The Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) is a cornerstone of behavioral neuroscience for studying anxiety-like responses in rodent models. Traditionally, researchers have focused on metrics such as time spent in open vs. closed arms and entry frequency. While these measures provide essential insight into exploratory behavior and risk aversion, Total Distance Traveled (TDT) offers a complementary yet distinct perspective—serving as a window into the subject’s global locomotor activity, internal arousal state, and pharmacological responsiveness.
Unlike arm-specific metrics, TDT reflects the summative behavioral output of the animal during the entire test session. At Conduct Science, our Elevated Plus Maze—paired with advanced tracking software like ConductVision or ANY-maze—delivers high-resolution locomotor data at 30+ frames per second, allowing for precise, reproducible quantification of distance metrics.
Total Distance Traveled refers to the aggregate length of all locomotor paths made by the animal during a typical 5–10 minute EPM session. It incorporates movement across open arms, closed arms, and the center zone.
While it may seem like a secondary measure, TDT can signal critical behavioral and physiological changes, including:
In pharmacological studies, elevated time in the open arms is often interpreted as an anxiolytic effect. However, without TDT, one cannot rule out sedative interference. For instance:
| Observation | Possible Interpretation |
|---|---|
|
Low open arm time + low TDT |
Anxiety or motor suppression |
|
High open arm time + low TDT |
Reduced anxiety or sedation? |
|
High open arm time + high TDT |
Anxiolysis with intact locomotion |
Thus, TDT ensures behavioral interpretations are not confounded by impaired or exaggerated motor activity.
Rodents differ in how they approach the EPM task. Some prefer to stay close to walls and only make short trips; others may traverse arms freely. TDT offers a global measure of task engagement:
In repeated-exposure paradigms or aging models, a decline in TDT over sessions may signal habituation, motor decline, or waning exploratory motivation. This is especially useful when combined with metrics like time in arms or center zone visits.
Our Elevated Plus Maze system supports high-fidelity behavioral tracking:
Whether you’re studying neurodegeneration, pharmacology, or genetic mutations, these tools provide the granular distance data needed to parse behavioral complexity.
In an experimental EPM study comparing the effects of a new GABAergic anxiolytic, researchers observed the following:
| Group | Time in Open Arms (s) | Total Distance Traveled (cm) | Avg. Speed (cm/s) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vehicle Control |
85.4 ± 6.2 |
990.8 ± 74.3 |
3.31 ± 0.28 |
|
Anxiolytic – Low |
142.1 ± 9.7 |
1022.6 ± 65.2 |
3.44 ± 0.23 |
|
Anxiolytic – High |
171.5 ± 10.3 |
803.5 ± 59.4 |
2.75 ± 0.18 |
The high-dose group showed greater open arm duration but lower total distance, indicating reduced anxiety paired with potential motor sedation—a distinction that would be missed without TDT.
TDT is especially helpful when movement itself is a behavioral endpoint—whether due to stress-induced freezing, hypervigilance, or drug-induced lethargy.
In behavioral science, we often interpret where an animal goes. But just as important is how much and how fast it gets there. Total Distance Traveled in the Elevated Plus Maze offers a quantitative, scalable, and high-resolution lens through which researchers can assess emotional, neurological, and pharmacological states.
With Conduct Science’s Elevated Plus Maze and ConductVision’s tracking power, every step an animal takes becomes meaningful, measurable, and reproducible.
Written by researchers, for researchers — 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.
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