Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35820848›Full record

ArticleBMC biology2022

TrackUSF, a novel tool for automated ultrasonic vocalization analysis, reveals modified calls in a rat model of autism.

Shai Netser, Guy Nahardiya, Gili Weiss-Dicker, Roei Dadush, Yizhaq Goussha, Shanah Rachel John, Mor Taub, Yuval Werber, Nir Sapir, Yossi Yovel and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Rescue ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Shai NetserSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Guy NahardiyaSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Gili Weiss-DickerDepartment of Electrical Engineering, The Technion, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
Roei DadushDepartment of Electrical Engineering, The Technion, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
Yizhaq GousshaSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Shanah Rachel JohnSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Mor TaubSchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life-Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Yuval WerberDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Nir SapirDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Yossi YovelSchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life-Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Hala Harony-NicolasThe Department of Psychiatry and The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
Joseph D BuxbaumThe Department of Psychiatry and The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
Lior CohenSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Koby CrammerDepartment of Electrical Engineering, The Technion, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
Shlomo WagnerSagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel. shlomow@research.haifa.ac.il.ORCID 0000-0002-7618-0752

Funding

Neural circuit and brain system alterations underlying social recognition memory deficitsR01MH116108 · NIMH · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI HARONY-NICOLAS, HALA · 2019 to 2023
$2.1M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH116108
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVarious mammalian species emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which reflect their emotional state and mediate social interactions. USVs are usually analyzed by manual or semi-automated methodologies that categorize discrete USVs according to their structure in the frequency-time domains. This laborious analysis hinders the effective use of USVs as a readout for high-throughput analysis of behavioral changes in animals.

resultsHere we present a novel automated open-source tool that utilizes a different approach towards USV analysis, termed TrackUSF. To validate TrackUSF, we analyzed calls from different animal species, namely mice, rats, and bats, recorded in various settings and compared the results with a manual analysis by a trained observer. We found that TrackUSF detected the majority of USVs, with less than 1% of false-positive detections. We then employed TrackUSF to analyze social vocalizations in Shank3-deficient rats, a rat model of autism, and revealed that these vocalizations exhibit a spectrum of deviations from appetitive calls towards aversive calls.

conclusionsTrackUSF is a simple and easy-to-use system that may be used for a high-throughput comparison of ultrasonic vocalizations between groups of animals of any kind in any setting, with no prior assumptions.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderUltrasonicsAnimalsEmotionsMammalsMiceMicrofilament ProteinsNerve Tissue ProteinsRatsVocalization, AnimalMicrofilament ProteinsNerve Tissue ProteinsShank3 protein, mouseAnimal modelsAppetitive calls, Aversive callsAutism spectrum disorderBat echolocationBehavioral analysisComputational toolMating callsShank3-deficient ratsUltrasonic vocalizations

Identifiers

PMID35820848
PMCPMC9277954

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.