Conditional fear box and method for detecting cognitive function of rat with vascular cognitive impairment

Abstract

The invention relates to a conditional fear box and method for detecting the cognitive function of a rat with vascular cognitive impairment, the conditional fear box comprises a test box, a test cylinder is arranged in the test box, a partition plate and a rotating assembly are rotatably arranged in the test box, the partition plate divides the test box into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and a plurality of storage bins are arranged on the partition plate; an electric control door and an auxiliary driving unit are arranged on the storage bin, and a movable door is arranged at the top of the test box; sliding rails are arranged on the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the testing cylinder, a square movable disc is arranged at the bottom of the testing cylinder and slidably arranged on the sliding rails, and an electric shock grating and a sound production testing unit are arranged on the upper surface of the movable disc. A camera, a first winding and unwinding unit, a second winding and unwinding unit, a third winding and unwinding unit and a fourth winding and unwinding unit are arranged at the upper top of the upper cavity; rat switching operation can be automatically carried out in batches, background replacement can be automatically carried out, the two steps are reasonably combined and simplified, and the experiment efficiency can be greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vascular cognitive impairment detection, and more particularly to a fear conditioning box and method for detecting cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment. Background Art

[0002] The conditioned fear box is a core behavioral tool for evaluating the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment. It directly reflects the degree of impairment in learning and memory ability by quantifying fear memory-related behaviors (such as freezing time). During the conditioned fear experiment, the rats are placed in the conditioned fear box for 2 minutes (Phase A), and the freezing time of the animals in the first 2 minutes is recorded as a baseline to evaluate the natural behavioral state of the animals in the absence of any stimulation; a conditioned sound is added, 80Db, lasting 30 seconds (Phase B). This step is to allow the animals to associate the sound with the upcoming electric shock; followed by an electric shock of 0.35mA for 2 seconds (Phase C) to complete a round of training; if multiple rounds of training are required, repeat the three-phase training of A, B, and C.

[0003] The currently used conditioned fear box adopts a single-box mode, that is, each test targets only one rat (some can target two rats at a time), and requires manual repeated opening of the box to put different rats in and out. The opening and changing of the scene (floor and background) is also very cumbersome, resulting in low efficiency of the entire experiment. There is a need for a conditioned fear box and method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment that can solve the above defects and improve experimental efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fear conditioning box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment, and also provide a fear conditioning method for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment, in response to the above-mentioned defects of the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: A fear-conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment is constructed, comprising a test box, a test cylinder arranged in the test box, wherein a transverse annular partition and a rotating assembly for driving the partition to rotate are rotatably arranged in the test box, the partition divides the test box into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper end of the test cylinder has an opening and is rotatably connected to the inner hole of the partition; a plurality of soundproof storage compartments for storing rats distributed in an annular pattern are arranged on the partition, an electric-controlled door and an auxiliary driving unit are arranged on the storage compartment, and a movable door is arranged on the top of the test box; slide rails are arranged on the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder, a square movable disk is arranged at the bottom of the test cylinder, and the movable door is arranged on the top of the test box; the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder are provided with slide rails, and a square movable disk is arranged at the bottom of the test cylinder. The disk is slidingly arranged on the slide rail and an electric shock grid and a sound test unit are arranged on the upper surface; a camera, a first rewinding unit, a second rewinding unit, a third rewinding unit and a fourth rewinding unit are arranged on the upper top of the upper chamber; the first rewinding unit, the second rewinding unit, the third rewinding unit and the fourth rewinding unit are enclosed to form a square, and the first rewinding unit and the third rewinding unit are connected by a first background belt, and the second rewinding unit and the fourth rewinding unit are connected by a second background belt; the first background belt and the second background belt are both arranged to bypass the movable disk, and the second background belt is provided with an avoidance groove for avoiding the two slide rails.

[0006] The conditioned fear box for detecting cognitive functions of rats with vascular cognitive impairment described in the present invention, wherein the movable disk includes a transparent bottom plate, the upper surface of which is provided with the electric shock grid; the lower surface of the bottom plate is provided with a first guide groove and a second guide groove distributed up and down; the first background belt passes through the first guide groove, and the second background belt passes through the second guide groove.

[0007] The conditioned fear box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment described in the present invention, wherein the lower surface of the base plate is connected to a first concave plate, and the first concave plate and the lower surface of the base plate are combined to form the first guide groove; the lower surface of the first concave plate is connected to a second concave plate, and the second concave plate and the lower surface of the first concave plate are combined to form the second guide groove.

[0008] In the fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive functions of rats with vascular cognitive impairment of the present invention, guide rollers are provided at both ends of the first concave plate and the second concave plate.

[0009] The conditioned fear box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment described in the present invention, wherein the lower surface of the second concave plate is provided with a control box; a power supply, a wireless module and a control module are provided in the control box; the wireless module is used to communicate with the outside, and the control module is used to control the operation of the electric shock grid and the vocalization test unit according to the instructions received by the wireless module.

[0010] The conditioned fear box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment described in the present invention is characterized in that an annular gear ring is provided on the lower surface edge of the partition, and the rotating assembly includes a drive motor arranged on the inner wall of the test box, and the movable end of the drive motor is provided with a drive gear meshing with the annular gear ring.

[0011] In the fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment described in the present invention, an openable movable cover is provided at the upper end of the storage compartment, and an oxygen supply unit is provided on the movable cover.

[0012] A method for detecting fear conditioning in the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment uses the fear conditioning box described above, wherein the method comprises the following steps: Open the movable door and put the rats into the storage bin one by one through the movable door. After each rat is put in, the partition rotates once to switch the storage bin position. Under camera monitoring, start the test: The first rewinding and unwinding unit, the second rewinding and unwinding unit, the third rewinding and unwinding unit and the fourth rewinding and unwinding unit all rewind synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; Open the electric door of any storage bin and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage bin. The rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the movable plate. The first unwinding unit, the second unwinding unit, the third unwinding unit and the fourth unwinding unit all unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down and resets under the action of its own weight; Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for training, and the camera to record the frozen state; The first reel-in unit reels, the third reel-in unit unwinds, the second reel-in unit reels, and the fourth reel-in unit unwinds to complete the background replacement. Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for retraining, and the camera to record the frozen state; After the training is completed, the first rewinding and unwinding unit, the second rewinding and unwinding unit, the third rewinding and unwinding unit and the fourth rewinding and unwinding unit all rewind synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; The electric shock grid or the sound test unit is controlled to drive the rats on the activity plate, so that the rats pass through the avoidance slot and return to the storage chamber.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the movable door is opened, and rats are placed into the storage bin one by one through the movable door, and the partition rotates once after each rat is placed to switch the position of the storage bin; under the monitoring of the camera, the test is started: the first reel-up unit, the second reel-up unit, the third reel-up unit and the fourth reel-up unit are all reeled synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; the electric door of any storage bin is opened, and the corresponding auxiliary driving unit is driven to drive the rat out of the storage bin, and the rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the movable disk; the first reel-up unit, the second reel-up unit, the third reel-up unit and the fourth reel-up unit are all unwound synchronously, and the movable disk slides down and resets under the action of its own weight; the electric shock grid and the sound test unit are controlled to operate for training, and the camera records the stagnation state; the first reel-up unit reels, the third reel-up unit unwinds, the second The reel unit reels in, and the fourth reel unit unwinds, completing the background replacement; the electric shock grid and the sound test unit are controlled to run for re-training, and the camera records the frozen state; after the training is completed, the first reel unit, the second reel unit, the third reel unit and the fourth reel unit are all reeled synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; the electric shock grid or the sound test unit is controlled to run to drive the rats on the movable disk, so that the rats pass through the avoidance slot and return to the storage bin; after completing the rat training operation of each storage bin one by one, the movable door is opened to take the rats out of the storage bin one by one, completing the training operation of this batch of rats; applying the method of the present application, the switching operation of rats can be automatically performed in batches, and the background can be automatically replaced. The two most time-consuming operations can be reasonably combined and simplified, which can greatly improve the experimental efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive efforts. Figure 1 2. It is a cross-sectional view of a fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the first reel-and-unreel unit, the second reel-and-unreel unit, the third reel-and-unreel unit, and the fourth reel-and-unreel unit of a fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the activity disk of a fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flow chart of a fear conditioning method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the following will be a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0016] The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 , including a test box 1, a test cylinder 2 is provided in the test box 1, a horizontal annular partition 3 and a rotating assembly 4 for driving the partition 3 to rotate are rotatably provided in the test box 1, the partition 3 divides the test box 1 into an upper chamber 10 and a lower chamber 11, the upper end of the test cylinder 2 has an opening and is rotatably connected to the inner hole of the partition 3; a plurality of soundproof storage compartments 30 for storing rats are provided on the partition 3 in an annular distribution, the storage compartments 30 are provided with an electric control door 31 and an auxiliary driving unit 32, and a movable door 12 is provided on the top of the test box 1; slide rails 20 are provided on the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder 2, and a square movable disk 21 is provided at the bottom of the test cylinder 2, the movable disk 21 is slidably set on the slide rail 20 and an electric shock grid is provided on the upper surface The grid 22 and the sound test unit 23 are provided with a camera 13, a first reel-and-unreel unit 14, a second reel-and-unreel unit 15, a third reel-and-unreel unit 16 and a fourth reel-and-unreel unit 17 on the upper top of the upper chamber 10; the first reel-and-unreel unit 14, the second reel-and-unreel unit 15, the third reel-and-unreel unit 16 and the fourth reel-and-unreel unit 17 are enclosed to form a square, and the first reel-and-unreel unit 14 and the third reel-and-unreel unit 16 are connected by a first background belt 18, and the second reel-and-unreel unit 15 and the fourth reel-and-unreel unit 17 are connected by a second background belt 19; the first background belt 18 and the second background belt 19 are both arranged to bypass the movable disk 21, and the second background belt 19 is provided with an avoidance slot 190 for avoiding the two slide rails 20; Open the movable door and place rats one by one through the movable door 12 into the storage bin 30. After each rat is placed, the partition 3 rotates once to switch the position of the storage bin 30. Under the monitoring of the camera 13, the test begins: the first reel-in unit 14, the second reel-in unit 15, the third reel-in unit 16, and the fourth reel-in unit 17 all reel synchronously, driving the movable disk 21 to rise to the highest position. Open the electric door 31 of any storage bin 30 and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit 32 to drive the rat out of the storage bin 30. The rat passes through the avoidance slot 190 and enters the movable disk 21. The first reel-in unit 14, the second reel-in unit 15, the third reel-in unit 16 and the fourth reel-in unit 17 all unwind synchronously, and the movable disk 21 slides down and resets under the action of its own weight. Control the electric shock grid 22 and the sound test unit 23 to run for training, and the camera 13 records the stagnation state. The first reel-in unit 14 rewinds, the third reel-in unit 16 unwinds, the second reel-in unit 15 rewinds, and the fourth reel-in unit 17 unwinds to complete the background replacement. Control the electric shock grid 22 and the sound test unit 23 to run for retraining, and the camera 13 records the stagnation state. After the training is completed, the first reel-in unit 14, the second reel-in unit 15, the third reel-in unit 16, and the fourth reel-in unit 17 are all reeled synchronously, driving the movable disk 21 to rise to the highest position; the electric shock grid 22 or the sound test unit 23 (other driving units can also be provided here) is controlled to drive the rats on the movable disk 21, so that the rats pass through the avoidance slot 190 and return to the storage bin 30; after completing the training operation of the rats in each storage bin one by one, the movable door is opened and the rats are taken out of the storage bin one by one, completing the training operation of this batch of rats; By applying the method of the present application, not only can the switching operation of rats be automatically performed in batches, but also the background can be automatically replaced. The two most time-consuming operations are reasonably combined and simplified, which can greatly improve the experimental efficiency.

[0017] Preferably, the movable tray 21 includes a transparent bottom plate 210, the upper surface of which is provided with an electric shock grid 22; the lower surface of the bottom plate 210 is provided with a first guide groove 211 and a second guide groove 212 distributed vertically; the first background tape 18 passes through the first guide groove 211, and the second background tape 19 passes through the second guide groove 212; the structure is reasonable and compact, and the use of the transparent bottom plate 210 (made of plastic or glass) can ensure the background effect switching effect on the upper and lower surfaces of the movable tray 21, and the first guide groove 211 and the second guide groove 212 facilitate the assembly of the first background tape 18 and the second background tape 19; Preferably, a first concave plate 213 is connected to the lower surface of the bottom plate 210, and the first concave plate 213 and the lower surface of the bottom plate form a first guide groove 211; the lower surface of the first concave plate 213 is connected to the second concave plate 214, and the second concave plate 214 and the lower surface of the first concave plate 213 form a second guide groove 212; the structure is simple and the processing and molding cost is low; guide rollers 215 are provided at both ends of the first concave plate 213 and the second concave plate 214, which are convenient for reducing the wear caused by switching the background belt and improving the smoothness of the switching.

[0018] Preferably, a control box 216 is provided on the lower surface of the second concave plate 214; a power supply, a wireless module and a control module are provided in the control box 216; the wireless module is used to communicate with the outside, and the control module is used to control the operation of the electric shock grid and the sound test unit according to the instructions received by the wireless module; so as to facilitate wireless control, avoid the inconvenience of wiring, and simplify the structure.

[0019] Preferably, an annular gear ring 33 is provided on the edge of the lower surface of the partition 3, and the rotating component 4 includes a driving motor 40 arranged on the inner wall of the test box, and the movable end of the driving motor 40 is provided with a driving gear 41 meshing with the annular gear ring 33; the structure is simple and the driving reliability is good.

[0020] Preferably, an openable movable cover 34 is provided at the upper end of the storage bin 30 , and an oxygen supply unit 35 is provided on the movable cover 34 , so as to facilitate the placement and removal of rats and ensure the oxygen supply of the rats.

[0021] A method for detecting the conditioned fear of the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment, using the conditioned fear box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment as described above, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the steps of: Open the movable door and put the rats into the storage bin one by one through the movable door. After each rat is put in, the partition rotates once to switch the storage bin position. Under camera monitoring, start the test: S01: The first, second, third and fourth rewinding and unwinding units rewind synchronously, driving the movable disc to rise to the highest position; S02: Open the electric door of any storage bin and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage bin. The rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the movable plate. S03: The first, second, third and fourth rewinding and unwinding units unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down and resets under its own weight; S04: Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for training, and the camera to record the stasis state; S05: The first reel-in unit reels, the third reel-in unit unwinds, the second reel-in unit reels, and the fourth reel-in unit unwinds, completing the background replacement; S06: Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for retraining, and the camera records the frozen state; S07: After the training is completed, the first reeling unit, the second reeling unit, the third reeling unit and the fourth reeling unit all reel synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; S08: Control the electric shock grid or the sound test unit to drive the rat on the activity plate, so that the rat passes through the avoidance slot and returns to the storage chamber; By applying the method of the present application, rat switching operations can be automatically performed in batches, and background replacement can be automatically performed. The two most time-consuming operations are reasonably combined and simplified, which can greatly improve the experimental efficiency.

[0022] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all such improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, comprising a test box with a test cylinder provided therein, characterized in that: The test box is provided with a rotatable transverse annular partition and a rotating assembly for driving the partition to rotate, the partition divides the test box into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper end of the test cylinder is opened and is rotatably connected to the inner hole of the partition; the partition is provided with a plurality of soundproof storage compartments for storing rats distributed in an annular pattern, the storage compartments are provided with an electric control door and an auxiliary driving unit, and the top of the test box is provided with a movable door; the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder are provided with slide rails, and the bottom of the test cylinder is provided with a square movable disk, the movable disk is slidably provided on the slide rails and the upper surface is provided with an electric shock grid and Sound test unit; a camera, a first reel-and-unreel unit, a second reel-and-unreel unit, a third reel-and-unreel unit and a fourth reel-and-unreel unit are provided on the upper top of the upper chamber; the first reel-and-unreel unit, the second reel-and-unreel unit, the third reel-and-unreel unit and the fourth reel-and-unreel unit are enclosed to form a square, and the first reel-and-unreel unit and the third reel-and-unreel unit are connected by a first background belt, and the second reel-and-unreel unit and the fourth reel-and-unreel unit are connected by a second background belt; the first background belt and the second background belt are both arranged to bypass the movable disk, and the second background belt is provided with an avoidance groove for avoiding the two sliding rails.

2. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable plate includes a transparent bottom plate, the upper surface of which is provided with the electric shock grid; the lower surface of the bottom plate is provided with a first guide groove and a second guide groove distributed up and down; the first background belt passes through the first guide groove, and the second background belt passes through the second guide groove.

3. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first concave plate is connected to the lower surface of the base plate, and the first concave plate and the lower surface of the base plate are combined to form the first guide groove; a second concave plate is connected to the lower surface of the first concave plate, and the second concave plate and the lower surface of the first concave plate are combined to form the second guide groove.

4. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both ends of the first concave plate and the second concave plate are provided with guide rollers.

5. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A control box is provided on the lower surface of the second concave plate; a power supply, a wireless module and a control module are provided in the control box; the wireless module is used to communicate with the outside, and the control module is used to control the operation of the electric shock grid and the sound test unit according to the instructions received by the wireless module.

6. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular gear ring is provided on the edge of the lower surface of the partition. The rotating assembly includes a driving motor provided on the inner wall of the test box. A driving gear meshing with the annular gear ring is provided at the movable end of the driving motor.

7. The fear conditioning box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the storage bin is provided with an openable movable cover, and the movable cover is provided with an oxygen supply unit.

8. A method for detecting the conditioned fear of rats with vascular cognitive impairment, using the conditioned fear box for detecting the cognitive function of rats with vascular cognitive impairment as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method comprises the steps of: Open the movable door and put the rats into the storage bin one by one through the movable door. After each rat is put in, the partition rotates once to switch the storage bin position. Under camera monitoring, start the test: The first rewinding and unwinding unit, the second rewinding and unwinding unit, the third rewinding and unwinding unit and the fourth rewinding and unwinding unit all rewind synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; Open the electric door of any storage bin and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage bin. The rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the movable plate. The first unwinding unit, the second unwinding unit, the third unwinding unit and the fourth unwinding unit all unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down and resets under the action of its own weight; Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for training, and the camera to record the frozen state; The first reel-in unit reels, the third reel-in unit unwinds, the second reel-in unit reels, and the fourth reel-in unit unwinds to complete the background replacement. Control the electric shock grid and the sound test unit to run for retraining, and the camera to record the frozen state; After the training is completed, the first rewinding and unwinding unit, the second rewinding and unwinding unit, the third rewinding and unwinding unit and the fourth rewinding and unwinding unit all rewind synchronously, driving the movable disk to rise to the highest position; The electric shock grid or the sound test unit is controlled to drive the rats on the activity plate, so that the rats pass through the avoidance slot and return to the storage chamber.

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