Ugo Basile Fear Conditioning System

The ANY-maze controlled Fear Conditioning system is an ANY-maze software driven product. A Fear Conditioning specific version of the ANY-maze software is paired with and controls all of the components necessary to conduct Fear Conditioning experiments on mice and rat. Systems require a computer (not included).

· The system uses the two most common fear conditioning paradigms:
Contextual Fear Conditioning
Acoustically-Cued Fear Conditioning

Fear conditioning is the method by which animals learn to fear new stimuli. It is a form of learning in which fear is associated with a particular neutral context (e.g. a room) or neutral stimulus (e.g. a tone). This can be done by pairing the neutral stimulus with an aversive stimulus (e.g. a shock). Eventually, the neutral stimulus alone can elicit the state of fear.

The detection of Freezing is automated and based on video analysis, by using the Any-Maze software (specific version for Fear Conditioning), which also controls the shocker and the sound generator.

Our Fear Conditioning system works also in total darkness.

· The system includes the following:
Fear Conditioning Specific version of ANY-maze Behavioral Tracking Software
USB camera (dual visibile/IR)

· Sound Generator
Shocker
Animal Enclosure with electrified grid floor
Sound-Attenuating Chamber with light and fan
Context Kit (to alter chamber's color and texture)
The system does not include a computer but a computer is required

· System Components
ANY-maze software (specific to the Fear Conditioning apparatus)
Immobility (fear-induced freezing) quantitatively measured using video-based detection
Automatically calculates parameters of interest such as:
Total freezing time
Number of freezing episodes
Duration of freeing episodes
Latency times between stimuli and freezing events
FC Chamber

· Shocker
Constant current (from 0.1 to 2.9 mA in 0.1 mA steps)

· Sound Generator
Two Independent channels with adjustable frequency and intensity (100-40,000 Hz; 1-150 dB)
Two independent ‘white noise' channels
ANY-maze driven
Speaker (and light) can be freely positioned within the sound-attenuation chamber

· Enclosure with Electrified Grid Floor
17 x 17 x 25(h) cm
Convenient and innovative opening and debris tray

· Sound-Attenuating Chamber
Minimizes travel of ultrasonic vocalizations and fear-related pheromones
Includes light and fan

· Context Kit
Includes a set of removable contexts to alter the animal enclosure's color and texture

Please contact us at for specific academic pricing.