Psychology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
J Neurosci Methods. 2012 Jan 30;203(2):315-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2011.09.027. Epub 2011 Oct 1.
The Barnes maze is a visuo-spatial learning and memory test originally designed for use with rats, and later adapted for use with mice. The Barnes maze design and test procedure vary across studies using mice, but the effects of variation in Barnes maze design and test procedure on learning and memory in mice have not yet been investigated. Therefore the present experiment investigates whether test procedures, such as the number of habituation trials and parameters of the probe trial (correct zone size and trial length) influence learning and memory performance on three Barnes maze designs that differed in size and the presence of a wall with intra-maze visual cues. Performance was compared across the three mazes to determine how apparatus design influences visuo-spatial cue use. The number of habituation trials and parameters of the probe trial had small effects on learning and memory performance. Apparatus design, had little effect on acquisition performance but had a significant effect on memory performance. Mice on a maze with a small diameter, external wall and intra-maze visual cues had very poor visuo-spatial memory relative to mice tested on small and large diameter mazes without a wall or intra-maze visual cues. Assessment of visuo-spatial cue use indicated that mice do not rely on visuo-spatial cues to locate the escape hole on the small-diameter maze with a wall and intra-maze visual cues, but show reliable visuo-spatial cue use on small or large diameter mazes with no wall. These results indicate that apparatus design influences search strategy use and memory performance on the Barnes maze, and that including a wall around the edge of the Barnes maze decreases visuo-spatial cue use.
巴恩斯迷宫是一种用于大鼠的视觉空间学习和记忆测试，后来也被改编用于小鼠。不同的小鼠巴恩斯迷宫研究设计和测试程序有所不同，但巴恩斯迷宫设计和测试程序的变化对小鼠学习和记忆的影响尚未得到研究。因此，本实验研究了测试程序，如习惯化试验的次数和探针试验的参数（正确区域大小和试验长度），是否会影响三种大小和是否有带有内置视觉线索的墙壁的巴恩斯迷宫设计的学习和记忆性能。通过比较三个迷宫的性能，确定仪器设计如何影响视觉空间线索的使用。习惯化试验的次数和探针试验的参数对学习和记忆性能有较小的影响。仪器设计对获得性能的影响很小，但对记忆性能的影响很大。在一个直径小、外部墙壁和内置视觉线索的迷宫上的小鼠，相对于在没有墙壁或内置视觉线索的小和大直径迷宫上测试的小鼠，其视觉空间记忆能力非常差。对视觉空间线索使用的评估表明，小鼠不会依赖视觉空间线索来定位有墙壁和内置视觉线索的小直径迷宫的逃生孔，但在没有墙壁的小或大直径迷宫上，它们确实会可靠地使用视觉空间线索。这些结果表明，仪器设计会影响巴恩斯迷宫上的搜索策略使用和记忆性能，并且在巴恩斯迷宫的边缘周围设置墙壁会减少视觉空间线索的使用。
