Win-Shift Radial Maze Task
Objective: To examine spatial memory and test the hypothesis that the mammalian brain contains anatomically distinct memory systems by comparing performance on a win-shift radial maze task between lesioned and control rats
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Equipment1
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Protocol Steps
Preoperative baseline establishment
Establish baseline performance on the radial maze task prior to surgical lesions
Note: Testing occurred postoperatively, implying baseline was established before lesion surgery
View evidence from paper
“Rats with bilateral lesions of caudate nucleus or fimbria-fornix and a control group were tested postoperatively”
Surgical lesion procedure
Create bilateral lesions of either caudate nucleus or fimbria-fornix in experimental groups; control group receives sham surgery
Note: Specific surgical procedures not detailed in methods section
View evidence from paper
“Rats with bilateral lesions of caudate nucleus or fimbria-fornix and a control group were tested postoperatively”
Win-shift radial maze task setup
Prepare the 8-arm radial maze with all arms baited with reinforcement
Note: Each arm is baited once per trial
View evidence from paper
“In a standard win-shift version, each of the 8 arms of the maze was baited once”
Conduct win-shift trial
Allow rat to navigate the radial maze, visiting baited arms. Record the number of errors (revisits to previously visited arms) during the first 8 choices of each trial
Note: The task requires the rat to visit each arm only once per trial. Errors are defined as revisits to arms already visited within that trial
View evidence from paper
“the number of errors (revisits) in the first 8 choices of each trial was recorded”
Postoperative testing and data collection
Test all three groups (fimbria-fornix lesion, caudate lesion, and control) on the win-shift radial maze task and record choice accuracy and error rates
Note: Testing occurs after surgical recovery period
View evidence from paper
“Rats with bilateral lesions of caudate nucleus or fimbria-fornix and a control group were tested postoperatively on 1 of 2 versions of the radial maze task”