Mouse Behavior Assays

Mouse Behavior Assays

The Martinelli lab performs numerous mouse behavior assays. Shown here are cocaine conditioned place preference and lithium conditioned place aversion. Not surprisingly, mice find cocaine extremely rewarding, while the lithium overdose causes great gastrointestinal tract discomfort. Normal mice prefer to spend their time on the side of the chamber that they associate with the rewarding cocaine, and avoid the side of the chamber that they associate with malaise. C1ql3 mutant mice, by contrast, show no conditioned place preference or avoidance behavior. This could be due to a lack of motivation or due to a memory deficit. Future experiments will hopefully differentiate between these possibilities.