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In this online course, learn how to collect scientific data using behavioral tests that measure anxiety and depression in laboratory mice, and interpret and discuss the results in the context of anxiety and depression in humans and a mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
This online course in behavioral neuroscience focuses on research related to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression and was developed by University of Alaska Fairbanks faculty member Dr. Abel Bult-Ito. Enrollment in this course gives you access to content that will help you:
Obtain competency in research methods using behavioral tests to observe animal behavior and measure anxiety and depression in laboratory mice.
Collect behavioral data from mouse videos from compulsive-like, non-compulsive-like, and randomly bred mouse strains; a mouse model of OCD.
Establish a foundation in using behavioral tests in laboratory mice to be able to confidently learn how to use new tests.
Develop an ability to analyze behavioral data and be proficient in the visualization of these data.
Develop an ability to interpret and discuss results in the context of human behavior, and especially psychiatric disorders, and the mouse model of OCD.
Obtain a competency in describing key characteristics of anxiety and depression in humans and in animal models.
Develop an ability to compare and contrast compulsive-like, anxiety-like, and depression-like behaviors in mice to equivalent conditions in humans.
Develop a capability to formulate original research hypotheses.
Obtain a competency in describing and discussing how basic research, as performed in this certificate program, contributes to the animal model of OCD and how it may have the potential to contribute to improving healthcare, the human condition and the biological basis of human behavior. This certificate program also will enhance your personal development and your professional development.
Learners who join this course should be free of objections to using mice in research.
Completion of NEURO1x: Behavioral Neuroscience: Foundations of Compulsive Behaviors and accompanying Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) training
Compare and contrast human and mouse behaviors.
Collect, analyze, and interpret behavioral data from mouse videos.
Establish a foundation in using behavioral tests in laboratory mice.
Understand anxiety and depression in humans and in animals.
Understand the role of animal models in studying human psychiatry.
Q: Do I need to take any neuroscience courses before I enroll in this course?
A: This course is not an introduction to neuroscience; it focuses specifically on behavioral neuroscience research within the context of compulsive behaviors. It does not require an in-depth understanding of public health, neurons, neuroanatomy, the nervous system, or human brain function in order to successfully complete the course. This course does not cover neurobiology, cognitive science, or in-depth data analysis. NEURO1x is a prerequisite for this course.
Q: Can I major in behavioral neuroscience?
A: The University of Alaska Fairbanks does not have a specific behavioral neuroscience major, but The UAF Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers M.S. or Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with research opportunities including molecular and cellular neuroscience supported through the Dept. of Biology and Wildlife.
Q: Are new mice used for this course?
A: No. All the mice were used in other courses and experiments prior to including them in this course.
Q: Do any mice suffer while participating in the behavioral test?
A: No. Some of the behavioral tests may have been stressful, such as the tail suspension test. However, the stress was equivalent to what a mouse might experience while living in the animal facility, such as reestablishing a dominance hierarchy in a new and clean home cage.
Q: Are the mice killed at the end of the behavioral tests?
A: Yes. The mice were euthanized following federally required euthanasia procedures that minimize pain and distress. Most mice were used for several tests in order to reduce the total number of mice used.
Q: What happens if a mouse gets sick?
A: If a mouse got sick, it was checked by animal care and/or veterinary staff. If the illness was minor and treatable, it received appropriate care and was returned to its home cage. If the illness was severe, the mouse was euthanized following federally required euthanasia procedures that minimize pain and distress. Subsequently, the animal was necropsied to identify the cause of death. Causes of death usually included a tumor, kidney failure, a genetic anomaly, or an infection. Very few mice became ill.
Q: What happens if a mouse dies?
A: If a mouse died, it was necropsied to identify the cause of death. Causes of death usually included a tumor, kidney failure, a genetic anomaly, or an infection. Very few mice died.
