ANXIETY & FEAR CONDITIONING
Dark Enclosure
The light/dark box test assesses anxiety in rodents by measuring their preference for dark versus brightly lit areas with more time in the dark suggesting higher anxiety. The Fusion system automates this by dividing the cage into light and dark zones, tracking behaviors like movement, time spent, and activity levels to provide detailed anxiety-related data.
ShuttleFlex Shuttle Box
The ShuttleFlex Shuttle Box is a fully automated system for conducting Active/Passive Avoidance studies with up to 16 animals. It features programmable settings for light, sound, and shock intensities, all controlled by Fusion Software. The system records data, displays real-time status for each chamber, and allows simultaneous, independent experiments. The box includes infrared sensors to track animal movements, an automated guillotine door, and adjustable stimuli like light, sound, and scrambled shock to prevent animals from avoiding shocks by position. The setup is easy to clean and customizable with features like darkened panels and interchangeable lights.
Stimulus Hub
The Stimulus Hub is a system designed to test animal responses to anxiety-inducing stimuli (light, sound, and shock) while tracking movement through integration with the Fusion system. It can run tests on up to 16 animals at once, with programmable intensity, duration, and sequence for each stimulus. The system measures latency in response to stimuli, including movement and rearing. Each experiment consists of multiple "repetitions" of light, sound, and shock events, with customizable parameters for timing, intensity, and order. The software analyzes the response times and movement during the tests.