关键词: 行为学实验, 旷场实验, 高架十字迷宫实验, 强迫游泳实验, 悬尾实验, 焦虑, 抑郁

Abstract: This study quantifies behavioral traits of rodents in a standardized environment and establishes an assessment system based on four classic paradigms. The open-field test measures anxiety levels and exploratory motivation through parameters like time spent in the central zone. The elevated plus maze test is based on the approach-avoidance conflict between open and enclosed spaces, with the proportion of time spent and entries made in open arms serving as the key indicators. The forced swimming test and tail suspension test assess depression-like behaviors in rats by inducing a “behavioral despair” state, using immobility time as the evaluation metric. The experiments require rigorous standardization of environmental parameters, operational procedures, and testing sequences, and different animal strains must be selected based on strain-specific baselines to mitigate genetic background interference. These methods, through a multi-level analysis of locomotor activity-spatial exploration-behavioral despair, provide quantifiable and repeatable assessment tools for investigating emotional disorder mechanisms and advancing drug development.

Key words: ethological experiment, open-field test, elevated plus maze test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, anxiety, depression