Psychology and Neuroscience Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2.
Learn Mem. 2013 Jan 15;20(2):85-96. doi: 10.1101/lm.028076.112.
We have previously shown that apparatus design can affect visual-spatial cue use and memory performance of mice on the Barnes maze. The present experiment extends these findings by determining the optimal behavioral measures and test procedure for analyzing visuo-spatial learning and memory in three different Barnes maze designs. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were trained with a stable or random escape hole location and the sensitivities (statistical power) of four commonly used measures of learning and three measures of memory to detect differences between these training procedures were compared on each maze design. A maze design with a large diameter and no wall was optimal, because mice showed a reliable use of extra-maze visual cues, visuo-spatial search strategies, and spatial memory. A maze design with a small diameter, surrounding wall, and intra-maze visual cues was the least sensitive for determining visuo-spatial learning and memory, because mice showed little evidence of extra-maze cue use. Errors, distance traveled, and hole deviation scores were more sensitive measures of learning than latency to find the escape hole. Measures based on locating the escape hole (primary measures) were more sensitive than measures based on entering the escape hole (total measures). Measures of memory had similar levels of sensitivity on each maze. This experiment demonstrates that both apparatus design and the behavioral measures used as indicators of learning and memory can influence the ability of the Barnes maze to detect visuo-spatial learning and memory impairments in mice.
我们之前已经表明,仪器设计可以影响小鼠在巴恩斯迷宫上的视觉空间线索使用和记忆表现。本实验通过确定三种不同巴恩斯迷宫设计中分析视觉空间学习和记忆的最佳行为测量和测试程序,扩展了这些发现。雄性和雌性 C57BL/6J 小鼠接受稳定或随机逃生孔位置的训练,比较了四种常用学习测量和三种记忆测量在每个迷宫设计上检测这些训练程序之间差异的敏感性(统计功效)。一个具有大直径和无壁的迷宫设计是最佳的,因为小鼠表现出可靠地使用额外的空间视觉线索、视觉空间搜索策略和空间记忆。一个具有小直径、周围墙壁和内部空间视觉线索的迷宫设计对于确定视觉空间学习和记忆最不敏感,因为小鼠几乎没有表现出额外的空间线索使用。错误、行进距离和孔偏差得分是比找到逃生孔的潜伏期更敏感的学习测量指标。基于找到逃生孔的测量(主要测量)比基于进入逃生孔的测量(总测量)更敏感。每个迷宫上的记忆测量具有相似的敏感性水平。本实验表明,仪器设计和作为学习和记忆指标的行为测量都可以影响巴恩斯迷宫检测小鼠视觉空间学习和记忆损伤的能力。