Behavioral Neuroscience

Behavioral neuroscience is the study about brain mechanisms and behavior. Recently it becomes more important research area for assessment of behavioral abnormalities. Specially, transgenic and knockout mice with mutation in genes linked to human diseases provide excellent new models of the behavioral traits representing many human genetic disorders. Behavioral abnormalities in these mouse models provide quantitative surrogate makers for the symptoms of the human disease.

Quantitative phenotypic assessments will be made to establish baseline data to facilitate detection of phenotypic alteration in mutant animals. These data will be used for developing quantitative behavioral, physiological and neurochemical profiles that will serve as standard references for the detection of both gross and subtle phenotypic alteration in nervous system function and complex behavior of mutant mice.

Since 1980, in the laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience at Korea University, we have studied about various traits of animal behavior and linked brain mechanisms. And we work together with many other research institutes for animal behavioral test.

Through many reseach project, we put the behavioral data and experimental know-how into database. By using the applications such as domestic hardware and software programming developer (Lab VIEW, MatLab master and computer interface developer for Mechantronics). We developed behavior test apparatus for implementing the specifics of behavior test.

1. The behavioral and electrophysiological research for the neural mechanisms of learning and memory.
   • Fear conditioning
   • Eyeblink conditioning
   • The research of the animal models for neural disease
     
     
2. The pharmacological efficacy test
• Antidepressant, TMS(transcranial magnetic stimulation), ECT(Electroconvulsive stimulation) and many other drugs's efficacy test through the depression animal models.
  
  
3. The development of Quantitative phenotypic assessment batteries & protocols
• Battery for General motor, sensory function screening
• Battery for Emotional state, cognitive function assessment
• Battery for Neural pathological state and dysfunction assessment
  
  
4. The development applications for behavioral test.
   • Water maze, open field, EPM tracking system
   • Fear response tracking system
   • Startle, pre-pulse inhibition apparatus and analysis program (LabVIEW)
   • Eyeblink conditioning (LabVIEW)
   • sleep pattern analysis (LabVIEW)
   • Electrophysiological signal acquisition and analysis program (Neuralyx, Cheetah, NEX, Matlab)
   • Long term potentiation in vivo (LabVIEW)
   • Differential amplifier
     

The Institute of CBAS

The institute of CBAS has a plan to held various workshops and meetings regularly designed to maximize professional scientific interaction for many investigators. It will serve a critical function both in developing educational programs for behavioral analysis within various scientific disciplines, and improving the informational exchange. And implementation of a sharing plan to insure that all instrumentation, tools, and technologies require for all developed phenotypic assays are widely available to the scientific community.