Name: low-stress route learning using the lashley iii maze in mice
Uploaded: 2010-05-22T17:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Low-stress Route Learning Using the Lashley III Maze in Mice at JoVE.com

The Lashley III maze used for these experiments was built by Tim Bowmaster, Paul Corman, Barry Dutrow, Ryan Jabco, and Tim Treaster from the Pennsylvania State University Physics Department Machine Shop. The authors would like to thank Ms. Shoba Belegundu, Ms. Tara Chrzanowski, and Ms. Alexandra Lewis for assistance in performing the experiments presented in Figures 2-4. Mr. Walter Jackson provided valuable feedback in the preparation of this protocol. This work was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH064756 and MH077978 to AMA). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.

1. Preparation:
<ol>
	<li>The Lashley III maze is constructed of Plexiglas and is shown in Figure 1. The start box, maze arms, and goal box are modular to allow for cleaning and modifiability of the maze. The walls of the start box, maze arms, and goal box are constructed of black Plexiglas to eliminate visual cues from outside and inside the maze. Maze arms are 45 cm long, 7 cm high, and 5 cm wide. Doors leading to consecutive arms of the maze are 4 cm x 4 cm and are situated 11 cm from the outer walls of the maze. ...

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	<li>Blizard, D. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Return+to+home+cage'+as+a+reward+for+maze+learning+in+young+and+old+genetically+heterogeneous+mice.">Return to home cage' as a reward for maze learning in young and old genetically heterogeneous mice.</a> Comparative Med. 56, 196-201 (2006).</li><li>Crawley, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> What's wrong with my mouse?: Behavioral phenotyping of transgenic and knockout mice. , (2007).</li><li>Blizard, D. A., Klein, L. C., Cohen, R., McClearn, G. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+mouse-friendly+cognitive+task+suitable+for+use+in+aging+studies.">A novel mouse-friendly cognitive task suitable for use in aging studies.</a> Behav. Genet. 33, 181-189 (2003).</li><li>Warren, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Appetitive+learning+by+old+mice.">Appetitive learning by old mice.</a> Exp. Aging Res. 12, 99-105 (1986).</li><li>Lashley, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Brain+mechanisms+and+intelligence:+A+quantitative+study+of+injuries+to+the+brain.">Brain mechanisms and intelligence: A quantitative study of injuries to the brain.</a> , (1929).</li><li>Barnes, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Memory+deficits+associated+with+senescence:+A+neurophysiological+and+behavioral+study+in+the+rat.">Memory deficits associated with senescence: A neurophysiological and behavioral study in the rat.</a> J. Comp. Physiol. Psych. 93, 74-104 (1979).</li><li>Matzel, L. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Individual+differences+in+the+expression+of+a+general+learning+ability+in+mice.">Individual differences in the expression of a general learning ability in mice.</a> J. Neurosci. 23, 6423-6433 (2003).</li><li>Brandeis, R., Brandys, Y., Yehuda, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+use+of+the+Morris+water+maze+in+the+study+of+memory+and+learning.">The use of the Morris water maze in the study of memory and learning.</a> Int. J. Neurosci. 48, 29-69 (1989).</li><li>Hepler, D. J., Wenk, G. L., Cribbs, B. L., Olton, D. S., Coyle, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Memory+impairments+following+basal+forebrain+lesions.">Memory impairments following basal forebrain lesions.</a> Brain Res. 346, 8-14 (1985).</li><li>Sci, B. e. h. a. v. B. r. a. i. n. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> 2, 313-313 (1979).</li></ol>

The most commonly used rodent behavioral tests to assess learning and memory are the Morris water maze and variants of fear conditioning2. These tests rely on visual or auditory cues for learning and aversive stimuli (e.g., water, footshock) to motivate animals to complete the tasks3. In aging rodents, as in aging humans, sensory modalities decline over time. Several background strains of mice lose their hearing or develop cataracts as they age, and mortality rates after 23.5 h of water deprivation ...

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<td>Lashley III maze</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PSU Physics Machine Shop</td>
<td>N/A</td>
<td> Maze must be custom-built, not commercially available</td>
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low-stress route learning using the lashley iii maze in mice

Many behavior tests designed to assess learning and memory in rodents, particularly mice, rely on visual cues, food and/or water deprivation, or other aversive stimuli to motivate task acquisition. As animals age, sensory modalities deteriorate. For example, many strains of mice develop hearing deficits or cataracts. Changes in the sensory systems required to guide mice during task acquisition present potential confounds in interpreting learning changes in aging animals. Moreover, the use of aversive stimuli to motivate animals to learn tasks is potentially confounding when comparing mice with differential sensitivities to stress. To minimize these types of confounding effects, we have implemented a modified version of the Lashley III maze. This maze relies on route learning, whereby mice learn to navigate a maze via repeated exposure under low stress conditions, e.g. dark phase, no food/water deprivation, until they navigate a path from the start location to a pseudo-home cage with 0 or 1 error(s) on two consecutive trials. We classify this as a low-stress behavior test because it does not rely on aversive stimuli to encourage exploration of the maze and learning of the task. The apparatus consists of a modular start box, a 4-arm maze body, and a goal box. At the end of the goal box is a pseudo-home cage that contains bedding similar to that found in the animal&#x2019;s home cage and is specific to each animal for the duration of maze testing. It has been demonstrated previously that this pseudo-home cage provides sufficient reward to motivate mice to learn to navigate the maze1. Here, we present the visualization of the Lashley III maze procedure in the context of evaluating age-related differences in learning and memory in mice along with a comparison of learning behavior in two different background strains of mice. We hope that other investigators interested in evaluating the effects of aging or stress vulnerability in mice will consider this maze an attractive alternative to behavioral tests that involve more stressful learning tasks and/or visual cues.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Low-stress Route Learning Using the Lashley III Maze in Mice at JoVE.com

Low-stress Route Learning Using the Lashley III Maze in Mice

The Lashley III maze is a route-learning task that does not rely on aversive stimuli or visual cues. It is thus a highly attractive option for evaluating learning and memory, especially in aging mice or otherwise where stress is a consideration.

Many behavior tests designed to assess learning and memory in rodents, particularly mice, rely on visual cues, food and/or water deprivation, or other ...

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