Open-BEATBox: an open-source autonomous operant chamber for high-throughput data acquisition of complex behaviour

Open-BEATBox enables continuous autonomous operant testing in mice, generating about ten times more completed reversal-learning trials than conventional session-based protocols.

• Why it matters: Conventional operant testing in rodents is limited to short, experimenter-dependent sessions that can disrupt natural activity patterns and constrain behavioural sampling.
• What they did: The open-source home-cage platform supports continuous, self-paced assessment and was evaluated using a visual reversal-learning task, with welfare measures monitored.
• The result: Continuous autonomous testing produced roughly ten times more completed reversal-learning trials while reducing experimenter workload, with no major adverse effects on the welfare measures assessed.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.