Open Source Neuro Mouse Box Literature Review

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Key words terms (KWT)

1. Open Source
2. Rodent
3. Chamber
4. Operant Chamber
5. Bussey-Saksida
6. touchscreen
7. "Skinner box"
8. 3D-printed

Strategies

1. Searched Google Scholar using KWT1, KWT2, KWT3, KWT4, KWT5, KWT6, KWT7, and KWT8.

Touchscreen operant chambers are rodent enclosures that allow researchers to test behavioural traits of mice. Commercial touchscreen operant chambers are expensive, posing as a barrier to neuroscience research.

Behavioural studies using touchscreen operant chambers are limited to the amount of chambers available in a lab. The price of commercial touchscreen chambers limit labs from maximizing the number of performed behavioural tests. An open-source, affordable touchscreen chamber would allow researchers to perform more tests for less money, increasing the productivity of labs and neuroscience research.

• Bussey-Saksida chambers allow translational neuroscience research.
• Touchscreen
• liquid or pellet food reward
  • peristaltic pump for liquid reward
• Researchers can collect rodent excretion
• IR sensors for movement

• Neuroscience researchers
• Undergraduate labs
• High school labs

• Campden Instruments design
  • Trapezoidal wall design

Palmer, D., Dumont, J. R., Dexter, T. D., Prado, M. A. M., Finger, E., Bussey, T. J., & Saksida, L. M. (2021). Touchscreen cognitive testing: Cross-species translation and co-clinical trials in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107443

Abstract: Translating results from pre-clinical animal studies to successful human clinical trials in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease presents a significant challenge. While this issue is clearly multifaceted, the lack of reproducibility and poor translational validity of many paradigms used to assess cognition in animal models are central contributors to this challenge. Computer-automated cognitive test batteries have the potential to substantially improve translation between pre-clinical studies and clinical trials by increasing both reproducibility and translational validity. Given the structured nature of data output, computer-automated tests also lend themselves to increased data sharing and other open science good practices. Over the past two decades, computer automated, touchscreen-based cognitive testing methods have been developed for non-human primate and rodent models. These automated methods lend themselves to increased standardization, hence reproducibility, and have become increasingly important for the elucidation of the neurobiological basis of cognition in animal models. More recently, there have been increased efforts to use these methods to enhance translational validity by developing task batteries that are nearly identical across different species via forward (i.e., translating animal tasks to humans) and reverse (i.e., translating human tasks to animals) translation. An additional benefit of the touchscreen approach is that a cross-species cognitive test battery makes it possible to implement co-clinical trials—an approach developed initially in cancer research—for novel treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Co-clinical trials bring together pre-clinical and early clinical studies, which facilitates testing of novel treatments in mouse models with underlying genetic or other changes, and can help to stratify patients on the basis of genetic, molecular, or cognitive criteria. This approach can help to determine which patients should be enrolled in specific clinical trials and can facilitate repositioning and/or repurposing of previously approved drugs. This has the potential to mitigate the resources required to study treatment responses in large numbers of human patients.

• Consistent environments ensure reproducible results
• touchscreens more suitable for reverse translation
• touchscreens increase stimuli variety

Krakenberg, V., Woigk, I., Garcia Rodriguez, L., Kästner, N., Kaiser, S., Sachser, N., & Richter, S. H. (2019). Technology or ecology? New tools to assess cognitive judgement bias in mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 362, 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.021

Abstract: Cognitive judgement bias tests have become important new tools for the assessment of animal emotions. They allow for the inference of an animal's emotional state based on ambiguous cue interpretations. As mice are the predominantly used animal model for cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, research in this field would considerably benefit from the development of suitable judgement bias tests for this species. Against this background, we aimed to implement two different active choice cognitive judgement bias paradigms for mice in a methodological study. For this purpose, two experiments were conducted: in experiment I, an automated, vision-based touchscreen technique was applied, allowing for the direct translation of tasks from rodents to humans and vice versa. Experiment II comprised a task relying on more ecologically relevant cues in form of tunnels of different lengths. While the touchscreen task was characterized by automation-related advantages such as the possibility to present many trials per session and a high convenience for the experimenter, the tunnel task was learned faster by the mice. In both tests, however, the response to the trained and ambiguous conditions resulted in a graded curve, the basic requirement for proving task validity. Thus, both the translational touchscreen task as well as the ecologically more relevant tunnel task could successfully be implemented and provide new tools for the future assessment of cognitive judgement biases in mice.

• Touchscreen for forward and backward translation
  • allows more trials, higher productivity
• Campden Bussey-Saksida Chamber
  • Black trapezoid
  • liquid reward

Escobar, R., Gutiérrez, B., & Benavides, R. (2022). 3D-printed operant chambers for rats: Design, assembly, and innovations. Behavioural Processes, 199, 104647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104647

Abstract: Ten years ago, we started a project at the National Autonomous University of Mexico with the purpose of building custom-made operant conditioning chambers that could be used in research and laboratory courses. The focus was to reduce the cost and improve the flexibility of operant chambers by integrating advances in electronics and manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and laser-cutting technologies. With these technologies we designed and built customizable and reliable operant chambers for rats in which responses can be recorded using levers or photocells. Reinforcement is delivered precisely using a pellet or a water dispenser and auditory and visual stimuli are presented with buzzers and LEDs. An Arduino microcontroller board connected to a PC running programs written in Visual Basic controls and records experimental events. The origins and latest improvements of the project are described and instructions to build one operant chamber are provided. Additionally, we describe a few examples of modifications of the design with the purpose of researching a wider range of behavioral phenomena. The designs and programs are open-source and open-distribution so they can be downloaded for free and can be modified freely by users to adapt to numerous experimental settings.

• 3D printed and laser-cut components
• Rodent response with levers/ photocells
• Arduino microcontroller
• 0.2 mm layer height
• 20% infill
• PLA
  • low toxicity
  • Rats chew, coated walls in capsaicin
• Components are attached with screws and glue
• Peristaltic pumps
  • no liquid-caused damage
  • reliable with different viscosities
• OS stl files can be modified
• $449.43 total

Vassilev, P., Fonseca, E., Hernandez, G., Pantoja-Urban, A. H., Giroux, M., Nouel, D., Van Leer, E., & Flores, C. (2022). Custom-Built Operant Conditioning Setup for Calcium Imaging and Cognitive Testing in Freely Moving Mice. Eneuro, 9(1), ENEURO.0430-21.2022. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0430-21.2022

Abstract: Operant chambers are widely used in animal research to study cognition, motivation, and learning processes. Paired with the rapidly developing technologies for brain imaging and manipulations of brain activity, operant conditioning chambers are a powerful tool for neuroscience research. The behavioral testing and imaging setups that are commercially available are often quite costly. Here, we present a custom-built operant chamber that can be constructed in a few days by an unexperienced user with relatively inexpensive, widely available materials. The advantages of our operant setup compared with other open-source and closed-source solutions are its relatively low cost, its support of complex behavioral tasks, its user-friendly setup, and its validated functionality with video imaging of behavior and calcium imaging using the UCLA Miniscope. Using this setup, we replicate our previously published findings showing that mice exposed to social defeat stress in adolescence have inhibitory control impairments in the Go/No-Go task when they reach adulthood. We also present calcium imaging data of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neuronal activity acquired during Go/No-Go testing in freely moving mice and show that neuronal population activity increases from day 1 to day 14 of the task. We propose that our operant chamber is a cheaper alternative to its commercially available counterparts and offers a better balance between versatility and user-friendly setup than other open-source alternatives.

• Arduino microcontroller
• UCLA Miniscope
  • Calcium imaging
• Polycarbonate walls
  • Pre-cut at store
  • transparent (distractions)
  • can be cleaned with alcohol and soap
• Plastic cement to connect
• Detachable walls for easy cleaning
• PC and Plastic cement cost $150.73 USD
  • not including circuits and other components
• 2-3 day assembly
• $922.71 total

Devarakonda, K., Nguyen, K. P., & Kravitz, A. V. (2016). ROBucket: A low cost operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller. Behavior Research Methods, 48(2), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-015-0603-2

Abstract: The operant conditioning chamber is a cornerstone of animal behavioral research. Operant boxes are used to assess learning and motivational behavior in animals, particularly for food and drug reinforcers. However, commercial operant chambers cost several thousands of dollars. We have constructed the Rodent Operant Bucket (ROBucket), an inexpensive and easily assembled open-source operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller platform, which can be used to train mice to respond for sucrose solution or other liquid reinforcers. The apparatus contains two nose pokes, a drinking well, and a solenoid-controlled liquid delivery system. ROBucket can run fixed ratio and progressive ratio training schedules, and can be programmed to run more complicated behavioral paradigms. Additional features such as motion sensing and video tracking can be added to the operant chamber through the array of widely available Arduino-compatible sensors. The design files and programming code are open source and available online for others to use.

• $150 for off-the-shelf components
• 3D-printed well not included in estimate
• Soldering required for assembly  
• No mention of original commercial price
• $149.04 total

Buscher, N., Ojeda, A., Francoeur, M., Hulyalkar, S., Claros, C., Tang, T., Terry, A., Gupta, A., Fakhraei, L., & Ramanathan, D. S. (2020). Open-source raspberry Pi-based operant box for translational behavioral testing in rodents. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 342, 108761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108761

Abstract: Background: Rodents have been used for decades to probe neural circuits involved in behavior. Increasingly, attempts have been developed to standardize training paradigms across labs; and to use visual/auditory paradigms that can be also tested in humans. Commercially available systems are expensive and thus do not scale easily, and are not optimized for electrophysiology. New method: Using the rich open-source technology built around Raspberry Pi, we were able to develop an inexpensive (< $1000) visual-screen based operant chamber with electrophysiological and optogenetic compatibility. The chamber is operated within MATLAB/Simulink, a commonly used scientific programming language allowing for rapid customization.

• System used audio cues
• laser-cut and 3D printed components
• Batteries for noise reduction
• Minimal metal for noise reduction
• less than $1000

Gurley, K. (2019). Two open source designs for a low-cost operant chamber using Raspberry Pi^TM. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 111(3), 508–518. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.520

Abstract: After almost a century of use and development, operant chambers remain a significant financial investment for scientists. Small powerful single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi™ offer researchers a low-cost alternative to expensive operant chambers. In this paper, we describe two new operant chambers, one using nose-poke ports as operanda and another using a touchscreen. To validate the chamber designs, rats learned to perform both visual discrimination and delayed alternation tasks in each chamber. Designs and codes are open source and serve as a starting point for researchers to develop behavioral experiments or educational demonstrations.

• Materials recycled from laboratory  
• Raspberry Pi for both
• No other microcontroller
• Model 1: Polypropylene painted black on exterior  
• interior unpainted
• Nose-poke
• Polypropylene chewed through
• Model 2: acrylic components
• black interior
• touchscreen
• Pellets as rewards

Pineño, O. (2013). ArduiPod Box: A low-cost and open-source Skinner box using an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller | Behavior Research Methods .Springer Nature Link. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-013-0367-5

Abstract: This article introduces the ArduiPod Box, an open-source device built using two main components (i.e., an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller), developed as a low-cost alternative to the standard operant conditioning chamber, or “Skinner box.” Because of its affordability, the ArduiPod Box provides an opportunity for educational institutions with small budgets seeking to set up animal laboratories for research and instructional purposes. A pilot experiment is also presented, which shows that the ArduiPod Box, in spite of its extraordinary simplicity, can be effectively used to study animal learning and behavior.

• Apple iPod touch and Arduino microcontroller
• rodent interacts with iPod
• Plexiglass, clear walls
• <$300

Oliveira Silva, J. W., Lima, R. A., Morya, E., Brasil, F. L., & Gonçalves, L. M. G. (2022). Improved Behavioral Box and Sensing Techniques for Analysis of Tactile Discrimination Tasks in Rodents. Sensors, 23(1), 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23010288

• Commercial chambers inaccessible
  • Low customer demand
• Plexon chamber
• Commercial chambers are difficult to modify/update
• Modular platform
• Acrylic walls
  • durable
• Nose poke mechanism
• Arduino microcontroller
• IR sensors for motion detection
• Hinge door
• Validation with remote-control mice

Buscher, N., Ojeda, A., Francoeur, M., Hulyalkar, S., Claros, C., Tang, T., Terry, A., Gupta, A., Fakhraei, L., & Ramanathan, D. S. (2020). Open-source raspberry Pi-based operant box for translational behavioral testing in rodents. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 342, 108761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108761

Devarakonda, K., Nguyen, K. P., & Kravitz, A. V. (2016). ROBucket: A low cost operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller. Behavior Research Methods, 48(2), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-015-0603-2

Escobar, R., Gutiérrez, B., & Benavides, R. (2022). 3D-printed operant chambers for rats: Design, assembly, and innovations. Behavioural Processes, 199, 104647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104647

Gurley, K. (2019). Two open source designs for a low-cost operant chamber using Raspberry Pi^TM. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 111(3), 508–518. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.520

Krakenberg, V., Woigk, I., Garcia Rodriguez, L., Kästner, N., Kaiser, S., Sachser, N., & Richter, S. H. (2019). Technology or ecology? New tools to assess cognitive judgement bias in mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 362, 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.021

Oliveira Silva, J. W., Lima, R. A., Morya, E., Brasil, F. L., & Gonçalves, L. M. G. (2022). Improved Behavioral Box and Sensing Techniques for Analysis of Tactile Discrimination Tasks in Rodents. Sensors, 23(1), 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23010288

Palmer, D., Dumont, J. R., Dexter, T. D., Prado, M. A. M., Finger, E., Bussey, T. J., & Saksida, L. M. (2021). Touchscreen cognitive testing: Cross-species translation and co-clinical trials in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107443

Pineño, O. (2013). ArduiPod Box: A low-cost and open-source Skinner box using an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller | Behavior Research Methods. Springer Nature. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-013-0367-5

Vassilev, P., Fonseca, E., Hernandez, G., Pantoja-Urban, A. H., Giroux, M., Nouel, D., Van Leer, E., & Flores, C. (2022). Custom-Built Operant Conditioning Setup for Calcium Imaging and Cognitive Testing in Freely Moving Mice. Eneuro, 9(1), ENEURO.0430-21.2022. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0430-21.2022