Mark Boon
Photo: SCIoI
Mark Boon is a physicist with a background in materials science and an interest in applying machine learning to complex physical and biological systems.
He joined SCIoI as a doctoral researcher in June 2020.
Mark obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Applied Physics from the University of Twente in 2019, where he specialized in Materials Science. He mainly focused on modeling complex nanoelectronic devices using deep neural networks.
At SCIoI, Marcus was a member of Project 25 and he investigated the interaction between learning and social perception. He aimed to automatically monitor social learning behavior in group-housed mice and to model their behavior to gain an understanding of how social responsiveness facilitates learning.
Projects
Mark Boon is member of:
Publications +
6984777
Boon
1
apa
50
date
desc
year
19813
https://www.scienceofintelligence.de/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
%7B%22status%22%3A%22success%22%2C%22updateneeded%22%3Afalse%2C%22instance%22%3Afalse%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22request_last%22%3A0%2C%22request_next%22%3A0%2C%22used_cache%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22data%22%3A%5B%7B%22key%22%3A%226EWSDF53%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Reiske%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222026-06-15%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A1%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BReiske%2C%20P.%2C%20Boon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Andresen%2C%20N.%2C%20Traverso%2C%20S.%2C%20Daniels%2C%20M.%2C%20Hohlbaum%2C%20K.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20Th%26%23xF6%3Bne-Reineke%2C%20C.%2C%20Hellwich%2C%20O.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Sprekeler%2C%20H.%20%282026%29.%20Mouse%20Lockbox%20Dataset%3A%20Behavior%20Recognition%20for%20Mice%20Solving%20Lockboxes.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BInternational%20Journal%20of%20Computer%20Vision%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%2C%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3B134%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%287%29%2C%20318.%20%26lt%3Ba%20class%3D%26%23039%3Bzp-ItemURL%26%23039%3B%20href%3D%26%23039%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.1007%5C%2Fs11263-026-02908-x%26%23039%3B%26gt%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.1007%5C%2Fs11263-026-02908-x%26lt%3B%5C%2Fa%26gt%3B%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22journalArticle%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Mouse%20Lockbox%20Dataset%3A%20Behavior%20Recognition%20for%20Mice%20Solving%20Lockboxes%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Patrik%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Reiske%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20N.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Niek%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Andresen%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sole%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Traverso%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marieatou%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Daniels%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Katharina%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hohlbaum%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Christa%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Th%5Cu00f6ne-Reineke%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Olaf%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hellwich%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Henning%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Sprekeler%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22Machine%20learning%20and%20computer%20vision%20methods%20have%20a%20major%20impact%20on%20the%20study%20of%20natural%20animal%20behavior%2C%20as%20they%20enable%20the%20%28semi-%29%20automatic%20analysis%20of%20vast%20amounts%20of%20video%20data.%20Such%20large-scale%20analysis%20is%20essential%20not%20only%20to%20mere%20behavioral%20research%20but%20its%20applicability%20spans%20across%20a%20large%20range%20of%20disciplines.%20Mice%20are%20the%20standard%20mammalian%20model%20system%20in%20most%20behavioral%20research%20fields%2C%20but%20the%20datasets%20available%20today%20to%20refine%20such%20methods%20focus%20either%20on%20isolated%20or%20social%20behaviors.%20In%20contrast%2C%20datasets%20in%20which%20animals%20interact%20with%20a%20physical%20apparatus%2C%20which%20is%20highly%20relevant%20across%20disciplines%20that%20study%20learning%2C%20are%20as%20of%20yet%20unavailable.%20In%20this%20work%2C%20we%20present%20a%20video%20dataset%20of%20individual%20mice%20solving%20%28multi-step%29%20mechanical%20puzzles%2C%20so-called%20lockboxes.%20The%20more%20than%20110%5Cu00a0hours%20of%20total%20playtime%20show%20their%20behavior%20recorded%20from%20three%20different%20perspectives.%20As%20a%20benchmark%20for%20frame-level%20action%20classification%20methods%2C%20we%20provide%20human-annotated%20labels%20for%20all%20videos%20of%20two%20different%20mice%2C%20equaling%2013%25%20of%20our%20dataset.%20Our%20action%20labels%20provide%20two%20levels%20of%20complexity%2C%20requiring%20the%20classification%20of%20both%20what%20the%20mouse%20is%20doing%20as%20well%20as%20which%20object%20is%20targeted.%20Additionally%2C%20as%20an%20initial%20comparison%20against%20the%20human-annotated%20labels%2C%20we%20used%20two%20different%20keypoint%5Cu00a0%28pose%29%20tracking-based%20action%20classification%20frameworks%20as%20well%20as%20an%20autoencoder-based%20framework%2C%20which%20illustrates%20the%20challenges%20of%20automated%20labeling%20of%20fine-grained%20behaviors%2C%20such%20as%20the%20manipulation%20of%20objects.%20We%20hope%20that%20our%20work%20will%20help%20accelerate%20the%20advancement%20of%20automated%20action%20and%20behavior%20classification%20in%20a%20task-driven%20environment.%20Our%20dataset%2C%20including%20videos%20and%20human-annotated%20labels%2C%20is%20publicly%20available%20at%20https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.14279%5C%2Fdepositonce-23850.%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222026-06-15%22%2C%22section%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partNumber%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partTitle%22%3A%22%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%2210.1007%5C%2Fs11263-026-02908-x%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.1007%5C%2Fs11263-026-02908-x%22%2C%22PMID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22PMCID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ISSN%22%3A%221573-1405%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22en%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-06-29T10%3A40%3A16Z%22%7D%7D%2C%7B%22key%22%3A%22GYPMKVUT%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Boon%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222026%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A0%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BBoon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Andresen%2C%20N.%2C%20Traverso%2C%20S.%2C%20Meier%2C%20S.%2C%20Schuessler%2C%20F.%2C%20Hellwich%2C%20O.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20Th%26%23xF6%3Bne-Reineke%2C%20C.%2C%20Hohlbaum%2C%20K.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Sprekeler%2C%20H.%20%282026%29.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BMechanical%20problem%20solving%20in%20mice%20Poster%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%20%5BPoster%5D.%20Computational%20and%20Systems%20Neuroscience%20%28COSYNE%29%202026.%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22presentation%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Mechanical%20problem%20solving%20in%20mice%20Poster%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20N.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Niek%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Andresen%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sole%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Traverso%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sophia%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Meier%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Friedrich%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Schuessler%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Olaf%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hellwich%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Christa%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Th%5Cu00f6ne-Reineke%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Katharina%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hohlbaum%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Henning%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Sprekeler%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222026%22%2C%22sessionTitle%22%3A%22%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%22%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-09-17T13%3A48%3A48Z%22%7D%7D%2C%7B%22key%22%3A%22IFDVLXDE%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Boon%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222024-07-30%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A4%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BBoon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Andresen%2C%20N.%2C%20Traverso%2C%20S.%2C%20Meier%2C%20S.%2C%20Schuessler%2C%20F.%2C%20Hellwich%2C%20O.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20Th%26%23xF6%3Bne-Reineke%2C%20C.%2C%20Sprekeler%2C%20H.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Hohlbaum%2C%20K.%20%282024%29.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BMechanical%20problem%20solving%20in%20mice%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B.%20Animal%20Behavior%20and%20Cognition.%20%26lt%3Ba%20class%3D%26%23039%3Bzp-DOIURL%26%23039%3B%20href%3D%26%23039%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.1101%5C%2F2024.07.29.605658%26%23039%3B%26gt%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.1101%5C%2F2024.07.29.605658%26lt%3B%5C%2Fa%26gt%3B%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22preprint%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Mechanical%20problem%20solving%20in%20mice%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20N.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Niek%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Andresen%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sole%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Traverso%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sophia%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Meier%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Friedrich%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Schuessler%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Olaf%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hellwich%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Christa%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Th%5Cu00f6ne-Reineke%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Henning%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Sprekeler%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Katharina%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hohlbaum%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22Abstract%5Cn%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Behavioral%20learning%20is%20a%20complex%20phenomenon%20that%20involves%20cognitive%2C%20perceptual%2C%20motor%20and%20emotional%20contributions.%20Yet%2C%20most%20animal%20studies%20focus%20on%20reductionist%20tasks%20that%20aim%20to%20isolate%20one%20of%20these%20aspects%20%5B1%2C%202%2C%203%2C%204%5D.%20Here%2C%20we%20use%20a%20lockbox%20%5Cu2014%20a%20complex%2C%20multi-step%20mechanical%20puzzle%20%5Cu2014%20to%20study%20learning%20dynamics%20in%20freely%20behaving%20mice.%20The%20mice%20engaged%20spontaneously%20with%20the%20task%20and%20learned%20to%20solve%20it%20within%20just%20a%20few%20trials.%20To%20dissect%20different%20contributions%20to%20this%20rapid%20form%20of%20learning%2C%20we%20combined%20deep%20learning-based%20behavioral%20tracking%20in%20a%20multi-camera%20setup%20with%20probabilistic%20inference%20and%20computational%20modeling.%20We%20find%20that%20the%20learning%20progress%20of%20the%20mice%20was%20initially%20dominated%20by%20the%20acquisition%20of%20motor%20skills%2C%20i.e.%2C%20the%20increased%20ability%20to%20manipulate%20the%20individual%20mechanisms%2C%20while%20a%20cognitive%20strategy%20for%20the%20task%20sequence%20emerged%20only%20later.%20The%20lockbox%20paradigm%20may%20hence%20offer%20a%20promising%20framework%20for%20studying%20the%20interaction%20between%20low-level%20motor%20learning%20and%20high-level%20decision-making%20strategies%20in%20a%20single%2C%20ethologically%20relevant%20task.%22%2C%22genre%22%3A%22%22%2C%22repository%22%3A%22Animal%20Behavior%20and%20Cognition%22%2C%22archiveID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222024-07-30%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%2210.1101%5C%2F2024.07.29.605658%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fbiorxiv.org%5C%2Flookup%5C%2Fdoi%5C%2F10.1101%5C%2F2024.07.29.605658%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22en%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-08-20T06%3A58%3A44Z%22%7D%7D%2C%7B%22key%22%3A%22YUMVRJGK%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Lang%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222023-09-21%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A2%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BLang%2C%20B.%2C%20Kahnau%2C%20P.%2C%20Hohlbaum%2C%20K.%2C%20Mieske%2C%20P.%2C%20Andresen%2C%20N.%20P.%2C%20Boon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Th%26%23xF6%3Bne-Reineke%2C%20C.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Diederich%2C%20K.%20%282023%29.%20Challenges%20and%20advanced%20concepts%20for%20the%20assessment%20of%20learning%20and%20memory%20function%20in%20mice.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BFrontiers%20in%20Behavioral%20Neuroscience%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%2C%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3B17%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%2C%201230082.%20%26lt%3Ba%20class%3D%26%23039%3Bzp-DOIURL%26%23039%3B%20href%3D%26%23039%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2023.1230082%26%23039%3B%26gt%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2023.1230082%26lt%3B%5C%2Fa%26gt%3B%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22journalArticle%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Challenges%20and%20advanced%20concepts%20for%20the%20assessment%20of%20learning%20and%20memory%20function%20in%20mice%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Benjamin%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lang%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Pia%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Kahnau%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Katharina%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hohlbaum%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Paul%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Mieske%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Niek%20P.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Andresen%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20N.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Christa%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Th%5Cu00f6ne-Reineke%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Kai%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Diederich%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22The%20mechanisms%20underlying%20the%20formation%20and%20retrieval%20of%20memories%20are%20still%20an%20active%20area%20of%20research%20and%20discussion.%20Manifold%20models%20have%20been%20proposed%20and%20refined%20over%20the%20years%2C%20with%20most%20assuming%20a%20dichotomy%20between%20memory%20processes%20involving%20non-conscious%20and%20conscious%20mechanisms.%20Despite%20our%20incomplete%20understanding%20of%20the%20underlying%20mechanisms%2C%20tests%20of%20memory%20and%20learning%20count%20among%20the%20most%20performed%20behavioral%20experiments.%20Here%2C%20we%20will%20discuss%20available%20protocols%20for%20testing%20learning%20and%20memory%20using%20the%20example%20of%20the%20most%20prevalent%20animal%20species%20in%20research%2C%20the%20laboratory%20mouse.%20A%20wide%20range%20of%20protocols%20has%20been%20developed%20in%20mice%20to%20test%2C%20e.g.%2C%20object%20recognition%2C%20spatial%20learning%2C%20procedural%20memory%2C%20sequential%20problem%20solving%2C%20operant-%20and%20fear%20conditioning%2C%20and%20social%20recognition.%20Those%20assays%20are%20carried%20out%20with%20individual%20subjects%20in%20apparatuses%20such%20as%20arenas%20and%20mazes%2C%20which%20allow%20for%20a%20high%20degree%20of%20standardization%20across%20laboratories%20and%20straightforward%20data%20interpretation%20but%20are%20not%20without%20caveats%20and%20limitations.%20In%20animal%20research%2C%20there%20is%20growing%20concern%20about%20the%20translatability%20of%20study%20results%20and%20animal%20welfare%2C%20leading%20to%20novel%20approaches%20beyond%20established%20protocols.%20Here%2C%20we%20present%20some%20of%20the%20more%20recent%20developments%20and%20more%20advanced%20concepts%20in%20learning%20and%20memory%20testing%2C%20such%20as%20multi-step%20sequential%20lockboxes%2C%20assays%20involving%20groups%20of%20animals%2C%20as%20well%20as%20home%20cage-based%20assays%20supported%20by%20automated%20tracking%20solutions%3B%20and%20weight%20their%20potential%20and%20limitations%20against%20those%20of%20established%20paradigms.%20Shifting%20the%20focus%20of%20learning%20tests%20from%20the%20classical%20experimental%20chamber%20to%20settings%20which%20are%20more%20natural%20for%20rodents%20comes%20with%20a%20new%20set%20of%20challenges%20for%20behavioral%20researchers%2C%20but%20also%20offers%20the%20opportunity%20to%20understand%20memory%20formation%20and%20retrieval%20in%20a%20more%20conclusive%20way%20than%20has%20been%20attainable%20with%20conventional%20test%20protocols.%20We%20predict%20and%20embrace%20an%20increase%20in%20studies%20relying%20on%20methods%20involving%20a%20higher%20degree%20of%20automatization%2C%20more%20naturalistic-%20and%20home%20cage-based%20experimental%20setting%20as%20well%20as%20more%20integrated%20learning%20tasks%20in%20the%20future.%20We%20are%20confident%20these%20trends%20are%20suited%20to%20alleviate%20the%20burden%20on%20animal%20subjects%20and%20improve%20study%20designs%20in%20memory%20research.%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222023-9-21%22%2C%22section%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partNumber%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partTitle%22%3A%22%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%2210.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2023.1230082%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%5C%2Farticles%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2023.1230082%5C%2Ffull%22%2C%22PMID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22PMCID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ISSN%22%3A%221662-5153%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-08-20T06%3A52%3A24Z%22%7D%7D%2C%7B%22key%22%3A%22L3JLBDS2%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Boon%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222023-09%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A1%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BBoon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Andresen%2C%20N.%2C%20Meier%2C%20S.%2C%20Hellwich%2C%20O.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20Th%26%23xF6%3Bne-Reineke%2C%20C.%2C%20Sprekeler%2C%20H.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Hohlbaum%2C%20K.%20%282023%2C%20September%29.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BMouse%20lock%20box%3A%20a%20sequential%20mechanical%20decision-making%20task%20to%20investigate%20complex%20mouse%20behavior%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%20%5BPoster%5D.%20Bernstein%20Conference.%20%26lt%3Ba%20class%3D%26%23039%3Bzp-DOIURL%26%23039%3B%20href%3D%26%23039%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.12751%5C%2FNNCN.BC2023.056%26%23039%3B%26gt%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.12751%5C%2FNNCN.BC2023.056%26lt%3B%5C%2Fa%26gt%3B%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22presentation%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Mouse%20lock%20box%3A%20a%20sequential%20mechanical%20decision-making%20task%20to%20investigate%20complex%20mouse%20behavior%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20N.%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Niek%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Andresen%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Sophia%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Meier%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Olaf%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hellwich%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Christa%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Th%5Cu00f6ne-Reineke%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Henning%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Sprekeler%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22presenter%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Katharina%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hohlbaum%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22contributor%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22German%20Neuroinformatics%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Node%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222023-09%22%2C%22sessionTitle%22%3A%22%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%2210.12751%5C%2FNNCN.BC2023.056%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fabstracts.g-node.org%5C%2Fabstracts%5C%2Ff3b4d47f-e82b-46db-9df9-5872475f9c98%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22en%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-06-16T15%3A43%3A04Z%22%7D%7D%2C%7B%22key%22%3A%227MTDUE9P%22%2C%22library%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A6984777%7D%2C%22meta%22%3A%7B%22creatorSummary%22%3A%22Kahnau%20et%20al.%22%2C%22parsedDate%22%3A%222021-09-01%22%2C%22numChildren%22%3A2%7D%2C%22bib%22%3A%22%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-bib-body%26quot%3B%20style%3D%26quot%3Bline-height%3A%202%3B%20padding-left%3A%201em%3B%20text-indent%3A-1em%3B%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%5Cn%20%20%26lt%3Bdiv%20class%3D%26quot%3Bcsl-entry%26quot%3B%26gt%3BKahnau%2C%20P.%2C%20Guenther%2C%20A.%2C%20Boon%2C%20M.%20N.%2C%20Terzenbach%2C%20J.%20D.%2C%20Hanitzsch%2C%20E.%2C%20Lewejohann%2C%20L.%2C%20%26amp%3B%20Brust%2C%20V.%20%282021%29.%20Lifetime%20Observation%20of%20Cognition%20and%20Physiological%20Parameters%20in%20Male%20Mice.%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3BFrontiers%20in%20Behavioral%20Neuroscience%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%2C%20%26lt%3Bi%26gt%3B15%26lt%3B%5C%2Fi%26gt%3B%2C%20709775.%20%26lt%3Ba%20class%3D%26%23039%3Bzp-DOIURL%26%23039%3B%20href%3D%26%23039%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2021.709775%26%23039%3B%26gt%3Bhttps%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdoi.org%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2021.709775%26lt%3B%5C%2Fa%26gt%3B%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%5Cn%26lt%3B%5C%2Fdiv%26gt%3B%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22itemType%22%3A%22journalArticle%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Lifetime%20Observation%20of%20Cognition%20and%20Physiological%20Parameters%20in%20Male%20Mice%22%2C%22creators%22%3A%5B%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Pia%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Kahnau%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Anja%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Guenther%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Marcus%20Nicolaas%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Boon%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Janine%20Denise%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Terzenbach%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Eric%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Hanitzsch%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Lars%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Lewejohann%22%7D%2C%7B%22creatorType%22%3A%22author%22%2C%22firstName%22%3A%22Vera%22%2C%22lastName%22%3A%22Brust%22%7D%5D%2C%22abstractNote%22%3A%22Laboratory%20mice%20are%20predominantly%20used%20for%20one%20experiment%20only%2C%20i.e.%2C%20new%20mice%20are%20ordered%20or%20bred%20for%20every%20new%20experiment.%20Moreover%2C%20most%20experiments%20use%20relatively%20young%20mice%20in%20the%20range%20of%20late%20adolescence%20to%20early%20adulthood.%20As%20a%20consequence%2C%20little%20is%20known%20about%20the%20day-to-day%20life%20of%20adult%20and%20aged%20laboratory%20mice.%20Here%20we%20present%20a%20long-term%20data%20set%20with%20three%20consecutive%20phases%20conducted%20with%20the%20same%20male%20mice%20over%20their%20lifetime%20in%20order%20to%20shed%20light%20on%20possible%20long-term%20effects%20of%20repeated%20cognitive%20stimulation.%20One%20third%20of%20the%20animals%20was%20trained%20by%20a%20variety%20of%20learning%20tasks%20conducted%20up%20to%20an%20age%20of%20606%20days.%20The%20mice%20were%20housed%20in%20four%20cages%20with%2012%20animals%20per%20cage%3B%20only%20four%20mice%20per%20cage%20had%20to%20repeatedly%20solve%20cognitive%20tasks%20for%20getting%20access%20to%20water%20using%20the%20IntelliCage%20system.%20In%20addition%2C%20these%20learner%20mice%20were%20tested%20in%20standard%20cognitive%20tests%20outside%20their%20home-cage.%20The%20other%20eight%20mice%20served%20as%20two%20control%20groups%20living%20in%20the%20same%20environment%20but%20without%20having%20to%20solve%20tasks%20for%20getting%20access%20to%20water.%20One%20control%20group%20was%20additionally%20placed%20on%20the%20test%20set-ups%20without%20having%20to%20learn%20the%20tasks.%20Next%20to%20the%20cognitive%20tasks%2C%20we%20took%20physiological%20measures%20%28body%20mass%2C%20resting%20metabolic%20rate%29%20and%20tested%20for%20dominance%20behavior%2C%20and%20attractivity%20in%20a%20female%20choice%20experiment.%20Overall%2C%20the%20mice%20were%20under%20surveillance%20until%20they%20died%20a%20natural%20death%2C%20providing%20a%20unique%20data%20set%20over%20the%20course%20of%20virtually%20their%20entire%20lives.%20Our%20data%20showed%20treatment%20differences%20during%20the%20first%20phase%20of%20our%20lifetime%20data%20set.%20Young%20learner%20mice%20showed%20a%20higher%20activity%2C%20less%20growth%20and%20resting%20metabolic%20rate%2C%20and%20were%20less%20attractive%20for%20female%20mice.%20These%20effects%2C%20however%2C%20were%20not%20preserved%20over%20the%20long-term.%20We%20also%20did%20not%20find%20differences%20in%20dominance%20or%20effects%20on%20longevity.%20However%2C%20we%20generated%20a%20unique%20and%20valuable%20set%20of%20long-term%20behavioral%20and%20physiological%20data%20from%20a%20single%20group%20of%20male%20mice%20and%20note%20that%20our%20long-term%20data%20contribute%20to%20a%20better%20understanding%20of%20the%20behavioral%20and%20physiological%20processes%20in%20male%20C57Bl%5C%2F6J%20mice.%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222021-9-1%22%2C%22section%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partNumber%22%3A%22%22%2C%22partTitle%22%3A%22%22%2C%22DOI%22%3A%2210.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2021.709775%22%2C%22citationKey%22%3A%22%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%5C%2Farticles%5C%2F10.3389%5C%2Ffnbeh.2021.709775%5C%2Ffull%22%2C%22PMID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22PMCID%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ISSN%22%3A%221662-5153%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22%22%2C%22collections%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22dateModified%22%3A%222026-08-20T06%3A58%3A13Z%22%7D%7D%5D%7D
Reiske, P., Boon, M. N., Andresen, N., Traverso, S., Daniels, M., Hohlbaum, K., Lewejohann, L., Thöne-Reineke, C., Hellwich, O., & Sprekeler, H. (2026). Mouse Lockbox Dataset: Behavior Recognition for Mice Solving Lockboxes. International Journal of Computer Vision, 134(7), 318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11263-026-02908-x
Boon, M. N., Andresen, N., Traverso, S., Meier, S., Schuessler, F., Hellwich, O., Lewejohann, L., Thöne-Reineke, C., Hohlbaum, K., & Sprekeler, H. (2026). Mechanical problem solving in mice Poster [Poster]. Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) 2026.
Boon, M. N., Andresen, N., Traverso, S., Meier, S., Schuessler, F., Hellwich, O., Lewejohann, L., Thöne-Reineke, C., Sprekeler, H., & Hohlbaum, K. (2024). Mechanical problem solving in mice. Animal Behavior and Cognition. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.29.605658
Lang, B., Kahnau, P., Hohlbaum, K., Mieske, P., Andresen, N. P., Boon, M. N., Thöne-Reineke, C., Lewejohann, L., & Diederich, K. (2023). Challenges and advanced concepts for the assessment of learning and memory function in mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 1230082. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1230082
Boon, M. N., Andresen, N., Meier, S., Hellwich, O., Lewejohann, L., Thöne-Reineke, C., Sprekeler, H., & Hohlbaum, K. (2023, September). Mouse lock box: a sequential mechanical decision-making task to investigate complex mouse behavior [Poster]. Bernstein Conference. https://doi.org/10.12751/NNCN.BC2023.056
Kahnau, P., Guenther, A., Boon, M. N., Terzenbach, J. D., Hanitzsch, E., Lewejohann, L., & Brust, V. (2021). Lifetime Observation of Cognition and Physiological Parameters in Male Mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 709775. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.709775
SSBCracK Defence, Science & Technology News – August 2025 - New Dataset Captures Mice Solving Lockbox Puzzles in Complex Behavioral Study
Phys.org – August 2025 - Mice lockbox puzzle-solving captured in multi-camera video datasets
