TY - JOUR TI - Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism AU - Puścian, Alicja AU - Łęski, Szymon AU - Kasprowicz, Grzegorz AU - Winiarski, Maciej AU - Borowska, Joanna AU - Nikolaev, Tomasz AU - Boguszewski, Paweł M AU - Lipp, Hans-Peter AU - Knapska, Ewelina A2 - Mason, Peggy VL - 5 PY - 2016 DA - 2016/10/12 SP - e19532 C1 - eLife 2016;5:e19532 DO - 10.7554/eLife.19532 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19532 AB - Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, resembling natural burrows. Eco-HAB allows for assessment of the tendency of mice to voluntarily spend time together in ethologically relevant mouse group sizes. Custom-made software for automated tracking, data extraction, and analysis enables quick evaluation of social impairments. The developed protocols and standardized behavioral measures demonstrate high replicability. Unlike classic three-chambered sociability tests, Eco-HAB provides measurements of spontaneous, ecologically relevant social behaviors in group-housed animals. Results are obtained faster, with less manpower, and without confounding factors. KW - social impairments KW - social behavior KW - mouse models KW - automated testing KW - autism KW - ecological relevance JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -