Neuroscience JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Elevated Plus Maze for Mice

Name: Elevated Plus Maze for Mice
Uploaded: 2026-06-03
Duration: 9 min 9 s
Description: Although the mouse genome is now completely sequenced, the functions of most of the genes expressed in the brain are not known. The influence of a given gene can be inferred by behavioral phenotyping of mice in which the gene is knocked out — the Elevated Plus Maze is a classic test for anxiety-like behavior.

· 2008

DOI: 10.3791/1088-v

What you'll learn

✓ Prepare and conduct an elevated plus maze anxiety test
✓ Identify key experimental controls for rodent behavioral testing
✓ Interpret open versus closed arm activity in mice

Protocol

The elevated plus maze test is one of the most widely used tests for measuring anxiety-like behavior in mice. Here, we present a movie showing the detailed procedures for conducting the test.

Difficulty

beginner

Total time

~30 min/mouse (includes acclimation and testing)

Model organism

Mouse

Biosafety

BSL-1

Steps

Prepare apparatus and acclimate mice to testing environment

Set up the elevated plus maze apparatus with open and closed arms. Acclimate mice to the testing room to minimize stress from novel environmental factors before beginning behavioral trials.

▶ 00:12

Place mouse in maze and record behavior

Place the mouse in the center of the maze and record its exploratory behavior for the trial duration. Track time spent in open versus closed arms, arm entries, and other anxiety-related parameters.

▶ 03:25

Analyze data and interpret anxiety-like behavior

Review recorded video to quantify time and entries into open versus closed arms. Decreased open-arm exploration indicates heightened anxiety-like behavior in the tested mice.

▶ 08:41

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