The ANY-maze controlled Fear Conditioning system is an ANY-maze software driven product
(www.ANY-maze.com). A Fear Conditioning specific version of the ANY-maze software is paired with and controls all of the components necessary to conduct Fear Conditioning experiments on mice. Systems require a computer which is not included.
The system uses the two most common fear conditioning paradigms:
- Contextual Fear Conditioning
- Acoustically-Cued Fear Conditioning
Fear conditioning is the method by which animals learn to fear new stimuli. It is a form of learning in which fear is associated with a particular neutral context (e.g. a room) or neutral stimulus (e.g. a tone). This can be done by pairing the neutral stimulus with an aversive stimulus (e.g. a shock). Eventually, the neutral stimulus alone can elicit the state of fear.
The detection of Freezing is automated and based on video analysis, by using the Any-Maze software (specific version for Fear Conditioning), which also controls the shocker and the sound generator.
Our Fear Conditioning system works also in total darkness.
The system includes the following:
- Fear Conditioning Specific version of ANY-maze Behavioral Tracking Software
- FireWire camera
- Sound Generator
- Shocker
- Animal Enclosure with electrified grid floor
- Sound-Attenuating Chamber with light and fan
- Context Kit (to alter chamber’s color and texture)
- The system does not include a computer but a computer is required
System Components
ANY-maze software (specific to the Fear Conditioning apparatus)
- Immobility (fear-induced freezing) quantitatively measured using video-based detection
- Automatically calculates parameters of interest such as:
- Total freezing time
- Number of freezing episodes
- Duration of freeing episodes
- Latency times between stimuli and freezing events
Shocker
- Constant current (from 0.1 to 2.9 mA in 0.1 mA steps)
Sound Generator
- Two Independent channels with adjustable frequency and intensity (100-40,000 Hz; 1-150 dB)
- Two independent ‘white noise’ channels
- ANY-maze driven
- Speaker (and light) can be freely positioned within the sound-attenuation chamber
Enclosure with Electrified Grid Floor
- 17 x 17 x 25(h) cm
- Convenient and innovative opening and debris tray
Sound-Attenuating Chamber
- Minimizes travel of ultrasonic vocalizations and fear-related pheromones
- Includes light and fan
Context Kit
- Includes a set of removable contexts to alter the animal enclosure’s color and texture
Note: Macintosh Operating Systems are not supported.