Observation of animal behavior by revolving activity cage method

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Abstract
With this system, several parameters can be recorded continuously over several months without exterior stimuli. Time per revolution is counted and punched into the paper tape as binary coded numbers, and the number of revolutions and the frequency of passage in a given time are printed out on a rolled paper by a digital recorder. Passage is defined as one revolving trial without a pause over a fixed time (criterion time) and used as a behavioral unit of stop and go. The raw data on the paper tape are processed and analyzed with a general-purpose computer. When a mouse became well accustomed to the revolving activity cage, the time per revolution followed the law of exponential distribution probability, while the length of passage (i.e., the number of revolutions per revolving trial) followed that of geometrical distribution probability. The revolving activity of mice treated with single s.c. injection of methamphetamine was examined using these parameters.