Refining learning and memory assessment in laboratory rodents. An ethological perspective.

In neuroscientific research, the importance of a multi-level approach in studying behaviour, ranging from the molecular to the behavioural level, has been increasingly recognised. In fact, behaviour represents the ultimate output of the brain, and behavioural phenotyping may provide functional information that may not be detectable using molecular, cellular, or histological evaluations. To correctly exploit the study of behaviour in the field of neuroscience, the principles and strategies of ethology must be carefully considered, so as to design appropriate experiments and accurately interpret data. In particular, ethological-type scoring, which entails both the close observation of the studied behaviour and the taking into account of its possible evolutionary history and adaptive significance, can contribute to standardising experimental protocols, so as to improve the quality of data and the welfare of the experimental animal.