Specialized two-compartment behavioral chamber for assessing cognitive flexibility and attentional set shifting in rodents using odor and digging medium discrimination paradigms.
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Scientist guidance
Louise Corscadden, PhD
Director of Science · ConductScience
Ask Louise about Attentional Set Shifting (IDED) Chamber fit, setup, configuration, or quote prep.
...a grey PVC chamber (30.5 x 20.5 x 17.8 cm, L x W x H; Attentional Set Shifting (IDED) Chamber, Maze Engineers) divided into one starting compartment and two stimulus compartments.
Maze Engineers, the maker named in the paper, is part of ConductScience.
As of , this is the only study we’ve found that used this product.
The IDED chamber for the attentional set shifting task for mice and rats includes a chamber for convenient testing of individual rodents. The kit comes complete with the entire medium and odor set for testing up to 500 Trials. Convenient and easy to clean ceramic cups (8) allow for multiple tests and rotating chambers before cleaning in the testing in the chamber.
How It Works
The IDED paradigm exploits rodents' natural digging behavior to assess cognitive flexibility through progressive discrimination tasks. Animals learn to associate specific odor and digging medium combinations with food rewards, requiring them to form attentional sets based on relevant stimulus dimensions while ignoring irrelevant features. The two-compartment design allows controlled stimulus presentation, with the guillotine door providing temporal separation between trial initiation and choice execution.
The testing protocol progresses through systematic stages: simple discrimination (one dimension relevant), compound discrimination (introduction of irrelevant dimension), reversal learning (same dimension, opposite contingency), intra-dimensional shift (new stimuli, same relevant dimension), and extra-dimensional shift (previously irrelevant dimension becomes relevant). Each stage measures the animal's ability to learn new contingencies, with extra-dimensional shifts specifically challenging cognitive flexibility by requiring attention to shift between sensory modalities.
Performance is quantified by trials to criterion at each stage, with particular emphasis on the extra-dimensional shift phase where animals must overcome established attentional bias. This paradigm provides sensitive measurement of prefrontal cortex-dependent cognitive processes, as extra-dimensional shifting specifically engages neural circuits involved in cognitive control and behavioral flexibility.
Features & Benefits
Two-compartment design with guillotine door
Provides precise temporal control over stimulus access and eliminates position biases during choice phases.
Species-specific dimensions
Mouse chambers (12"L x 8"W x 7"H) and rat chambers (35.5"L x 18"W x 12"H) accommodate natural movement and digging behaviors for each species.
Ceramic stimulus cups
Chemically inert surface prevents odor contamination between trials and allows thorough cleaning for stimulus control.
Odor and medium kit inclusion
Standardized stimulus materials ensure consistent discrimination challenges and reproducible experimental conditions across studies.
Multiple color options
Available in blue, black, white, grey, and clear to minimize visual confounds and accommodate different experimental lighting conditions.
Removable cup system
Eight mouse cups or ten rat cups allow flexible stimulus arrangements for different discrimination stages and easy cleaning protocols.
Defined start and testing areas
Spatial separation ensures controlled trial initiation and eliminates premature stimulus access that could confound choice measurements.
Research identifiers
These IDs come from NCBI Taxonomy. Use them in data records and methods sections.
Purpose-built design optimizes protocol execution and standardizes methodology across laboratories.
Cup Configuration
8 mouse cups or 10 rat cups included with standardized dimensions
Variable cup numbers and sizes
Adequate stimulus presentation options with consistent cup dimensions ensure reliable stimulus discrimination.
The IDED Chamber offers species-specific design optimization with comprehensive stimulus control systems for standardized cognitive flexibility assessment. The dual-compartment configuration with included stimulus materials provides a complete solution for attentional set shifting research protocols.
Model
SKU
Listed price
Status
Shipping box
Mouse
6401-02
$2,290.00
Available
104.14 × 58.42 × 11.43 cm
Rat
6401-01
$2,590.00
Available
60.0 × 60.0 × 30.0 cm
Neuroscience
Investigating prefrontal cortex function by measuring cognitive flexibility deficits in animal models of psychiatric disorders through systematic attentional set shifting protocols.
Behavioral Pharmacology
Evaluating the cognitive effects of novel therapeutic compounds by assessing changes in set shifting performance before and after drug administration.
Learning and Memory
Characterizing executive function capabilities across different developmental stages or following experimental manipulations that affect cognitive processing.
Neurodegeneration
Monitoring progressive cognitive decline in animal models of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative conditions through longitudinal set shifting assessments.
Aging Research
Comparing cognitive flexibility between young and aged animals to understand age-related changes in executive function and attentional control mechanisms.
Toxicology
Assessing neurotoxic effects of environmental contaminants or industrial chemicals on higher-order cognitive processes through standardized behavioral testing protocols.
Practical Tips
Calibration
Verify consistent stimulus intensities across all odor and medium combinations before each experimental session.
Why: Stimulus intensity variations can create unintended difficulty differences between discrimination stages.
Maintenance
Inspect the guillotine door mechanism regularly for smooth operation and replace components showing wear.
Why: Door malfunctions can introduce timing artifacts that compromise trial control and data validity.
Why: Motivation fluctuations directly affect learning rates and can obscure cognitive performance differences.
Troubleshooting
If animals show persistent side biases, adjust cup positions and increase inter-trial intervals.
Why: Position preferences can mask true cognitive abilities and lead to overestimation of learning deficits.
Data Quality
Record choice latencies in addition to accuracy to detect subtle performance changes.
Why: Latency measures can reveal processing differences that are not apparent in accuracy scores alone.
Safety
Ensure adequate ventilation when using odor stimuli to prevent respiratory irritation.
Why: Poor air circulation can cause discomfort for both animals and experimenters, potentially affecting behavior.
Best Practices
Randomize stimulus assignments across animals within each experimental group.
Why: Systematic stimulus assignment can introduce confounding variables that affect group comparisons.
Maintenance
Replace stimulus materials regularly to maintain discriminability throughout extended studies.
Why: Stimulus degradation over time can reduce discrimination difficulty and affect protocol standardization.
Setup Guide
Chamber Assembly
Position the chamber on a stable surface and ensure the guillotine door mechanism operates smoothly between the start and testing areas.
Stimulus Preparation
Prepare odor and digging medium combinations according to experimental protocol, ensuring consistent stimulus intensities across all cups.
Cup Placement
Arrange ceramic cups in the testing area according to the current discrimination stage, with appropriate stimulus combinations and food rewards.
Environmental Control
Maintain consistent lighting, temperature, and ambient noise levels throughout testing to minimize environmental confounds.
Animal Habituation
Allow animals to explore the apparatus and practice digging behavior before formal testing to reduce neophobia and handling stress.
Trial Protocol
Establish standardized trial timing, door operation procedures, and data recording methods for consistent protocol execution.
Data Collection
Record choice accuracy, response latencies, and behavioral observations for each trial across all discrimination stages.
What’s in the Box
IDED testing chamber with guillotine door mechanism
Ceramic stimulus cups (8 for mouse, 10 for rat version)
Odor and medium stimulus kit
Assembly hardware and mounting components
User manual and protocol guidelines (typical)
Warranty
ConductScience provides a standard one-year manufacturer warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, with technical support for setup and protocol optimization available throughout the warranty period.
Compliance
ARRIVE GuidelinesCommonly referenced in behavioral neuroscience studies using this apparatus for reporting animal research methodology and experimental design.
NIH Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory AnimalsSupports behavioral testing protocols conducted under institutional animal care guidelines for rodent research.
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)Compatible with standardized testing protocols required in regulatory toxicology and pharmaceutical development studies.
What is the standard protocol progression for IDED testing?
A
The protocol typically progresses through simple discrimination, compound discrimination, reversal learning, intra-dimensional shift, and extra-dimensional shift stages, with each stage requiring animals to reach criterion performance before advancement.
Q
How many animals can be tested simultaneously?
A
The chamber is designed for single-animal testing to ensure precise behavioral measurement and eliminate social influences on choice behavior.
Q
What stimulus combinations are recommended for effective discrimination?
A
The included odor and medium kit provides validated stimulus pairs with sufficient discriminability while avoiding overshadowing effects between sensory modalities.
Q
How long does a complete IDED assessment typically require?
A
Complete testing usually requires 7-14 days depending on individual learning rates and criterion requirements, with daily sessions lasting 30-60 minutes per animal.
Q
What measures indicate successful cognitive flexibility?
A
Primary measures include trials to criterion for each stage, with particular emphasis on extra-dimensional shift performance as the key indicator of cognitive flexibility.
Q
How should the apparatus be cleaned between subjects?
A
Thorough cleaning with appropriate disinfectants is essential, with particular attention to ceramic cups and chamber surfaces to eliminate residual odor cues that could affect subsequent testing.
Q
What factors commonly affect IDED performance?
A
Performance can be influenced by age, sex, housing conditions, handling stress, food deprivation levels, and previous behavioral testing experience, requiring careful experimental control.
Have a question about this product?
Each paper below used this product. Under each title is the paper’s own sentence naming the equipment it used.
Sarah Wicki, Annika Canziani, Giulia Poggi et al. · iScience · 2026
From the methods
...a grey PVC chamber (30.5 x 20.5 x 17.8 cm, L x W x H; Attentional Set Shifting (IDED) Chamber, Maze Engineers) divided into one starting compartment and two stimulus compartments.
