a developmental disability. Of course some might say this sharp incline is due to better diagnostics and increased awareness; but whether or not this is the case, such a high prevalence is concerning. And since the environment is considered a strong contributor, chemicals such as BPA have been under investigation lately.

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, Video tracking, autism research, drosophila, fruit fly

How to measure the social behavior of Fragile X mice

Posted by G. Smit on Feb 20, 2015

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), formerly known as mental retardation, is a common developmental disorder with a prevalence of 1 in 3600 to 4000 males and 1 in 4000 to 6000 females (www.fragilex.org). Besides the intellectual challenges, patients often show behavioral abnormalities, which in a large part of the male patients strongly resembles autism-like behavior. Unfortunately, treatment of FXS is limited to the symptoms – think of behavioral therapy or pharmaceuticals to treat attentional deficits, anxiety, and impulse control problems.

Read More

Topics: mice, social hierarchy, automated tube test, Fragile X syndrome

Side effects of L-DOPA investigated in parkinsonian rats

Posted by G. Smit on Feb 16, 2015

Just recently, I blogged about a Parkinson’s disease (PD) study that compared the locomotion of Parkinsonian rats to those of human patients using automated gait analysis. Following up on that, this time I would like to highlight two recent Parkinson’s studies that use video tracking for their behavioral analysis. These studies specifically investigate the long-term effects of L-DOPA or levopoda, a common clinical treatment for PD, with which many patients struggle.

Read More

Topics: EthoVision XT, Video tracking, Parkinson's Disease, open field test, PhenoTyper, behavior recognition

Parkinson’s & gait impairment: comparing rats and humans

Posted by G. Smit on Feb 5, 2015

When you hear about Parkinson’s disease (PD), the first thing that comes to mind is probably impaired movement. And that there is no cure. As PD is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, you can imagine why it is the focus of many drug development and clinical studies.

Read More

Topics: Parkinson's Disease, rats, CatWalk XT, gait analysis, locomotion

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all