Journal: Cell Reports Methods

Article Title: A comprehensive and standardized pipeline for automated profiling of higher cognition in mice

doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2025.101011

Figure Lengend Snippet: Descriptive overview of the IntelliCage setup and programmed challenges (A) IntelliCage system for cognitive challenges of up to 16 mice. Conditioning corners allow access to water bottles and are equipped with sensors to detect presence and track behavior of mice within the corners. (B) Graphical description of the three basic behavior readouts provided by the system: presence of mice within the tube leading to the water bottles (visit), mice touching the door blocking the access to a water bottle with their noses (nose poke), and, after this, the door opens and the mice have access to water bottles and are able to drink (licks). (C–E) Graphical outline of the programmed challenges representative for one group. (C) On day 1 (d1), mice have free access for 24 h to all water bottles in the corners (blue circles) to habituate to the new environment and task to get water. On d2, water access is only available in the dark phase (active phase) and one specific corner per group (place learning). On d3, water access is only in the dark phase and the corner diagonally opposite of the previously correct corner (reversal learning). On d4, during dark phase, correct corner for water access switches every 3 h between the two previously correct corners (multiple reversal learning). (D) After one day with free access to water for 24 h (extinction, d5), challenge 2 starts with access to water from 10p.m. to 12p.m. in the first of the previously learned corners (episodic like memory–acquisition). On d7, the settings from d6 are repeated (episodic like memory–retrieval). On d8, water access shifts to 8p.m.–10p.m. and to the corner diagonally opposite of the formerly correct corner (episodic like memory reversal–acquisition). On d9, the settings from d8 are repeated (episodic like memory reversal – retrieval). (E) After another day with free access to water for 24 h (extinction, d10), challenge 3 tests for working memory via the patrolling paradigm. On d11 and d12, water access is granted during active phase and correct corners switch clockwise after each correct drinking attempt (nose poke). The first correct corner is defined by the first drinking attempt of the mice. On d13 and d14, correct corners switch counterclockwise after each correct drinking attempt. First correct corner is defined by the last correct drinking attempt during clockwise patrolling.

Article Snippet: IntelliCage , TSE Systems , RRID:SCR_017404.

Techniques: Blocking Assay

Journal: Cell Reports Methods

Article Title: A comprehensive and standardized pipeline for automated profiling of higher cognition in mice

doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2025.101011

Figure Lengend Snippet: Histopathological consequences of tamoxifen induced DTA expression in hippocampal pyramidal neurons (A) Fluorojade C and DAPI staining of male diphtheria toxin A (DTA) mice showed prominent neuronal degeneration in the cornu ammonis region 1 week after 3× tamoxifen injections as compared to DTA mice injected with 3× corn oil. Scale bar corresponds to 50 micrometers. (B) Iba1 and DAPI staining of hippocampal sections from mice presented in (A) show clear microgliosis upon tamoxifen induction. (C) Microgliosis and prominent hippocampal atrophy in tamoxifen-treated DTA mice that were used to validate the IntelliR pipeline. Eight mice per group (50%) were randomly selected and perfused for histological examination after the IntelliCage based phenotyping. (D) Quantitative assessment of hippocampal atrophy reveals a prominent shrinkage of the cornu ammonis subregions ( p < 0.001), in which pyramidal cells have been ablated with tamoxifen, as well as a minor but significant atrophy of the dentate gyrus. (E) Densitometric analysis of the microglia/macrophage marker Iba1 shows a significant increase in microglia/macrophage density within the CA1 ( p = 0.0395) and CA3 ( p = 0.0249) but not the dentate gyrus of tamoxifen-induced DTA mice.

Article Snippet: IntelliCage , TSE Systems , RRID:SCR_017404.

Techniques: Expressing, Staining, Injection, Marker

Journal: Cell Reports Methods

Article Title: A comprehensive and standardized pipeline for automated profiling of higher cognition in mice

doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2025.101011

Figure Lengend Snippet:

Article Snippet: IntelliCage , TSE Systems , RRID:SCR_017404.

Techniques: Recombinant, Software