Source Paper
Accumulation of Hippocampal Place Fields at the Goal Location in an Annular Watermaze Task
Stig A. Hollup, Sturla Molden, James G. Donnett, May-Britt Moser, Edvard I. Moser
Journal of Neuroscience • 2001
Variable Platform Location Training
Objective: Control training condition to test whether place field accumulation is training-dependent by training rats with variable platform location in an annular watermaze task
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Protocol Steps
Variable platform location training
Train rats in the annular watermaze with platform location varied across trials, serving as control condition to test training-dependence of place field accumulation
Note: This is the control condition compared to constant platform location training. No accumulation of firing in any particular region was observed in this variable platform condition.
View evidence from paper
“There was no accumulation of firing in any particular region in rats that were trained with a variable platform location”
Single-unit recording during watermaze task
Record hippocampal pyramidal cell activity while rats perform the watermaze task with variable platform location
Note: Multiple single-unit recordings made to assess place-related firing patterns
View evidence from paper
“we made multiple single-unit recordings in rats trained to find a hidden platform”
Probe trials
Conduct probe trials without immediate escape to assess place field characteristics independent of motor behavior
Note: Probe trials used to dissociate effects from ongoing motor behavior
View evidence from paper
“Place fields tended to accumulate near the platform, even in probe trials without immediate escape”