Reward & Addiction Spatial Place Preference Box The apparatus consists of a box with two equally sized compartments interconnected by a rectangular corridor. The compartments are differentiated by the motifs painted on the walls (dots or stripes) and the color (different shade of grey tones, light or dark) and texture (smooth or rough) of the floor. The innovation of our box is the possibility to combine a new additional spatial dimension allowing the animal to differentiate the different compartments in a more discriminative manner. Transparent walls are also used to minimize the time the animal spends in the corridor. The introduction of these new discriminative elements allow: • Optimizing the results obtained in the place preference and aversion paradigms (low variability in the response, reduced number of animals per group) key features Reward & Addiction • Spatial Place Preference Box } Allows combination between the visual, tactile and spatial cues defining each compartment • Organizing the discriminative elements in a wide variety of configurations for studies evaluating spatial or contextual memory • Using the elements as discriminative cues associated with drug exposure in other diverse experimental designs. The spatial place preference box can be used with SMART or LimeLight video-tracking systems for detection and analysis of animal position throughout the test, see page 4 or 10. It can also be used with PPCWIN, see page 84. } Optimize the differentiation between compartments } Minimize initial place preference during pre-test phase } Transparent walls to minimize time in corridor } Video-tracking system optimizes detection parameters measured } Total number of entries into compartments } % distribution of entries into different compartments } Permanence time in each compartment } % permanence time in respect to the total duration } Chronological sequence of animal displacement components included Specifications Reversible floor Textures Total (ext.) compartments (int.) Aisle (int.) Total (ext.) compartments (int.) Aisle (int.) Walls Width one side rough, one side smooth 46 x 27 x 25 cm (18 x 10.6 x 10 in) 20 x 18 x 25 cm (8 x 7 x 10 in) 20 x 7 x 25 cm (8 x 2.75 x 10 in) 88 x 47 x 45 cm (35 x 18.5 x 17.7 in) 40 x 34 x 45 cm (15.75 x 13 x 17.7 in) 25 x 13 x 45 cm (10 x 5 x 17.7 in) 6 mm (0.2 in) Box Dimensions for Mice (W x D x H): } Spatial Place Preference Box } 2 reversible floors (one dark grey, one light grey) } 4 parallel piped triangles (two with stripes and two in dots) Box Dimensions for Rats (W x D x H): } 2 three sided pyramids (one, stripes and one, dots) } 2 sliding doors (one, stripes and one, dots) options Ordering Information Order # 76-0278 76-0279 76-0376 76-0441 76-0011 Model Le895 Le897 Le896 Le898 PPcwin Product Spatial conditioned Place Preference for mice Spatial conditioned Place Preference for rats Spatial Place Preference mice-Position Detection weight cells Spatial Place Preference rats-Position Detection weight cells PPcwin Software (to be used with Le896/Le898) } SMART or LimeLight Video Tracking Systems } PPCWIN Our spatial place preference box is an experimental chamber developed to optimize place preference and aversion studies in small laboratory animals, especially mice. The design of the box is based on a close collaboration with prominent Professors Dr. Rafael Maldonado and Dr. Olga Valverde from the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology in Barcelona, Spain. www.panlab.com • www.coulbourn.com 83