Light Zone Time
Duration spent in the illuminated compartment
ConductVision · Behavioral Analysis
Light/Dark Box Test
Assess anxiety through light vs. dark compartment preference with IR tracking.
RodentAnxietyAuto Export
ConductVision / Light/Dark Box Test
Recording / Trial 3subject tracked
Dark Time62%
Transitions8
First Latency15.3s
Key Parameters
Metrics automatically extracted by ConductVision.
Dark Zone Time
Duration spent in the enclosed dark compartment
Transitions
Number of crossings between light and dark zones
Light Zone Distance
Distance traveled in the light compartment
Dark Zone Distance
Distance traveled in the dark compartment
Zone Immobility
Time immobile in each zone separately
+ 6 more parameters trackedShow allHide
Latency to Dark Entry
Time from placement in light zone to first dark compartment entry
Latency to First Return
Time from first dark entry to re-entry into the light zone
Rearing in Light
Vertical exploration events in the illuminated compartment
Velocity per Zone
Movement speed in light vs dark compartments separately
Grooming
Self-grooming episodes as displacement behavior under conflict
Stretch-Attend Postures
Risk-assessment behaviors at the light-dark doorway
What is the Light/Dark Box Test?
The Light/Dark Box test assesses anxiety-like behaviors by observing rodent navigation between an illuminated chamber and a dark enclosed chamber. Rodents naturally prefer dark environments, so reduced time in the light zone indicates elevated anxiety, while increased light-zone exploration suggests anxiolytic effects.
ConductVision employs infrared tracking for full-clarity recording in the dark zone. The system captures transition frequency, latency to first dark-side entry, rearing behavior, and zone-specific immobility for a comprehensive anxiety profile.
Protocol Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Light Chamber Size | Illuminated compartment dimensions | 27 × 27 cm (mouse) |
| Dark Chamber Size | Enclosed dark compartment dimensions | 18 × 27 cm (mouse) |
| Doorway Size | Opening between compartments | 7 × 7 cm |
| Light Intensity | Illumination in the light compartment | 400–800 lux |
| Dark Chamber Light | Illumination in the dark compartment | < 5 lux |
| Test Duration | Standard session length | 5 min |
| Start Position | Animal placement at trial start | Center of light compartment |
| Wall Material | Dark chamber construction | Black acrylic with lid |
| Habituation | Room acclimation before testing | 30–60 min |
Interpreting Results
↓
Decreased Light Zone Time
Elevated anxiety — reduced time in the aversive light compartment seen in chronic stress models and after anxiogenic administration (pentylenetetrazol).
↑
Increased Transitions
Anxiolytic effect — higher frequency of light-dark crossings indicates reduced approach-avoidance conflict, classic benzodiazepine response.
↓
Reduced Transitions
Severe anxiety or sedation — fewer crossings may reflect freezing, avoidance, or locomotor suppression from high-dose compounds.
↑
Increased Light Zone Distance
Enhanced exploration under anxiolysis — animals travel more in the aversive zone after diazepam (1–3 mg/kg) or buspirone treatment.
↓
Decreased Latency to Dark Entry
Rapid escape from light — heightened photophobia or anxiety drives faster retreat into the dark compartment.
↑
Increased Stretch-Attend Postures
Risk assessment at the doorway — partial exploration of the light zone without full entry indicates cautious anxiety state.
Research Applications
Anxiolytic Screening
- Benzodiazepine dose-response — diazepam, alprazolam with light zone time as primary endpoint
- SSRI chronic efficacy — escitalopram, paroxetine after 3-week administration
- Novel targets — CRF1 antagonists, nociceptin receptor agonists, cannabinoid modulators
Anxiety & Phobia Models
- Innate anxiety — photophobia-based assay complements EPM without elevated platform confound
- Social isolation stress — post-isolation light-dark box phenotyping
- Traumatic stress — fear generalization effects on light-zone avoidance
Genetic & Strain Comparisons
- Inbred strain profiling — DBA/2 vs C57BL/6 baseline anxiety comparisons
- Transgenic models — 5-HT1A knockout, GABA receptor subunit mutations
- QTL mapping — anxiety-related quantitative trait loci using recombinant inbred panels
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