With actual major health problems linked to food and drink intakes such as alcoholism and obesity, the search to define the role of brain and molecular mechanisms in regulating food and drink intake has taken on a new priority.

Knowledge in the field of animal energetics is largely based upon indirect calorimetry, which is estimation of metabolic heat production by the organism from measurement of indices such as oxygen consumption or carbon dioxide production.

The apomorphine test using an rotameter has proved to be a popular test for screening the behavioral effects of a wide variety of lesions, drugs, and other experimental manipulations on the brain of rodents.

The startle response is a brainstem reflex elicited by an unexpected acoustic or tactile stimulus.

The rotarod is a standard test of motor coordination, balance and fatigue in rodents.

Progressive-ratio (PR) schedules permit studying food-motivated behavior.