Image showing hundreds of HABITS installed on standard mouse racks in a laboratory. Image credit: Yu et al. (CC BY 4.0)
Mice are widely used in neuroscience research due to the many tools available to study their brain function and behavior. However, training mice for complex tasks requires extensive human involvement, which can stress the animals and introduce inconsistencies in methods and results.
Automated systems can reduce any potential bias, but most focus on single tasks only and lack optimization. To address these issues, Yu et al. developed the Home-cage Assisted Behavioral Innovation and Testing System (HABITS) – a fully autonomous platform where mice learn tasks in their cages without human intervention.
Using HABITS, mice successfully acquired a wide range of cognitive skills – including decision-making, working memory, and attention – entirely without handling. The system uses machine learning to adjust training sequences, improving learning speed and minimizing bias. In tests with over 300 mice across more than 20 paradigms, including some never attempted in mice, HABITS also improves the overall health of mice compared to the conventionally used water-restriction training. The system’s AI-driven adjustments help mice learn challenging tasks more efficiently and with fewer errors.
Its low cost and automation make it an efficient and reliable tool to study behavior, making it suitable for large-scale studies. Future developments may incorporate wireless neural recordings to directly link behavior with brain activity, providing deeper insight into learning and decision-making mechanisms.
