High-throughput screening of behavior using piezo system

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): An automated piezoelectric monitoring system is proposed for high-throughput screening (HTS) of sleep and other behaviors in mice. Piezoelectric surfaces on the floor of a cage can detect very small movements with great ease. During sleep, the primary movement is the respiratory rhythm, which is highly regular during Slow Wave Sleep and less regular during REM sleep. Interrupted breathing during sleep, such as occurs with sleep apnea, can be easily detected. Preliminary results using a single piezo cage demonstrate the promise of this technology as a primary screen for sleep. Current approaches to monitoring sleep and wake rely on the EEG which requires surgery, recovery, cabling and time-consuming analyses. Under this proposal we will validate, improve and expand several features of this piezo system. The ability to monitor respiration, sleep, and larger movements would add considerable value to many behavioral studies. Deltagen has an extensive panel of well-characterized knockout mice where the addition of sleep information would be extremely valuable. Animal models of abnormal sleep and other behaviors, in addition to the piezo technology itself, may have substantial scientific and commercial value.