Delayed Spatial Win-shift Test on Radial Arm Maze

Abstract

The radial arm maze (RAM) is used to assess reference and working memory in rodents. This task relies on the rodent's ability to orientate itself in the maze using extra-maze visual cues. This test can be used to investigate whether a rodent's cognition is improved or impaired under a variety of experimental conditions. Here, we describe one way to test spatial working and reference memory. This delayed spatial win-shift (DSWS) procedure on the RAM was adapted from Packard and White (1990). The win-shift component of the test refers to the alternation of baiting, or rewarding, arms during the trial and test phase. The rodent is required to hold spatial information both within the task and across a delay to obtain the food-pellet reward (Taylor et al., 2003b). This task measures the incidence and type of memory errors made by the rodent both in the training and test phases of the learning task. A working memory error (re-entry of an arm that has been baited) can occur in both phases of the task, whilst a reference memory error (entry into an arm that has been baited during the training phase and is no longer baited) can only occur during the test phase.