Feb 15, 2025
- Yujie Fan1,
- Chelsie Steele1
- 1Caltech
Protocol Citation: Yujie Fan, Chelsie Steele 2025. Open Field. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.5qpvo972xv4o/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: January 08, 2025
Last Modified: February 15, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 117840
Keywords: behavior, mouse, open field protocol for general locomotion, test during the mouse, ethovision video tracking, open field protocol, mouse, open field, using open field arena, open field arena, general locomotion, spontaneous motor activity, rodent, activity
Funders Acknowledgements:
Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s
Grant ID: ASAP-020495
Abstract
Protocol for general locomotion in rodents using open field arenas and Ethovision video tracking.
Purpose: Assess cognitive, spontaneous motor activity, and anxiety
Note that there are many variations of this test. We perform this test during the mouse's dark cycle (i.e. their active phase).
Materials
- Open field boxes (usually we use 4 boxes and test 4 mice at a time) – measurement 40 cm x 40 cm – solid color (depending on mouse fur for contrast), not transparent
- 70% ethanol and water spray bottles for cleaning
Troubleshooting
Before start
Note that our lab performs this assay in the dark phase to reduce stress and to test animals during their active cycle. Our animals are kept on an inverted light cycle.
Protocol for Open Field Test
12m
Acclimate mice to the behavior room for 30 minutes to 1 hour before starting.
Mice were consistently tested around the same time interval in the morning, between 8am-10am
The mouse is gently carried and placed in the center of the OF box.
Let mouse explore the environment for 12 min (keep consistent across experiments). Motor activity is recorded for all 12 minutes using a set of camera + Ethovision software.
12m
At conclusion, return mouse to the home cage and clean OF boxes with water-EtOH-water sequence solutions.
Start with another mouse, etc… until finished