My friend MIROSLAV: A hackable open-source hardware and software platform for high-throughput monitoring of rodent activity in the home cage

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior research
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Rodent behavior is primarily studied in home cages, but prolonged monitoring is challenging.
• Existing home cage monitoring (HCM) methods often suffer from data loss and impracticality at scale.
• There is a need for robust, adaptable, and cost-effective HCM solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate MIROSLAV, an open-source, multicage home cage monitoring system.
• To assess the system's capability for long-term, undisturbed rodent activity and environmental tracking.
• To demonstrate MIROSLAV's utility in a disease model, specifically Alzheimer's disease.

Main Methods:

• Development of MIROSLAV: a modular, wireless, infrared-based home cage monitoring device.
• Implementation of a software workflow (Prepare-a-SLAV, TidySLAV) for data preparation and cleaning.
• Utilizing MIROSine software for exploratory and statistical analysis of circadian rhythms.
• Application of MIROSLAV in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Main Results:

• MIROSLAV successfully monitored rodent activity and environmental conditions over extended periods with minimal data loss.
• The system demonstrated circadian dysrhythmia and altered responses to stimuli in Alzheimer's disease model rats.
• MIROSLAV's modular and transparent design facilitated adaptation to experimental needs.

Conclusions:

• MIROSLAV offers a cost-effective, robust, and adaptable solution for home cage monitoring in rodents.
• The system supports the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement) by enabling detailed, long-term behavioral analysis.
• MIROSLAV is a valuable tool for advancing rodent research, particularly in disease modeling and circadian rhythm studies.