| |
In addition to the four
projects, there were a series of four demonstrations
as follows:
| SHIRPA - Derek
Rogers |
| SHIRPA is a proposed protocol
for the comprehensive assessment of phenotype in normal and mutant mice.
It is an acronym for SmithKline Beecham, Harwell
Laboratory, Imperial College of London University, the Royal
London Hospital, and Phenotype and Assessment.
It consists of a primary, secondary and tertiary screen, as described in
Dr Rogers’ lecture. Parts of the assessment will be demonstrated. |
| LTP - Sabrina
Davis, Matt Jones and Ian Kearns |
| This demonstration will
take place in the surgery on level 8 of the Appleton Tower and in the electrophysiology
laboratories on Level 3 of the Department of Neuroscience (1 George Square).
It will include the chance to see electrophysiological recording in anaesthetised
and freely-moving mice including, we hope (!), a demonstration of induction
of LTP. These techniques should be compared with the more common procedure
of examining LTP in brain slices, and the demonstration will conclude with
a discussion of the relative merits of the different approaches. |
| OPERANT CONDITIONING
- Christopher Spratt |
| This demonstration will
take place in the Fujisawa Institute for Neuroscience (Level 6, Appleton
Tower). It includes an opportunity to see mice performing an automated
operant task that measures vigilance and attention, and to process the
kind of data produced at different stages of learning. In addition, there
will be demonstrations of circadian variation in activity patterns and
performance in a ‘staircase’ skilled paw-use task. |
| ELEVATED PLUS
MAZE - David Reynolds |
| There are a number of tests
of anxiety for animals. Some involve social interaction, some involve reaction
to painful stimuli (such as electric shock). The ‘Elevated Plus Maze’ consists
of a maze in which two ‘arms’ are enclosed (providing relative safety)
and two arms are open (exposing the animals to the height at which the
maze is placed above the floor). Mice that are naturally very fearful,
or given treatments that enhance anxiety, tend to spend proportionately
more time in the enclosed arms. Treatments, such as chlordiazepoxide, reduce
this tendency. This demonstration will consist of videotapes showing mice
performing in the task. |
|
|
|