Total Head Dips
Number of hole pokes per session
ConductVision · Behavioral Analysis
Hole Board Maze
Measure directed exploration and cognitive function via head-dip responses.
RodentExplorationAuto Export
ConductVision / Hole Board Maze
Recording / Trial 3subject tracked
Head Dips34
Dip Duration1.8s
Holes Visited14/16
Key Parameters
Metrics automatically extracted by ConductVision.
Head Dip Duration
Mean time per head-dip investigation
Latency to First Dip
Time from placement to first hole interaction
Unique Holes Visited
Number of distinct holes investigated at least once
Dips per Hole
Spatial heatmap of investigation frequency across all holes
Repeated Dips
Re-investigations of previously explored holes
+ 6 more parameters trackedShow allHide
Edge vs Center Dips
Peripheral vs central hole investigation ratio
Working Memory Ratio
Novel dips divided by total dips
Reference Memory (Baited)
Accuracy of visits to consistently baited holes
Rearing
Frequency of upright exploratory postures
Grooming
Self-grooming duration indicating anxiety or displacement
Distance Traveled
Total locomotion across the board surface
What is the Hole Board Maze?
The Hole Board Maze measures directed exploration and cognitive function through head-dip responses into floor holes. This provides a distinct measure of directed exploration dissociable from general locomotor activity — an advantage over open-field paradigms.
ConductVision automates tracking of hole-poke frequency, exploration duration, and spatial patterns. Customizable hole placements allow experiments probing reference memory, working memory, and anxiety-related exploration suppression in both mice and rats.
Protocol Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Board Size | Platform dimensions | 40 × 40 cm (mouse) / 60 × 60 cm (rat) |
| Number of Holes | Total holes in the board | 16 (4 × 4 grid) |
| Hole Diameter | Diameter of each floor hole | 3 cm (mouse) / 4 cm (rat) |
| Hole Depth | Depth of each hole well | 4 cm |
| Inter-Hole Spacing | Center-to-center distance between holes | 8 cm (mouse) / 12 cm (rat) |
| Test Duration | Standard session length | 5 min |
| Light Intensity | Overhead illumination | 200–300 lux |
| Head-Dip Definition | Criterion for scoring a head dip | Ears below board surface |
| Baited Holes | Holes containing food reward (for memory protocol) | 4 of 16 |
| Food Deprivation | Body weight for rewarded protocol | 85–90% free-feeding |
| Habituation | Room acclimation before testing | 30–60 min |
Interpreting Results
↓
Decreased Total Head Dips
Reduced directed exploration — anxiogenic drugs (FG-7142) and chronic stress suppress investigatory behavior.
↑
Increased Total Head Dips
Enhanced exploration — anxiolytic treatment (diazepam) or novelty-seeking phenotype increases hole investigation.
↓
Reduced Working Memory Ratio
Spatial working memory deficit — high proportion of repeated dips to already-visited holes indicates poor within-trial memory.
↓
Impaired Reference Memory
Failure to learn baited hole locations across sessions — entries into never-baited holes remain high after training.
↑
Increased Edge vs Center Dips
Thigmotaxis in exploration — peripheral hole bias reflects anxiety-like avoidance of the central zone.
↑
Elevated Latency to First Dip
Neophobia or freezing — delayed onset of investigation suggests heightened anxiety or hypoexploration.
Research Applications
Exploration & Anxiety
- Anxiolytic screening — head-dip frequency as an exploration-based anxiety endpoint
- Neophobia — directed exploration independent of locomotor confounds
- Strain comparisons — basal exploration differences across inbred mouse strains
Spatial Memory
- Working memory — novel vs repeated hole visits within a single trial
- Reference memory — baited hole accuracy across training sessions (Oades & Isaacson protocol)
- Scopolamine model — cholinergic impairment of hole-board spatial memory
Pharmacology & Neurodegeneration
- Cognitive enhancers — donepezil and memantine effects on baited hole-board performance
- Neurotoxicology — heavy metal and pesticide exposure effects on directed exploration
- Aging — age-related decline in exploration and spatial accuracy on the hole board
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