Simple and easy method for measurement of ambulatory activity in mice

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Abstract
A hand-made apparatus which is easily manipulative, cheap, durable and clean was used to measure ambulatory activity of a mouse. The apparatus was assembled with the same type of 2 plastic round basins commercially available (25 cm in diameter) put one upon another. A pivot was fixed at the center of the outsurface of the inner basin (A), and its open end was inserted into the open socket fixed at the center on the bottom of the outer basin (B). Microswitches (3) equipped on the brim of (B) at equal intervals were activated and counts recorded according to the tiltings of (A) through the movements of the mouse. To examine accuracy of the measurement, effects of d-amphetamine (1.25 .apprx. 5.0 mg/kg), methamphetamine (1.0 .apprx. 4.0 mg/kg), cocaine (10 .apprx. 40 mg/kg) and morphine (5.0 .apprx. 20.0 mg/kg) on the ambulatory activity were investigated. Marked accelerating effects were observed dose dependently after administration of the drugs. Activity patterns showed characteristic properties of each drug. This method is especially useful to measure acute effect of drugs on ambulatory activity in mice, and many units can be set up at the same time.