A Music Preference Test System for Rats

In music preference experiments, housing conditions and the control of parameters for animals can affect experimental results. However, the needs of animals are indeed insufficiently considered in many reports of animal experiments. In order to evaluate which music rats prefer, we developed a new music preference test system. Dwelling time and visiting frequency can be recorded automatically when rats moving among different compartments of the system. We can also observe the behaviors of rats captured by a video camera. By this system, the music preference can be found, and then the related music can be used in following various studies. In this paper, we described the design of this music preference test system of rat, and some primary results were reported.