.amz Files and NIH Compliance: What AnyMaze Users Need to Know
August 26, 2025
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The Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) is a staple in behavioral neuroscience, classically used to measure anxiety in rodents by tracking how much time they spend in the open versus closed arms of a plus-shaped platform elevated above the ground. However, a key regionāoften overlooked in traditional analysesāis the center zone, where all four arms intersect.
Rodents typically begin EPM trials in this center zone, and each of their decisions to explore an armāwhether open or closedāmust pass through it. As such, the time spent in the center is not idle: it reflects crucial behavioral processing, risk assessment, and indecisiveness, especially in subjects experiencing anxiety or emotional conflict.
At Conduct Science, we emphasize comprehensive behavioral profiling. Our Elevated Plus Maze system, combined with ConductVision software, captures center zone metrics with precision. This empowers researchers to move beyond binary interpretations of behavior and towards complex, multidimensional analysis.
The center zone is more than a physical midpointāit’s a behavioral crossroads. Time in this area reveals important information about:
How long does a rodent hesitate before making a choice? Prolonged center time suggests high anxiety, fear of exploration, or difficulty processing environmental cues.
An anxious animal may poke its head into an open arm but withdraw to the center without fully entering. These partial attempts increase center time and reflect conflict behavior, a hallmark of anxiety.
In models of neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimerās disease, animals often exhibit prolonged center zone occupancy due to impaired working memory or executive function.
Conversely, some neurodevelopmental models (e.g., ADHD or hyperactivity-prone strains) may show shorter center durations with rapid darting, indicating impulsivity and reduced inhibitory control.
Pharmacological agentsāparticularly anxiolyticsāalter how rodents engage with the center zone. Effective treatments often reduce center hesitation, promoting quicker and more confident arm exploration.
| Metric | What It Shows | Behavioral Implication |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Time in Center (s) |
Overall hesitation and decision latency |
High values suggest anxiety, freezing, or indecision |
|
Latency to Exit Center (s) |
First decision after placement |
Prolonged latency indicates fear or cognitive delay |
|
Number of Center Returns |
How often the subject comes back |
Frequent returns suggest scanning, doubt, or safety-seeking |
|
Duration per Visit (s)
|
Average hesitation per episode |
Can help distinguish impulsivity from avoidance |
Our Elevated Plus Maze apparatus supports nuanced center-zone data collection with:
Our maze platforms are manufactured for reproducibility and scalability, ideal for both single-lab use and multi-site collaborations.
Researchers used Conduct Scienceās Elevated Plus Maze to assess center behavior in control, stress-exposed, and anxiolytic-treated mice.
| Group | Time in Center (s) | Open Arm Time (s) | Closed Arm Time (s) | Entries to Open Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Control |
20.3 Ā± 3.2 |
128.5 Ā± 9.4 |
151.2 Ā± 11.6 |
11.2 Ā± 1.1 |
|
Stress-Exposed |
43.7 Ā± 5.6 |
88.7 Ā± 7.2 |
167.6 Ā± 12.9 |
7.5 Ā± 1.4 |
|
Anxiolytic-Treated |
15.8 Ā± 2.9 |
146.9 Ā± 10.3 |
137.3 Ā± 10.4 |
13.1 Ā± 1.2 |
Interpretation: The stress-exposed group exhibited more than double the center time of controls, confirming heightened anxiety and indecision. The anxiolytic treatment significantly reduced center dwell time, indicating restored behavioral confidence and risk tolerance.
Center zone analysis is particularly valuable in studies involving:
In these models, center zone metrics may precede changes in other measures, offering early detection of behavioral alterations.
Behavioral science isnāt just about where animals goābut how they decide to get there. Time spent in the center arms of the Elevated Plus Maze captures the micro-decisions, risk evaluations, and emotional hesitations that define anxious or impaired states.
By including center zone metrics in your behavioral toolkit, you open the door to richer insights, more sensitive analysis, and better translational relevance. Conduct Scienceās Elevated Plus Maze platform gives you the precision and flexibility to do just that.
Written by researchers, for researchers ā powered by Conduct Science.
Dr Louise Corscadden acts as Conduct Science’s Director of Science and Development and Academic Technology Transfer. Her background is in genetics, microbiology, neuroscience, and climate chemistry.
