The Aron test or four plates test is an animal model of anxiety in which the exploration of the novel surroundings is suppressed by the delivery of a mild electric foot shock. The PANLAB/Harvard Apparatus system allows an automatic shock counting and recording of the results. A chain of up to 28 Aron four plates cages can be used with the last one linked to a PC (RS-232 port). An elegant and economical solution to screen large numbers of mice!

The apparatus consists of a cage floored by four identical rectangular metal plates (8 x 11 cm) separated from one another by a gap of 4 mm. The plates are connected to a shocker unit that can generate electric footshocks.

Following habituation period, the animal is subjected to an electric shock when crossing (transition) from one plate to another, i.e. two legs on one plate and two legs on another. Boissier et al. 1968 has described this test first. The number of punished crossings is generally calculated for a period of 60 s. A substance with anxiolytic properties induces an increase in the number of punished passages.

Citations
Petit-Demouliere B el al. (2007) Temporal parameters of one-trial tolerance to benzodiazepines in four-plate test-retest. Behav. Brain Res. 183(2):222-225. (mice, France)
Petit-Demouliere B et al. (2007) Factors triggering abolishment of benzodiazepines effects in the four-plate test-retest in mice. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. In press (mice, France) Massé F et al. (2007) Effect of GABAergic ligands on the anxiolytic-like activity of DOI (a 5-HT(2A/2C) agonist) in the four-plate test in mice. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol.;17(6-7):483-91 (mice, France)
Massé F et al (2006) Effect of noradrenergic system on the anxiolytic-like effect of DOI (5-HT2A/2C agonists) in the four-plate test Psychopharmacol. 183(4):471-481. (mice, France)
Ripoll et al. (2006) The four-plates test: anxiolytic or analgesic paradigm? Prog. Neuro-Phychopharm. Biol. Psychiatry. 30(5):873-880. (mice, France)
Dhonnchadha BAN et al. (2005) Implication of 5HT2 receptor subtypes in the mechanism of action of antidepressants in the four plates test. Psychopharmacol. 179(2): 418-429. (mice, France).
Ripoll N et al. (2005) The four-plate test-retest paradigm to discriminate anxiolytic effects. Psychopharmacol. 180(1): 73-83. (mice, France)