Shuttle Box Test Packages

Several modular shuttle box packages are offered in this section for avoidance and learned helplessness studies. Each features the ENV-010MC modular shuttle chamber with a single center panel designed to hold a stimulus light and tone stimulus as used in all the sample packages. A two panel end wall is available in the ENV-010MD if needed. This does not change the dimensions of the chamber itself. The same boxes are used for rats and mice, only the floor and photobeam placement changes. The pivot floor option is now available for rats and mice. Please contact Sales if you have questions on any sample package or require assistance in designing a package to meet specific research requirements. These chamber packages may be used with the interface support and software packages.


This deluxe package contains everything needed to run a single station of active or passive avoidance, as well as many learned helplessness paradigms. By using four independent photobeams on each side of the chamber an excellent measurement of movement activity is also obtained. The standard shuttle avoidance application supplied with the interface package (SOF-700RA-7) allows the user to define the number of trials to run, the stimuli (tone, light, or both), the avoid interval, the escape interval, optional CS/UCS overlap, the option to punish ITI crossings, and the maximum session duration. A row of data is created for each trial with the trial number, an avoid or escape tag with corresponding latency, left and right chamber activity, crossings, and punished crossings. A summary file includes total values as well as mean avoid and escape latency. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers and MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.

The deluxe mouse package is identical to the deluxe rat package with the exception of the grid floor and grid floor harness, therefore a separate component table is not shown. If desired, a set of rat floors and harnesses and mouse floors and harnesses can be ordered for the same test chamber. Changing these daily is not practical, but changing between studies is clearly an option. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers and MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.


This package is designed primarily for active avoidance studies only. A small hurdle replaces the auto door to separate the two chambers and the opaque cover is not included. For simple passive avoidance studies a manual guillotine door and opaque cover may be added. Other cost saving changes to this package include the substitution of a MDF sound attenuating cubicle for the expanded PVC cubicle and a smaller version of the SmartCtrlT™ interface control. This is made possible by yoking the eight photobeam sensors into four pairs of two photobeams each. The only performance sacrifice in doing this is that it is no longer possible to separate an exploration from an entrance to a side and movement data is less meaningful. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers and MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.

The basic mouse package is identical to the basic rat package with the exception of the grid floor and grid floor harness, a separate component table is not shown. If desired, a set of rat floors and harnesses and mouse floors and harnesses can be ordered for the same test chamber. Changing these daily is not practical, but changing between studies is clearly an option. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers and MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.

MED Operant Behavior Test Packages

Operant Behavior Test Package - Rat

Operant Behavior Test Package - Mouse

Five Hole Nose Poke Wall Test Package

Nine Hole Nose Poke Wall Test Package

Shuttle Box Test Packages for Active and Passive Avoidance and Learned Helplessness

Maze Test Packages

Operant Behavior Test Packages - Pigeon, Rat or Small Primate

Operant Behavior Test Packages - Primate

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Site Updated: May 1, 2008