Scientists discuss how to integrate metabolic phenotyping with behavioral paradigms, the importance of temporal resolution, and how to avoid common pitfalls when executing behavioral and metabolic tests.
Alterations in behavior may be precipitated by metabolic disease, neural injury, epigenetic causes, antibiotic history or exposure to toxins or treatments. Persistence and scientific rigor are prerequisites in this field where relevant patterns must be discerned from small signals. Metabolic assays such as respirometry and behavioral profiling are key methods utilized when a high-definition, in-vivo record is required to evaluate pharmaceutical safety, neurological and physiological permutations.
However, while such assays in principal are standardized, in practice, proper system setup, synchronization of metabolic and behavioral data, ease of animal handling and anticipatory study design can be a challenge.
In this webinar, sponsored by Sable Systems International, Dr. John Lighton Ph.D. author of “Measuring Metabolic Rates: A Manual for Scientists” (Oxford University Press, 2008) shows how to properly plan and execute combination studies integrating high-resolution metabolic measurement and behavioral data. Important physiological-behavioral linkages can be uncovered and quantified using the rich data stream from Sable Systems’ Promethion synchronized metabolic and behavioral system in conjunction with its Ethoscan behavioral analysis utility. Topics include behavior and energy expenditure lists, anxiety assays, time and locomotion budgets, behavior transition probability matrices, Markov chains, hierarchical object clustering and automated grouping by similarity – all invaluable tools for discovery.
Following, Daniel Lark PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Vanderbilt University working in collaboration with Dr. David Wasserman, presents findings on compensatory metabolic and behavioral responses to voluntary exercise in mice. He has extensive experience using behavioral analysis together with conventional metabolic phenotyping.
Resources
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Presenters
President and Chief Scientist
Sable Systems International
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Vanderbilt University