Neurobiology training faculty member Tim Dunn and collaborators have developed a 3D imaging method to precisely map the social behavior of animals. By quantitatively measuring the movements, interactions, and body contacts between rodents, the team was able show for the first time how several different genetic forms of autism affected social behavior in rats. Says Dunn, "Despite movement and behavior being the principal outputs of the brain, tools to quantitatively measure and track that output were almost an afterthought. If you can’t quantify behavior precisely and comprehensively, you’re not going to get an accurate picture of how disease states or therapeutics affect behavior and movement." The tool creates a new avenue for studying different classes of neuropsychiatric disorders in lab animals.
The research will appear in the April 17 issue of Cell.
Read Michaela Martinez's full article in Pratt School of Engineering News.