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The Object Context-place-location Paradigm for Testing Spatial Memory in Mice

Authors :
Edith Lesburguères
Panayiotis Tsokas
Todd Sacktor
André Fenton
Source :
Bio-Protocol, Vol 7, Iss 8 (2017)
Publication Year :
2017
Publisher :
Bio-protocol LLC, 2017.

Abstract

This protocol was originally designed to examine long-term spatial memory in PKMζ knockout (i.e., PKMζ-null) mice (Tsokas et al., 2016). Our main goal was to test whether the ability of these animals to maintain previously acquired spatial information was sensitive to the type and complexity of the spatial information that needs to be remembered. Accordingly, we modified and combined into a single protocol, three novelty-preference tests, specifically the object-in-context, object-in-place and object-in-location tests, adapted from previous studies in rodents (Mumby et al., 2002; Langston and Wood, 2010; Barker and Warburton, 2011). During the training (learning) phase of the procedure, mice are repeatedly exposed to three different environments in which they learn the spatial arrangement of an environment-specific set of non-identical objects. After this learning phase is completed, each mouse receives three different memory tests configured as environment mismatches, in which the previously learned objects-in-space configurations have been modified from the original training situation. The mismatch tests differ in their cognitive demands due to the type of spatial association that is manipulated, specifically evaluating memory for object-context and object-place associations. During each memory test, the time differential spent exploring the novel (misplaced) and familiar objects is computed as an index of novelty discrimination. This index is the behavioral measure of memory recall of the previously acquired spatial associations.

Subjects

Subjects :
Biology (General)
QH301-705.5

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
23318325
Volume :
7
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Bio-Protocol
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4673d36540434fe3b234733716fff1cb
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.2231