1. Prepare the recording
Use a stable overhead camera, keep the full arena visible and minimize reflections, moving shadows and occlusion. Preserve the original file and record frame rate, session timing and experimental conditions.
2. Calibrate the arena
Mark the same four physical boundaries throughout a study. Enter arena width and height when physical units are required. A calibration error affects every distance, speed and zone measurement.
3. Define analysis choices
Choose the analysis interval, contour threshold, minimum displacement, speed window, grid and operational center zone before comparing groups. Keep these choices consistent unless the protocol requires otherwise.
4. Review tracking
Inspect the estimated animal position against the video. Look for gaps, jumps, wall reflections and detections outside the animal. Missing detections are not silently bridged in movement episodes.
5. Interpret outputs together
Distance and speed describe locomotion. Center and periphery values describe occupancy under the chosen zone definition. Immobility depends on a declared speed threshold and minimum duration. None of these measures independently establishes an emotional state.
6. Preserve reproducibility
Export frame-level data and retain the configuration, software version and report with the study record. Document exclusions and any manual quality decisions.
This guide describes measurement concepts and the current RodentMetrics workflow. It is not a universal protocol, clinical guidance or evidence that a single metric represents a psychological state.