Behavioral Model Report

Novel Object Recognition 

Novel object recognition is used to measure aspects of memory and learning in mice. Mice have a natural inclination toward exploring novel objects, therefore, the test relies on the mice's innate ability to discover new objects. The test relies on three separate sessions: one habituation, training, and test session. In the training session, the mice are presented with two identical objects. In the test session, one object from the training session is replaced with a novel object. Because novel object recognition is a simple visual test, it can be implemented in human studies as well. The test can also be adapted to investigate different types of memory and learning. The amount of time for the mouse to explore the novel object provides a scale for memory recognition. In this paradigm, The objects must be mouse-sized, non-breakable, and cleaned between use. The mice can then be placed within a square chamber for training and testing sessions, with the objects placed diagonally from each other. The habituation session should last for five minutes, while the training and testing sessions should last for ten minutes each. If the mice do not investigate the objects for a minimum of twenty seconds, they will be removed from the analysis. Otherwise, the data from the mice can be analyzed and conclusions can be drawn. A concern I would have when utilizing this test is being able to determine the appropriate minimum time for the mice to explore, since different strains of mice might have shorter or longer exploration times. I also think the comfortability of the mice needs to be evaluated before conducting the test. The mice's anxiety might interfere with the results collected from the test. 

Citation: Lueptow LM. Novel Object Recognition Test for the Investigation of Learning and Memory in Mice. J Vis Exp. 2017 Aug 30;(126):55718.

Leger, M., Quiedeville, A., Bouet, V. et al. Object recognition test in mice. Nat Protoc 8, 2531–2537 (2013).