The step-down apparatus consists of a contextual acrylic chamber with an electrified grid floor, with an elevated vibrating platform in the center.
- Acrylic Plate Designs:, Striped, Chessboard, Grey , White, Black, Easy to replace No I/O Boxes Required. Includes Vibrator, Shocker, 1 Enclosure, 2 Platforms: 7cm, 11cm platform.
The step-down apparatus chamber encloses a removable grid floor and a central platform. The grid floor uses stainless steel bars of approximately 0.3 cm diameter, spaced at 0.8 cm to 1 cm apart. Direct current electric shocks (1 Hz, 0.5 s, 45 to 60 V DC) are delivered to the grid floor by an isolated stimulator. The apparatus can also include contextual plates with patterns to assist in contextual learning experiments. The central platform can also be attached to an actuator that forces the platform to shake. When the animal steps off of the platform to the electrified grid, the platform stops its vibration, and the software counts the latency to step down.
Ordering information: Software package (see accessory option) is designed for use with the Automated Active Place Avoidance and video tracking software such as EthoVision or ANY-Maze.