Rich kinematic and zone metrics
Less open-arm exploration usually indicates higher anxiety. Compute total distance and speed plus zone path, ratios, dwell, and entries for open/closed/center regions.
EPMAnxiety5 min read
Elevated Plus Maze
Elevated Plus Maze (EPM): Principles & Protocol
Linked product · Lite Maze TrackingLite Maze Tracking
Overview
The Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) measures anxiety-like state through conflict between fear of open heights and drive to explore. Two open and two closed arms form a plus shape elevated above the floor; open-arm time and entry ratios are primary anxiety readouts.
Applications include anxiety circuits, anxiolytic/anxiogenic drug evaluation, stress–anxiety links, GAD/PTSD models, amygdala–raphe–prefrontal studies, and behavioral neuroendocrinology.
Methods
- 1Two open and two closed arms at 90°, maze ~50 cm above floor. Place the mouse in the center for 5 min free exploration; record open-arm time and percentage among other metrics.
Software capabilities
Custom open/closed/center ROIs for anxiety phenotyping
Flexibly define arms and center to quantify entries, dwell, path, ratios, and speed for anxiety-related patterns in neuroscience and pharmacology.
Centimeter units ready for publication axes
Outputs use cm directly—no mm→cm conversion—matching common paper figure units and speeding analysis.
Analysis parameters
| Parameter | Description | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| sample_name | Sample name | — |
| group_label | Group label | — |
| total_distance | Total distance | cm |
| average_speed | Average speed | cm/s |
| xxx_distance | Distance in a region | cm |
| xxx_distance_ratio | Region distance ratio | % |
| xxx_average_speed | Average speed in a region | cm/s |
| xxx_time | Time in a region | s |
| xxx_time_ratio | Region time ratio | % |
| xxx_number_of_entries | Entries into a region | count |
| outside_distance | Distance outside regions | cm |
| outside_distance_ratio | Outside distance ratio | % |
| outside_time | Time outside regions | s |
| outside_time_ratio | Outside time ratio | % |