Conditioned fear box and method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment

Abstract

This invention relates to a conditioned fear test chamber and method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment. The test chamber includes a test cylinder inside, a partition and a rotating assembly rotatably arranged within it, dividing the chamber into an upper and lower chamber. Multiple storage compartments are arranged on the partition, each equipped with an electrically controlled door and an auxiliary driving unit. A movable door is located at the top of the test chamber. Slide rails are provided on the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder. A square movable disc is located at the bottom of the cylinder, sliding on the slide rails, with an electric shock grid and a sound-emitting test unit on its upper surface. A camera, a first roll-up / unroll-down unit, a second roll-up / unroll-down unit, a third roll-up / unroll-down unit, and a fourth roll-up / unroll-down unit are located at the top of the upper chamber. The method allows for batch and automatic switching of rats and automatic background replacement, combining and simplifying these two steps to significantly improve experimental efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vascular cognitive impairment detection technology, and more specifically, to a conditioned fear box and method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment. Background Technology

[0002] The conditioned fear box is a core behavioral tool for assessing cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment. It directly reflects the degree of impairment in learning and memory by quantifying fear memory-related phases (such as freeze time). During the conditioned fear experiment, rats are placed in the conditioned fear box for 2 minutes (phase A). The freezing time of the animals during these first 2 minutes is recorded as a baseline to assess the animals' natural behavior in the absence of any stimulus. A conditioned sound is then introduced at 80 dB for 30 seconds (phase B). This step is to allow the animals to associate the sound with the impending electric shock. Immediately afterwards, an electric shock of 0.35 mA is given for 2 seconds (phase C), completing one round of training. If multiple rounds of training are required, the A, B, and C phases are repeated.

[0003] The current conditioned fear test uses a single-box model, meaning that each test is conducted on only one rat (some tests can be conducted on two rats at a time). This requires manual, repeated opening and closing of the box to place and remove different rats. Changing the scene (floor and background) is also very cumbersome, resulting in low overall experimental efficiency. There is a need for a conditioned fear test and method that can solve the above defects and improve experimental efficiency for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a conditioned fear test chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, and to provide a method for detecting conditioned fear in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, in order to address the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0006] A conditioned fear test chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment is constructed, comprising a test chamber containing a test cylinder. A transversely arranged annular partition and a rotating assembly for driving the partition rotation are rotatably mounted within the test chamber, dividing the test chamber into an upper and lower chamber. The upper end of the test cylinder has an opening rotatably connected to the inner hole of the partition. Multiple soundproofed storage compartments for holding rats are arranged in a ring on the partition, each compartment equipped with an electrically controlled door and an auxiliary dispersal unit. A movable door is located at the top of the test chamber. Slide rails are provided on the two opposite inner walls of the test cylinder, and a square movable disc is located at the bottom of the test cylinder. The disc is slidably mounted on the slide rail, and its upper surface is provided with an electric shock grid and a sound emission test unit; 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 provided on the upper top of the upper chamber; the first winding and unwinding unit, the second winding and unwinding unit, the third winding and unwinding unit, and the fourth winding and unwinding unit form a square, and the first winding and unwinding unit and the third winding and unwinding unit are connected by a first background strip, and the second winding and unwinding unit and the fourth winding and unwinding unit are connected by a second background strip; both the first background strip and the second background strip are arranged around the movable disc, and the second background strip is provided with a clearance slot to avoid the two slide rails.

[0007] The conditioned fear test chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to the present invention includes an active tray comprising a transparent base plate, wherein the upper surface of the base plate is provided with the electric shock grid; the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a first guide groove and a second guide groove distributed vertically; a first background band passes through the first guide groove, and a second background band passes through the second guide groove.

[0008] The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, as described in this invention, includes a first concave plate connected to the lower surface of the base plate, the first concave plate and the lower surface of the base plate forming a first guide groove; and a second concave plate connected to the lower surface of the first concave plate, the second concave plate and the lower surface of the first concave plate forming a second guide groove.

[0009] The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, as described in this invention, wherein guide rollers are provided at both ends of the first concave plate and the second concave plate.

[0010] The conditioned fear test chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to the present invention includes a control box disposed on the lower surface of the second concave plate; the control box contains a power supply, a wireless module, and a control module; the wireless module is used for communication with the outside, and the control module is used for controlling the operation of the electric shock grid and the sound emission test unit according to the instructions received by the wireless module.

[0011] The conditioned fear test chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to the present invention includes an annular toothed ring on the lower surface edge of the partition, and the rotating assembly includes a drive motor disposed on the inner wall of the test chamber, wherein the movable end of the drive motor is provided with a drive gear that meshes with the annular toothed ring.

[0012] The conditioned fear chamber for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, as described in this invention, has an openable movable cover at the upper end of the storage chamber, and an oxygen supply unit is provided on the movable cover.

[0013] A conditioned fear method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, using a conditioned fear box as described above, wherein the method includes the following steps:

[0014] Open the access door and place the rats one by one into the storage chamber. After each rat is placed in, rotate the partition once to switch the storage chamber position.

[0015] The test begins under camera surveillance:

[0016] The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all wind up simultaneously, causing the movable tray to rise to its highest position.

[0017] Open the electrically controlled door of any storage compartment and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage compartment. The rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the activity tray.

[0018] The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down to reset under its own weight.

[0019] The electric shock grid and sound-generating test unit are operated for training, and the camera records the stagnation state.

[0020] The first unwind unit rewinds the image, the third unwind unit unwinds the image, the second unwind unit rewinds the image, and the fourth unwind unit unwinds the image, completing the background replacement.

[0021] The electric shock grid and sound-generating test unit are operated for retraining, and the camera records the stagnation state.

[0022] After the training is completed, the first, second, third, and fourth roll-up units are all rolled up simultaneously, causing the movable plate to rise to its highest position.

[0023] The electric shock grid or sound-emitting test unit is controlled to drive the rats on the activity tray, causing the rats to pass through the avoidance slots and return to the storage chamber.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The movable door is opened, and rats are placed one by one into the storage chamber. After each rat is placed, the partition rotates once to switch the storage chamber position. Under the monitoring of the camera, the test begins: the first, second, third, and fourth rewinding units simultaneously rewind, causing the movable plate to rise to its highest position; the electrically controlled door of any storage chamber is opened, and the corresponding auxiliary driving unit is activated to drive the rat out of the storage chamber. The rat passes through the clearance slot and enters the movable plate; the first, second, third, and fourth rewinding units simultaneously unwind, and the movable plate slides down and resets under its own weight; the electric shock grid and sound-emitting test unit are controlled to operate for training, and the camera records the stagnation state; the first rewinding unit rewinds, the third rewinding unit unwinds, the second… The first and fourth roll-up units rewind the rats, completing the background change. The electric shock grid and sound-emitting test unit are then controlled to perform retraining, with the camera recording the static state. After training, the first, second, third, and fourth roll-up units simultaneously rewind, raising the movable tray to its highest position. The electric shock grid or sound-emitting test unit is then controlled to drive the rats on the movable tray through the avoidance slots and back to the storage chamber. After training each rat in each storage chamber, the movable door is opened to remove the rats one by one, completing the training for this batch of rats. Using the method described in this application, rat switching can be performed automatically in batches, and background changes can be automatically performed. By combining and simplifying these two most time-consuming steps, experimental efficiency can be significantly improved. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a conditioned fear box used for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the first, second, third, and fourth roll-up units of the conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the active disc of the conditioned fear box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a conditioned fear method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, a clear and complete description will be provided below in conjunction with the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0031] A preferred embodiment of the present invention uses a conditioned fear box for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, such as... Figure 1 As shown, see also Figure 2 and Figure 3 The test chamber includes a test box 1, which contains a test cylinder 2. A transversely arranged annular partition 3 and a rotating assembly 4 for driving the partition 3 are rotatably mounted inside 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 that rotatably connects to the inner hole of the partition 3. Multiple soundproof storage compartments 30 for storing rats are arranged in a ring on the partition 3. Each storage compartment 30 has an electrically controlled door 31 and an auxiliary driving unit 32. A movable door 12 is located 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. A square movable disk 21 is located at the bottom of the test cylinder 2, sliding on the slide rails 20 and having an electric shock grid on its upper surface. The upper chamber 10 is equipped with a camera 13, a first winding unit 14, a second winding unit 15, a third winding unit 16, and a fourth winding unit 17. The first winding unit 14, the second winding unit 15, the third winding unit 16, and the fourth winding unit 17 form a square. The first winding unit 14 and the third winding unit 16 are connected by a first background strip 18, and the second winding unit 15 and the fourth winding unit 17 are connected by a second background strip 19. Both the first background strip 18 and the second background strip 19 are arranged to bypass the movable disc 21. The second background strip 19 is provided with a clearance slot 190 to avoid the two slide rails 20.

[0032] Open the access door and place the rats one by one into the storage chamber 30 through the access door 12. After each rat is placed, the partition 3 rotates once to switch the position of the storage chamber 30. Under the monitoring of the camera 13, the test begins: the first winding unit 14, the second winding unit 15, the third winding unit 16 and the fourth winding unit 17 all wind up simultaneously, causing the access plate 21 to rise to the highest position.

[0033] Open the electrically controlled door 31 of any storage compartment 30 and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit 32 to drive the rat out of the storage compartment 30. After passing through the avoidance slot 190, the rat enters the movable tray 21. The first roll-up unit 14, the second roll-up unit 15, the third roll-up unit 16, and the fourth roll-up unit 17 all roll up synchronously, and the movable tray 21 slides down and resets under its own weight. Control the operation of the electric shock grid 22 and the sound test unit 23 to conduct training, and the camera 13 records the stagnation state. The first roll-up unit 14 rolls up, the third roll-up unit 16 rolls up, the second roll-up unit 15 rolls up, and the fourth roll-up unit 17 rolls up, completing the background change. Control the operation of the electric shock grid 22 and the sound test unit 23 to conduct retraining, and the camera 13 records the stagnation state.

[0034] After training is completed, the first roll-up unit 14, the second roll-up unit 15, the third roll-up unit 16, and the fourth roll-up unit 17 all roll up synchronously, causing the movable plate 21 to rise to its highest position; the electric shock grid 22 or the sound test unit 23 (other driving units can also be set here) is controlled to drive the rats on the movable plate 21, so that the rats pass through the avoidance slot 190 and return to the storage chamber 30; after the training operation of each rat in each storage chamber is completed, the movable door is opened and the rats are taken out of the storage chamber one by one, completing the training operation of this batch of rats;

[0035] By applying the method of this application, not only can rat switching be performed automatically in batches, but the background can also be changed automatically. By combining and simplifying these two most time-consuming operations, experimental efficiency can be greatly improved.

[0036] Preferably, the movable plate 21 includes a transparent base plate 210, and an electric shock grid 22 is provided on the upper surface of the base plate 210; a first guide groove 211 and a second guide groove 212 distributed vertically are provided on the lower surface of the base plate 210; a first background strip 18 passes through the first guide groove 211, and a second background strip 19 passes through the second guide groove 212; the structure is reasonable and compact, and the use of a transparent base plate 210 (made of plastic or glass) can ensure the background effect switching effect of the upper and lower surfaces of the movable plate 21; the first guide groove 211 and the second guide groove 212 facilitate the assembly of the first background strip 18 and the second background strip 19;

[0037] Preferably, a first concave plate 213 is connected to the lower surface of the base plate 210, and the first concave plate 213 and the lower surface of the base plate enclose a first guide groove 211; a second concave plate 214 is connected to the lower surface of the first concave plate 213, and the second concave plate 214 and the lower surface of the first concave plate 213 enclose a second guide groove 212; the structure is simple and the processing cost is low; both ends of the first concave plate 213 and the second concave plate 214 are provided with guide rollers 215, which helps to reduce the wear generated during background belt switching and improve the smoothness of switching.

[0038] Preferably, a control box 216 is provided on the lower surface of the second concave plate 214; the control box 216 is provided with a power supply, a wireless module and a control module; 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.

[0039] Preferably, the lower surface edge of the partition 3 is provided with an annular gear ring 33, and the rotating assembly 4 includes a drive motor 40 disposed on the inner wall of the test chamber, and the movable end of the drive motor 40 is provided with a drive gear 41 that meshes with the annular gear ring 33; the structure is simple and the drive reliability is good.

[0040] Preferably, the upper end of the storage compartment 30 is provided with an openable movable cover 34, and an oxygen supply unit 35 is provided on the movable cover 34; this facilitates the handling of rats and ensures the oxygen supply to the rats.

[0041] A conditioned fear method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, using a conditioned fear box as described above for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0042] Open the access door and place the rats one by one into the storage chamber. After each rat is placed in, rotate the partition once to switch the storage chamber position.

[0043] The test begins under camera surveillance:

[0044] S01: The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all wind up simultaneously, causing the movable tray to rise to its highest position;

[0045] S02: Open the electrically controlled door of any storage compartment and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage compartment. After passing through the avoidance slot, the rat enters the activity tray.

[0046] S03: The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down to reset under its own weight;

[0047] S04: Control the operation of the electric shock grid and sound generation test unit for training, and the camera records the stagnation state;

[0048] S05: The first unwind unit rewinds, the third unwind unit unwinds, the second unwind unit rewinds, and the fourth unwind unit unwinds, completing the background replacement;

[0049] S06: Control the operation of the electric shock grid and sound generation test unit for retraining, and the camera records the stagnation state.

[0050] S07: After the training is completed, the first, second, third, and fourth roll-up units all roll up simultaneously, causing the movable disc to rise to its highest position.

[0051] S08: Control the electric shock grid or sound-emitting test unit to drive the rats on the activity tray so that the rats pass through the avoidance slots and return to the storage chamber;

[0052] By applying the method of this application, rat switching operations can be performed automatically in batches, and background replacement can be performed automatically. By combining and simplifying these two most time-consuming operations, experimental efficiency can be greatly improved.

[0053] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, comprising a test chamber containing a test cylinder, characterized in that, The test chamber is rotatably equipped with a transverse annular partition and a rotating assembly that drives the partition to rotate. The partition divides the test chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper end of the test cylinder has an opening that is rotatably connected to the inner hole of the partition. The partition has multiple soundproof storage compartments for storing rats arranged in a ring. Each storage compartment is equipped with an electrically controlled door and an auxiliary driving unit. The top of the test chamber has a movable door. Slide rails are provided on the inner walls of the two opposite sides of the test cylinder. A square movable disc is located at the bottom of the test cylinder. The movable disc slides on the slide rails and its upper surface is equipped with an electric shock grid and a sound-emitting test unit. A camera, a first winding / unwinding unit, a second winding / unwinding unit, a third winding / unwinding unit, and a fourth winding / unwinding unit are located at the top of the upper chamber. Four winding and unwinding units; the first, second, third, and fourth winding and unwinding units form a square, with the first and third winding and unwinding units connected by a first background strip, and the second and fourth winding and unwinding units connected by a second background strip; both the first and second background strips bypass the movable disc, and the second background strip has a clearance slot to avoid the two slide rails; the movable disc includes a transparent base plate, and the upper surface of the base plate is provided with the electric shock grid; the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a first guide groove and a second guide groove distributed vertically; the first background strip passes through the first guide groove, and the second background strip passes through the second guide groove.

2. The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, 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 enclose each other 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 enclose each other to form the second guide groove.

3. The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Guide rollers are provided at both ends of the first concave plate and the second concave plate.

4. The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 2, characterized in that, A control box is provided on the lower surface of the second concave plate; the control box contains a power supply, a wireless module, and a control module; 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-emitting test unit according to the instructions received by the wireless module.

5. The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower surface edge of the partition is provided with an annular toothed ring, and the rotating assembly includes a drive motor disposed on the inner wall of the test chamber, and the movable end of the drive motor is provided with a drive gear that meshes with the annular toothed ring.

6. The conditioned fear test for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage compartment is equipped with an openable cover at the top, and an oxygen supply unit is installed on the cover.

7. A method for detecting cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment, using a conditioned fear chamber as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that... The method includes the following steps: Open the access door and place the rats one by one into the storage chamber. After each rat is placed in, rotate the partition once to switch the storage chamber position. The test begins under camera surveillance: The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all wind up simultaneously, causing the movable tray to rise to its highest position. Open the electrically controlled door of any storage compartment and drive the corresponding auxiliary driving unit to drive the rat out of the storage compartment. The rat passes through the avoidance slot and enters the activity tray. The first, second, third, and fourth winding units all unwind synchronously, and the movable disc slides down to reset under its own weight. The electric shock grid and sound-generating test unit are operated for training, and the camera records the stagnation state. The first unwind unit rewinds the image, the third unwind unit unwinds the image, the second unwind unit rewinds the image, and the fourth unwind unit unwinds the image, completing the background replacement. The electric shock grid and sound-generating test unit are operated for retraining, and the camera records the stagnation state. After the training is completed, the first, second, third, and fourth roll-up units are all rolled up simultaneously, causing the movable plate to rise to its highest position. The electric shock grid or sound-emitting test unit is controlled to drive the rats on the activity tray, causing the rats to pass through the avoidance slots and return to the storage chamber.

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