SHUTAVOID software

Presentation

SHUTAVOID software is an implemented version of the BIOSEB SHUTTLE-8 software offering a user-friendly interface to conduct active and passive avoidance procedures in an automated manner.

The Software SHUTAVOID controls independently up to 8 Shuttle Boxes or Passive Cages. The software detects how many cages are physically present and activates the corresponding windows. The system includes a test mode to enables immediate and reliable checking of the functioning of all the elements of the experimental chamber.

Operating principle

The program controls the presentation of visual and acoustic stimuli and shock duration, at the same time that it records the position of the experimental animal in each compartment of the experimental cage, deciding about stimuli presentation accordingly.

Unlimited number of schedules can be defined and used either by common or different experimental cages.
The protocol editor allows the configuration of all the basic parameters necessary to set an active and passive avoidance experiment: habituation period, duration of the inter-trial interval (fixed or randomized), activation and duration of the conditioned stimulus (light, sound or both), activation, latency and duration of the unconditioned stimulus (electrical shock), latency for considering the response as “null”, door status (open/closed), number of trials, cut-off time for response etc…

The chambers can be defined as Independent (for classical active avoidance procedures), Master or Slaves (for yoked procedures in which the paired-yoked animals receive the same number and temporal pattern of stimuli as their master mates, but only the master animal controls the outcome of the response).

The program runs automatically when the animal is detected in the cage (independently for each cage). During the acquisition of data, information about the protocol state, animal position and current data can be visualized for each cage on the corresponding control window.

Data related to each of the observed animal responses are stored into result files that pick up the information acquired during the working session. The data files can be open and re-analysed to generate ASCII-coded reports in which the information is summarised for each trial or groups of trials (user-defined).

Parameters Measured

• Number and latency of conditioned responses (active avoidance)
• Number and latency of unconditioned responses (active avoidance)
• Number and latency of null responses (active avoidance)
• Number and latency of responses during intertrial (active avoidance)
• Number of compartment crossing during the inter-trial interval (active avoidance)
• Mean of the responses latencies (active avoidance)
• Latency to enter into the black compartment (passive avoidance)

Domains of application

• LEARNING AND MEMORY:
- Learning disabilities associated with aging
- Alzheimer’s disease and brain damages
- Huntington's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- HIV
- Studies about learning and memory neurobiological mechanisms
- Learning and memory abilities in response to drugs administration

Key features

• Allows editing protocols for both active and passive avoidance
• Experimental chambers can be controlled independently
• A Test mode enables immediate and reliable box checking
• New configuration panel for Yoked procedures
• The program runs automatically when the animal is detected in the cage
• Animal position and current data can be visualized on-line
• ASCII files with recorded data
• Re-analyses data in user-defined intervals of time