Research
Our group is specialized in the analysis of animal behavior and in particular of mouse behavior. Our laboratory covers a broad spectrum of behavioral functions that can be analyzed ("Established behavioral tests"). Specifically, our interests focus on cognitive function and coping strategies in mice aiming at answering the following questions:
Which cognitive processes use mice to solve specific tasks? Do cognitive processes vary with age and between genders?
(Morellini, 2013; Fellini and Morellini, 2013; Haaker et al., 2013; Fellini and Morellini 2011; Morellini et al., 2010; Fellini et al., 2006).
Which are the proximate and ultimate causes of inter-individual variability in coping strategies? Do coping strategies affect cognitive function, social behavior and susceptibility to stress-induced depression and drugs of addiction?
(Jakovcevski et al., 2011; Desarnaud et al., 2008; Jakovcevski et al., 2008; Morellini et al., 2007; Morellini and Schachner, 2006; Brandewiede et al., 2005)
Which are the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions?
(Haaker et al., 2013; Morellini et al., 2010; Meier et al., 2010; Sawallisch et al., 2009; Morellini et al., 2007; Law et al., 2003; Senn et al., 2002; Evers et al., 2002)
How are specific behavioral repertoires shaped during ontogeny? Which are the long-term effects of environmental insults during adulthood and the perinatal period?
(Desarnaud et al., 2008; Jakovcevski et al., 2008; Palanza et al., 2002, Palanza et al., 1999)
Cooperations
- Prof. Dirk Isbrandt ( www.enp.org )
- Dr. Stefan Kindler
- Dr. Hans-Jürgen Kreienkamp
- Dr. Kent Duncan (www.zmnh.uni-hamburg.de/zmnh/groups/duncan/duncan.html )
- Prof. Dr. Manuel A. Friese (www.zmnh.uni-hamburg.de/zmnh/groups/friese/friese.html )
- Dr. Froylan Calderon de Anda ( www.zmnh.uni-hamburg.de/zmnh/groups/calderon/calderon.html )
- Prof. Raffael Kalisch ( www.ftn.nic.uni-mainz.de/arbeitsgruppe/resilienz )
- Prof. Markus Glatzel (www.uke.de/institute/neuropathologie)
- Dr. Catherine Meyer-Schwesinger
- Dr. Sabine Windhorst
Methods and established behavioral tests
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Postnatal sensory-motor function
- Cliff avoidance reflex
- Righting reflex
- Geotactic reflex
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Motor function
- Wire hanging
- Pole test
- Accelerated Rotarod
- Runaway tunnel (footprint test)
- Beam walking
- Pencil test
- Apomorphine-induced rotatory behavior
- Sensory function
- Visual cliff test
- Visual discrimination
- Olfactory discrimination
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Social behavior
- Spontaneous maternal behavior
- Pup retrieving
- Maternal aggressive behavior
- Play behavior and ontogeny of social and aggressive behavior
- Social preference
- Resident-intruder
- Urine marking
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Chronobiology
- Home cage circadian activity
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Novelty induced behavior, exploration, anxiety
- Free-choice open field
- New cage/new object test
- Open field
- Elevated plus maze
- Light/ dark avoidance test
- Food neophobia
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Learning and memory
- Circular water maze
- Rectangular water maze
- T water maze
- Circular dry maze
- One-trial spontaneous spatial learning
- Spontaneous alternation in the T or Y maze
- Win-shift in the T maze
- Free-choice win-shift
- Olfactory learning
- Spatial / novel object recognition
- Step-down passive avoidance
- Step-through passive avoidance
- Olfactory social recognition
- Social transmission of food preference
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Behavior induced by drugs of addiction
- Sensitization
- Tolerance
- Conditioned place preference
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Models for "depression-like" behavior
- Forced swimming
- Tail suspension
- Sucrose intake
- Amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion
- 8-OH-DPAT-induced hypothermia
- Unpredictable mild chronic stress