Morris Water Maze - Hidden Platform
Objective: Assessment of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory using hidden platform version of Morris water maze task to evaluate stress-induced modulation of memory and the role of amygdala in mediating stress effects
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Protocol Steps
Animal Group Assignment
Animals were divided into experimental groups: control unstressed animals, stressed animals, and stressed animals with amygdalar lesions
Note: Some animals received electrolytic lesions of the amygdala
View evidence from paper
“Electrolytic lesions of the amygdala effectively blocked the adverse physiological and behavioral effects of restraint and tailshock stress”
Stress Induction
Animals in stress groups received restraint and tailshock stress
Note: Stress was applied to induce physiological and behavioral effects
View evidence from paper
“restraint and tailshock stress”
Hidden Platform Morris Water Maze Task
Animals were tested on retention of the hidden platform version of the Morris water maze task, which is hippocampal-dependent
Note: This task measures hippocampal-dependent spatial memory
View evidence from paper
“stressed animals were impaired in retention of a hippocampal-dependent hidden platform version of the Morris water maze task”
Visible Platform Morris Water Maze Task
Animals were tested on a fixed location visible platform water maze task that can be acquired by independent hippocampal and nonhippocampal memory systems
Note: This task measures both hippocampal and nonhippocampal-based memory
View evidence from paper
“In a fixed location–visible platform water maze task that can be acquired by independent hippocampal and nonhippocampal memory systems, stress enhanced the use of nonhippocampal-based memory”
Hippocampal Slice Preparation and LTP Recording
Hippocampal slices were prepared from animals in different groups and long-term potentiation was recorded
Note: Slices from stressed animals showed impaired LTP compared to unstressed controls; slices from stressed animals with amygdalar lesions showed normal LTP
View evidence from paper
“hippocampal slices from stressed animals exhibited impaired LTP relative to slices from unstressed control animals, whereas hippocampal slices from stressed animals with amygdalar lesions exhibited normal LTP”
Corticosterone Measurement
Corticosterone secretion was measured in response to stress
Note: Amygdalar lesions did not impede the increase in corticosterone secretion to stress
View evidence from paper
“without impeding the increase in corticosterone secretion to stress”