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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.10.23.619967

IntelliProfiler: a novel analytic tool for behavior dynamics of multiple animals in a home cage

Ochi, S.·Inada, H.·Osumi, N.
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Abstract

Unbiased, scalable behavioral phenotyping that captures multi-animal interactions in home-cage settings is increasingly needed. Here we present "IntelliProfiler", a research workflow consisting of data processing scripts that extract locomotor activity and pairwise proximity from a commercially available, previously validated, high-resolution radio frequency identification (RFID) floor plate. IntelliProfiler is not a standalone system; it operates on data acquired with the Phenovance floor plate and is not yet validated with other hardware configurations. The workflow reconstructs individual trajectories and positions of multiple mice, enabling long-term assessment of locomotor and social spacing. In proof-of-concept analyses, male mice placed in a novel cage environment maintained greater inter-animal distances than female mice, an effect that strengthened as group size increased. Aging reduced locomotor activity in a group size-dependent manner and altered proximity patterns. In addition, offspring of aged fathers (a paternal-aging autism spectrum disorder (ASD) model) exhibited hyperactivity and increased social distance relative to controls, consistent with ASD-related phenotypes and motivating further investigations. Together, these findings demonstrate that IntelliProfiler workflow provides a practical and versatile approach for screening group dynamics and quantifying complex social behaviors in neuroscience research.

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Ochi, S., Inada, H., Osumi, N.. 2024-10-26. IntelliProfiler: a novel analytic tool for behavior dynamics of multiple animals in a home cage. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.23.619967

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