Morris Water Maze
Objective: Assess spatial learning and memory in mice using hidden and cued versions of the Morris water maze task
This is a Morris Water Maze protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 2006 paper published in BMC Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
mouse • C57BL/6 and Nestin-GFP reporter mice • female • 10 weeks at beginning of experiment • not specified • 21
Study window
~1.1 week study window | ~4 minutes hands-on
Core workflow
BrdU Administration • Water Maze Training Initiation • Daily Training Trials
Primary readouts
- Spatial learning performance in hidden version
- Cued learning performance in cued version
- Memory retention
- Dendritic morphology of DCX-positive cells
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
Confirm first
- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
- Check that every direct vendor link matches the exact specification your lab plans to run.
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- Work through the protocol steps in order and use the inline vendor chips only when you need to source or verify an item.
- Jump to Experimental Context for readouts, data shape, and analysis flow before planning downstream analysis.
Protocol Steps
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
BrdU Administration
Administer single BrdU injection to each animal on 3 days before the water maze experiment begins
Note: BrdU injection timing is critical - must be completed before water maze training
View evidence from paper
“On the 3 days before the experiment each animal received single injection of BrdU”
Water Maze Training Initiation
Begin water maze training at days 5 to 8 of the experiment (days 5 to 8 after the last BrdU injection)
Note: Training occurs 5-8 days after the last BrdU injection
View evidence from paper
“Animals were subjected to water maze training at days 5 to 8 of the experiment (days 5 to 8 after the last BrdU injection)”
Daily Training Trials
Conduct six trials of training each day, with each trial lasting maximally 2 minutes
Note: Six trials per day for 4 consecutive days (days 5-8)
View evidence from paper
“Six trials of training each maximally lasting for 2 minutes were given each day”
Protocol Implementation
Follow the protocol devised by Wolfer and Lipp for water maze training
Note: Reference protocol: Wolfer and Lipp [70]
View evidence from paper
“We followed the protocol devised by Wolfer and Lipp”