Open Field (animal test)

The Open Field Test (OFT) is an experiment used to assay general locomotor activity levels and anxiety in rodents in scientific research.

Experimental Design
Developed by Calvin S. Hall to test emotionality of rodents. The open field test (OFT) is a commonly used qualitative and quantitative measure of general locomotor activity and willingness to explore in rodents. The open field is a table that may have surrounding walls to prevent escape. Commonly the field is marked in a grid and square crossings, rearing, and time spent moving are used to assess the activity of the rodent. In modern open field apparatus infrared beams can be used to automate the assessment process. The OFT is also often used to assess anxiety by including additional measures of: defecation, time spent in the center if the field, and the first five minutes of activity. The relation between the OFT and other tests of exploratory activity (elevated plus maze and emergence) have been analyzed in two mouse strains. Changes in these measures are often used to assess the sedative or stimulant effects of pharmacological agents. This basic behavioral assessment is used in almost every study involving rodent behavior.

Newer attempts has been to analyse the OFT by quantifying the animal's moment-by-moment developmental dynamics. A recent study was able to show that mouse exploratory behavior consists of sequences of repeated motion: iterative processes that increase in extent and complexity, whose presumed function is a systematic active management of input acquired during the exploration of a novel environment.