Enter sucrose and water intake, compute preference percent, total intake, 65% anhedonia flags, start-side bias checks, group SEM, and CSV export.
Enter sucrose and water intake from each animal's two-bottle session. Preference below 65% is flagged as the conventional anhedonia threshold.
| Animal | Group | Sucrose (mL) | Water (mL) | Start side | Body weight (g) | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OK | ||||||
| OK | ||||||
| Below 65% | ||||||
| Below 65% |
| Animal | Group | Preference | Total intake | Intake per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | vehicle | 79.2% | 24.0 mL | 96.0 |
| M2 | vehicle | 83.3% | 24.0 mL | 92.3 |
| M3 | CMS | 45.0% | 20.0 mL | 83.3 |
| M4 | CMS | 50.0% | 20.0 mL | 87.0 |
When to use
Do not use for
A low preference score with very low total intake may reflect drinking suppression, leakage, or sickness. Interpret preference alongside total intake.
Always rotate or counterbalance bottle position. A start-side effect can create an apparent group difference when animals favor one position.
Sucrose concentration, habituation period, measurement duration, food or water restriction, and light cycle phase should be constant across groups.
Sucrose preference percent is sucrose intake divided by sucrose plus water intake, multiplied by 100. Animals below 65% are flagged as below the conventional anhedonia cutoff. Group summaries use animal-level preference percent values. SEM uses sample standard deviation divided by square root of n. Side-bias summaries compare preference for animals started on the left versus right bottle position.
Last validated 2026-04-30. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.
ConductScience Sucrose Preference Test Calculator (v1.0). ConductScience, Inc. 2026. Available at: https://conductscience.com/tools/sucrose-preference-test-calculator
This tool performs descriptive calculations from user-entered intake data. It does not replace protocol-specific statistics, bottle leakage checks, or animal health assessment.
The sucrose preference test gives each animal access to sucrose solution and water, then measures the relative intake of each bottle. Healthy rodents usually prefer sweet solution. Stress or depression-like states can reduce that preference.
This calculator computes preference percent from animal-level intake, flags animals below the conventional 65% anhedonia cutoff, and shows whether bottle start side may be influencing the readout.
Sucrose preference percent equals sucrose intake divided by sucrose plus water intake, multiplied by 100. Total intake is sucrose plus water. If body weight is entered, total intake is also normalized as milliliters per 100 grams.
Group summaries use animal-level preference percent values and report mean plus SEM. The side-bias chart separately summarizes animals that started with sucrose on the left or right.
Use matched bottles, check for leakage, counterbalance sucrose bottle side, and run animals at the same circadian phase. Individual housing is usually required during measurement so intake can be assigned to one animal.
Review total intake before interpreting low preference. Very low total drinking can reflect dehydration, illness, bottle malfunction, or insufficient habituation rather than a clean anhedonia signal.
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