An open-source automated rodent paradigm for forelimb movement in motor control, executive functions, and learning studies
Reaching tasks are frequently employed in studies investigating cognitive functions, motor control, and brain-computer interfaces. The center-out task, a subtype of reaching movement, is widely utilized in research and previous studies have shown that rats can effectively learn to perform this task....
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025007820 |
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| Summary: | Reaching tasks are frequently employed in studies investigating cognitive functions, motor control, and brain-computer interfaces. The center-out task, a subtype of reaching movement, is widely utilized in research and previous studies have shown that rats can effectively learn to perform this task. However, the labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of training rats in such tasks has posed limitations on rodent studies in this domain. This paper introduces an Automated Rodent Center-Out Task (ARCOT) paradigm designed for training rats in the center-out task across all directions, enabling efficient experimentation. The system provides customizability and extensibility, rendering it a suitable and cost-effective solution for diverse experiments related to forelimb movement, executive functions, and learning studies. We explored three training strategies and assessed their effectiveness. Results indicate that a resuming paradigm is effective in training rodents for tasks of varying difficulty. |
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| ISSN: | 2405-8440 |