Behavioral paradigm model
Table of contents
Introduction
Behavioral paradigms represent standardized behavioral tasks and protocols shared across the neuroscience community. A paradigm describes the conceptual approach to assessing a particular behavior — independent of any specific lab’s implementation or physical apparatus.
Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Name | The name of the behavioral paradigm (required; string; maximum length: 200 characters; must be unique). |
Category | The behavioral category this paradigm belongs to. Must reference an existing behavioral category. Example: “Spatial Learning”, “Anxiety”. |
Description | Detailed description of the paradigm (text; maximum length: 3000 characters): what behavior it assesses and the conceptual approach. Should not include setup-specific details or data acquisition methods. |
Species | Species for which this paradigm is established. Can include multiple species. Leave empty if universal. |
Original publication | Citation for the original publication (string; maximum length: 500 characters). Example: “Morris 1984”. |
Reference URL | URL to reference documentation or the original publication (URL; maximum length: 200 characters). |
RRID | Research Resource Identifier, where the task has one (string; maximum length: 100 characters). |
External identifiers | Identifiers in other registries or ontologies. Each has a source (NIF, Wikipedia, PubMed, DOI, Wikidata, InterLex, Custom or Other) and an identifier, both required, and an optional URL. Schema |
Adding/editing comments | Comments for the submission/approval process. |
How it fits together
The behavioral track (left) and the setup track (right) run from the shared taxonomies through your lab’s personal attributes and meet in a behavior recorded in a session. This page describes the behavioral paradigm, drawn solid. The setup type category is a field of the setup type, not a separate record.
BrainSTEM organizes behavioral experiments through a hierarchy that separates shared scientific knowledge from lab-specific implementation details:
- Behavioral category — The broad domain (e.g., “Anxiety & Affect” → “Anxiety”)
- Behavioral paradigm (this page) — The standardized task shared across the field (e.g., “Elevated Plus Exploration”)
- Behavioral assay — Your lab’s specific implementation of a paradigm under a specific preparation condition, linked to a setup type (e.g., “EPM 5-min test”)
- Behavior — The actual execution of an assay within a session, tied to specific subjects and a physical setup
Categories and paradigms are shared taxonomies — available to all users once approved. Assays and behaviors are lab-specific and scoped to your groups and projects.
Examples
| Category | Paradigm | What it assesses |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial Learning | Morris Water Navigation Task | Hippocampal-dependent spatial memory |
| Anxiety | Elevated Plus Exploration | Anxiety-like behavior via open arm avoidance |
| Motor Coordination | Rotarod | Balance, coordination, and motor learning |
| Nociception | Von Frey Test | Mechanical pain sensitivity threshold |
Submission process
Anyone can submit new behavioral paradigms or propose changes to existing ones. A submission enters the approval queue and is usable in your own records immediately; it is visible only to you until accepted. Please review existing entries for guidance on what to submit. A paradigm cannot be deleted while behavioral assays point to it.
Permissions
Once an entry has been approved, it becomes available to everyone. Editing an accepted entry is restricted; an edit creates a change request that is reviewed before it takes effect. Your own pending submissions remain yours to edit or cancel.
API access
The API allows for programmable access, enabling you to read and edit entries. For more information about the fields and data structure, please consult the Behavioral paradigm API page.