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Behavioural Assays

At Ulysses Neuroscience Ltd., our Preclinical Neuropharmacology Department offers a comprehensive portfolio of validated behavioural assays to assess motor, cognitive, affective, and social domains in rodent models. With facilities in Ireland (HPRA accredited) and North America (AAALAC accredited), we provide fully compliant environments for high-quality, ethically conducted in vivo studies.

What sets us apart is our integrated translational approach: the same biomarker technologies, protocols, and analytical platforms we apply in our clinical research programmes are available for preclinical studies. This allows us to generate directly comparable data across species, creating a true bridge between animal models and human clinical trials. By combining behavioural endpoints with PK/PD, biomarker, and histological analyses, we deliver robust, translatable insights that accelerate the path from discovery to patient impact.

Who will find this platform useful?

  • Pharma & biotech developing neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative drugs.

  • Psychedelic developers targeting glutamatergic or serotonergic pathways

Why partner with ULYSSES?

  • Accredited facilities in Ireland (HPRA) and North America (AAALAC).

  • Comprehensive portfolio of validated assays across behavioural domains.

  • Integration with EEG, PK/PD, biomarker, and histology capabilities.

  • Experienced neuroscientists guiding experimental design and data interpretation.

Drug Administration Expertise

We offer flexible and reliable drug administration via all standard routes, including oral (p.o.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), subcutaneous (s.c.), intravenous (i.v.), and intranasal (i.n.). Our team also has extensive experience with advanced administration methods such as intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), intrathecal (i.t.), and stereotactic delivery for direct CNS targeting.
We support the delivery of novel therapeutic modalities, including:

  • Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)
  • Viral vectors (AAV, lentivirus, etc.)
  • Peptides and biologics

Precise dosing, route optimization, and pharmacokinetic validation are available to ensure accurate and reproducible exposure in rodent models, fully integrated with behavioural, EEG, and biomarker endpoints.

Ethics & Compliance

All in vivo studies are conducted under strict adherence to EU and relevant North American guidelines. Our facilities maintain the highest standards of animal welfare and follow the 3Rs principles to ensure ethical, high-quality research. Our facilities and procedures have been independently audited and approved by major pharmaceutical companies, further validating our operational excellence and compliance.

Behavioural Assays Portfolio

Assays

Motor Function

  • Locomotor Activity (LMA): Measures spontaneous or drug-induced activity in an open field to assess general locomotion and stimulant/sedative effects.
  • Limb Clasping: Evaluates hindlimb posture when the mouse is suspended by the tail, often used in neurodevelopmental or neurodegeneration models.
  • RotaRod: Assesses motor coordination, balance, and endurance by measuring latency to fall from a rotating rod.

Assessment of motor activity and neurological phenotype in mice. (Top image) LMA measured as total distance travelled. (Bottom image) LB scored on a 0–3 scale based on hindlimb retraction during tail suspension. Data are mean ± SEM. LMA: one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, *p < 0.05; LB: unpaired t-test, ***p < 0.001. n = 4–6 per group.

Behavioural Despair

  • Forced Swim Test (FST): Measures behavioural despair by recording immobility time in an inescapable water cylinder.

FST in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with vehicle or test compounds and assessed 24 h later in the FST for immobility time. Desipramine (10 mg/kg, SC was given 30 min prior to FST. Data are mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, ***p < 0.001 vs. Vehicle; n = 6–11 per group.

Anhedonia

  • Sucrose Preference Test: Assesses anhedonia by measuring preference for a sweet solution over water.

  • Female Urine Sniffing Test: Anhedonia-related assay measuring interest in biologically relevant odours.

Sucrose Preference Test (SPT) in rats. Rats received IFN-α or saline followed by vehicle or chronic fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, PO). Sucrose preference was assessed as an index of anhedonia. Data are mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, *p < 0.05 vs. Saline-Vehicle; n = 6–7 per group.

Anxiety

  • Elevated Plus Maze (EPM): Assesses anxiety-like behaviour based on time spent in open vs. closed arms of a plus-shaped maze.

  • Elevated Zero Maze (EZM): Anxiety test without central zone ambiguity, measuring time in open vs. enclosed circular track sections.

Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) – Rat.
Animals were challenged with IFN-α to induce anxiety-like behaviour and treated with diazepam (DZP, 0.5 mg/kg, SC, 30 min before test). Increased time spent in the open arms is indicative of an anxiolytic-like effect. Data are mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs. Saline–Vehicle, n = 24–28 per group.

Elevated Zero Maze (EZM) – Mouse.
Animals received diazepam (1 mg/kg, SC, 30 min before test) or psilocybin (1.5 mg/kg, SC, 20 h before test). Increased open areas ratio indicates an anxiolytic-like effect. Data are mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Vehicle, n = 7–10 per group.

Sociability

  • Three-Chamber Social Interaction Test: Evaluates sociability and preference for social novelty in a three-compartment apparatus. The task assesses sociability (preference for interaction with a conspecific over an empty cage) and social recognition (preference for a novel conspecific over a familiar one).

  • Social Interaction Test (Open Field): Measures time spent in direct social contact between two rodents in a neutral arena, assessing social motivation and anxiety-related behaviours.

Three-Chamber Social Interaction Test – Rat. Rats were challenged with IFN-α and treated with ketamine (KET, 5 mg/kg, SC) 48 h before testing. Reduced sociability or social recognition indicates impaired social behaviour, whereas restoration towards positive discrimination index values reflects pro-social or cognitive-enhancing effects. Data are mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, *p < 0.05 vs. Saline–Vehicle, n = 11–14 per group.

Cognition

  • Novel Object Recognition: Measures recognition memory based on preference for a novel object over a familiar one, with the option to include a PCP challenge for modelling cognitive impairment.

  • 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: Operant test assessing attention, impulsivity, and cognitive flexibility.

  • Y maze: Measures spatial working memory by spontaneous alternation behavior.

Novel Object Recognition (NOR) – Mouse and Rat. Fmr1-KO mice: Reduced discrimination index compared to wild-type (WT) indicates impaired recognition memory. Unpaired t-test, *p < 0.05 vs. WT, n = 10 per group, mean ± SEM.
Subchronic PCP (scPCP) rat model (Figure provided by Transpharmation): Rats received PCP (2 mg/kg, SC) twice daily for 7 days, followed by a 7-day washout and testing. scPCP-treated rats showed impaired object discrimination, which was reversed by clozapine (1 mg/kg, SC). d1 Index: tnovel – tfamiliar . d2 Index: d1 / (tnovel + tfamiliar). One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, ****p < 0.0001 vs. PCP + Vehicle, n = 15 per group, mean ± SEM.

Sensorimotor Gating

  • Pre-pulse Inhibition (PPI):  PPI measures sensorimotor gating by assessing the reduction in startle amplitude when a weak pre-pulse precedes a loud startling stimulus. Higher %PPI indicates better gating function, while reduced PPI is associated with schizophrenia-like phenotypes.

(Figure provided by Transpharmation)

Pre-Pulse Inhibition (PPI) – Rat. Effect of Pre-pulse Intensity: Increasing pre-pulse levels (75–85 dB) produces progressively higher %PPI.

Effect of MK-801 treatment: The NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.06–0.3 mg/kg, SC) significantly reduces %PPI, modelling deficits in sensorimotor gating. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001 vs. 75 dB or Vehicle, n = 8–12 per group, mean ± SEM.

Naturalistic Behaviours

  • Marble Burying Test:Naturalistic behaviour assay assessing repetitive and anxiety-like behaviour.\

  • Nest Building Test: Measures motivation and fine motor skills through nest construction quality.

  • Burrowing Test:  Evaluates species-typical cognitive behaviour and general well-being by quantifying displaced substrate.

  • Splash Test: Assesses self-care and motivational behaviour by quantifying grooming after sucrose solution application.

Marble Burying and Nest Building – Mouse.
Marble Burying: Fmr1-KO mice buried significantly more marbles than WT controls, indicating increased repetitive behaviour. Data are mean ± SEM. Unpaired t-test, *p<0.05 vs. WT, n=10 per group.
Nest Building: Cdkl5-KO mice displayed significantly reduced nest scores compared to WT controls, indicating impaired species-typical behaviour. Data are mean ± SEM. Unpaired t-test, **p<0.01 vs. WT, n=4–5 per group.

Download Our Capabilities

Biomarker

Cell Culture

Behavioural Assays

EEG in Rodents

DMPK

DEEs in Mice

Psychedelics Research

Depression Models

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