Two-Trial Memory Test
Objective: Assessment of cognitive memory performance in adult offspring using a two-trial memory test to evaluate the long-term influence of prenatal and postnatal experiences on memory capacity
This is a Two-Trial Memory Test protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 8 procedural steps, 5 equipment items. Extracted from a 1997 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • Not specified • Adult • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~3 week study window
Core workflow
Environmental Manipulation - Prenatal Stress • Environmental Manipulation - Postnatal Handling • Y-Maze Test
Primary readouts
- Memory performance on two-trial memory test
- Spatial learning performance on water maze
- Number of visits to different arms in Y-maze
- Distance covered in open field
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.
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Protocol Steps
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Environmental Manipulation - Prenatal Stress
Rat dams subjected to prenatal stress during the last week of gestation
Note: This is the prenatal stress condition applied to dams
View evidence from paper
“prenatal stress of rat dams during the last week of gestation”
Environmental Manipulation - Postnatal Handling
Rat pups subjected to daily handling during the first 3 weeks of life
Note: This is the postnatal handling condition applied to pups
View evidence from paper
“postnatal daily handling of rat pups during the first 3 weeks of life”
Y-Maze Test
Evaluate behavioral reactivity of adult offspring in response to novelty by measuring number of visits to different arms
Note: One of four parameters used to evaluate behavioral reactivity
View evidence from paper
“The behavioral reactivity of the adult offspring in response to novelty was evaluated using four different parameters: the number of visits to different arms in a Y-maze”
Open Field Test
Evaluate behavioral reactivity by measuring distance covered and time spent in corners
Note: Two of four parameters used to evaluate behavioral reactivity
View evidence from paper
“the distance covered in an open field, the time spent in the corners of the open field”
Elevated Plus-Maze Test
Evaluate behavioral reactivity by measuring time spent in open arms
Note: One of four parameters used to evaluate behavioral reactivity
View evidence from paper
“the time spent in the open arms of an elevated plus-maze”
Water Maze Test
Assess spatial learning and memory performance in adult offspring
Note: One of two cognitive performance tests
View evidence from paper
“Cognitive performance was assessed using a water maze and a two-trial memory test.”
Two-Trial Memory Test
Assess cognitive memory performance in adult offspring
Note: One of two cognitive performance tests; primary focus of this protocol extraction
View evidence from paper
“Cognitive performance was assessed using a water maze and a two-trial memory test.”
Corticosterone Measurement
Measure stress-induced corticosterone secretion in response to stress in adult offspring
Note: Used to correlate with behavioral measures
View evidence from paper
“correlated with high secretion of corticosterone in response to stress”