Publications

Exploring stable-based behaviour and behaviour switching for the detection of bilateral pain in equines

Efficient and sensitive animal pain detection approaches are increasingly studied with the goal of improving animal welfare and monitoring the efficacy of treatment and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to determine the potential of various behaviours as sensitive...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Egan, S., Kearney, C. M., Brama, P. A. J. et al. 2021. Exploring stable-based behaviour and behaviour switching for the detection of bilateral pain in equines. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 235, 105214.

Addressing stress in dogs in shelters through a novel visual and auditory enrichment device

Dogs experience both acute and chronic stress when living in animal shelters. Current best practices recommend a variety of techniques for reducing stress such as enhanced human interactions including play or training, novel feeding strategies, increased exercise/group play, and, when...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Epstein, J., Dowling-Guyer, S., McCobb, E. et al. 2021. Addressing stress in dogs in shelters through a novel visual and auditory enrichment device. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 236, 105215.

DIY: Creating a rat play cage

To provide extra enrichment for our training rats (Sprague Dawley; CRL: SD), our team discussed the idea of developing a rat play cage. Animals are housed in the Comparative Bioscience Center at The Rockefeller University, an AAALAC-accredited facility. All enrichment...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Monnas, J. 2021. DIY: Creating a rat play cage. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(2) (March/April), 46-48.

Edible nail polish as a novel enrichment strategy for single-housed nonhuman primates

At the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, NHPs may need to be singly housed for research purposes or veterinary care, and it can be challenging to keep them optimally enriched. This sometimes results in destructive behaviors, for example picking...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Williams, W. R. 2021. Edible nail polish as a novel enrichment strategy for single-housed nonhuman primates. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(2) (March/April), 50-51.

Pupil size variation as a response to stress in European catfish and its application for social stress detection in albino conspecifics

Hormonal changes such as increased cortisol level in blood plasma in response to stress and social environmental stimuli are common among vertebrates including humans and typically accompanied by other physiological processes, such as changes in body pigmentation and/or pupil dilatation....

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Slavík, O., Horký, P., Velíšek, J., et al. 2020. Pupil size variation as a response to stress in European catfish and its application for social stress detection in albino conspecifics. PLOS ONE, 15(12), e0244017.

Loss of environmental enrichment elicits behavioral and physiological dysregulation in female rats

Chronic stress drives behavioral and physiological changes associated with numerous psychiatric disease states. In rodents, the vast majority of chronic stress models involve imposition of external stressors, whereas in humans stress is often driven by internal cues, commonly associated with...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Morano, R., Hoskins, O., Smith, B. L. et al. 2019. Loss of environmental enrichment elicits behavioral and physiological dysregulation in female rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 12, 287.

Behavioral and physiological consequences of enrichment loss in rats

Significant loss produces the highest degree of stress and compromised well-being in humans. Current rodent models of stress involve the application of physically or psychologically aversive stimuli, but do not address the concept of loss. We developed a rodent model...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Smith, B. L., Lyons, C. E., Correa, F. G. et al. 2017. Behavioral and physiological consequences of enrichment loss in rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 77, 37-46.

A three-dimensional habitat for C

As we learn more about the importance of gene-environment interactions and the effects of environmental enrichment, it becomes evident that minimalistic laboratory conditions can affect gene expression patterns and behaviors of model organisms. In the laboratory, Caenorhabditis elegans is generally...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Invertebrate, Other Invertebrate

Citation: Guisnet, A., Maitra, M., Pradhan, S. et al. 2021. A three-dimensional habitat for C. elegans environmental enrichment. PLOS ONE 16(1), e0245139.

Individual differences in rat sensitivity to CO2

Feelings of fear, anxiety, dyspnea and panic when inhaling carbon dioxide (CO2) are variable among humans, in part due to differences in CO2 sensitivity. Rat aversion to CO2 consistently varies between individuals; this variation in aversion may reflect CO2 sensitivity,...

Year Published: 2021Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Améndola, L., Ratuski, A., Weary, D. M. 2021. Individual differences in rat sensitivity to CO2. PLOS ONE 16(1), e0245347.

Anticipatory behaviour as an indicator of the welfare of dairy calves in different housing environments

Anticipatory behaviour occurs in the period before a reward or other positive event is presented and has been interpreted as an indicator of the welfare and emotional state of animals. The use of this indicator has received limited attention in...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Housing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Neave, H. W., Webster, J. R., Zobel, G. 2021. Anticipatory behaviour as an indicator of the welfare of dairy calves in different housing environments. PLOS ONE 16(1), e0245742.