Spatial Learning Test
Objective: Assessing spatial learning performance as a control measure in mice from enriched and standard housing conditions
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Materials1
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not mentioned
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Protocol Steps
Housing condition assignment
House animals in either standard or odor-enriched environment
Note: Two experimental groups: standard housing and odor-enriched housing
View evidence from paper
“Animals housed in either a standard or an odor-enriched environment for 40 d”
BrdU injection
Inject animals intraperitoneally with bromodeoxyuridine to detect proliferation among progenitor cells
Note: Used to follow survival of progenitor cells in the main olfactory bulb
View evidence from paper
“injected intraperitoneally with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to detect proliferation among progenitor cells and to follow their survival in the MOB”
Early timepoint assessment
Assess number of BrdU-labeled neurons at 4 hours after BrdU injection
Note: No alteration in number of BrdU-labeled neurons observed at this timepoint
View evidence from paper
“The number of BrdU-labeled neurons was not altered 4 hr after a single BrdU injection”
Late timepoint assessment
Assess number of surviving progenitors in the main olfactory bulb
Note: Number of surviving progenitors was markedly increased in animals housed in enriched environment
View evidence from paper
“the number of surviving progenitors 3 weeks after BrdU injection was markedly increased in animals housed in an enriched environment”
Spatial learning assessment
Test spatial learning performance as a control measure
Note: No change in spatial learning performance observed between enriched and standard housing groups
View evidence from paper
“adult mice housed in odor-enriched cages display improved olfactory memory without a change in spatial learning performance”