Description

Development of a water-escape motivated version of the Stone T-maze for mice addresses the challenges in assessing learning and memory in mice using tasks originally designed for rats. Traditional reward-based tasks often yield inconsistent results with mice due to differing motivational factors. To overcome this, Pistell, P. J., & Ingram, D. K. developed a mouse-adapted Stone T-maze that leverages mice’s inherent motivation to escape to a safe environment. ​

In this modified maze, mice are required to wade through water to reach a dark, dry goal box, simulating an aversive scenario that encourages escape behavior. Successful navigation demands learning a specific sequence of 13 left and right turns to reach the goal. Through various experimental protocols, the study demonstrated that mice consistently performed this task, indicating its reliability in evaluating learning and memory. The authors propose that this water-escape motivated Stone T-maze serves as a valuable tool for cognitive assessment in mice, minimizing performance confounds associated with other tasks

Documentation

Introduction

Key Features of the Stone T maze paradigm:

• Modified Maze Design: The new version requires mice to navigate a 13-choice sequence in a T-maze while wading through shallow water to reach a dry, dark goal box—a natural incentive for escape behavior.

• Task Validation: The study tested mice under different conditions and found consistent task performance, demonstrating its reliability for cognitive testing.

• Learning & Memory Assessment: The task was effective in evaluating spatial learning, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities in mice, making it a promising tool for neuroscience research.

Conclusions:

The authors propose that this water-escape motivated Stone T-maze provides a reliable and efficient method for studying cognitive functions in mice, overcoming the motivational issues seen in traditional food-reward tasks. This makes it particularly useful for research in neurodegenerative diseases, aging, and genetic models of learning deficits.

Apparatus and Equipment

The Hampton Court maze is a rectangular apparatus of 6 by 8 feet in dimension, with acrylic boards for a base, and top, sides, and partitions made of wire netting designed to mimic the naturalistic feel of rodents’ tunnel environments. The maze walls are 4 inches in height, and the width of the passages are also 4 inches in width. At the center of the Hampton Court maze is a large, open space, and before the rodents can find their way to the center where the food reward is usually located, they run the risk of ending up in any of the 7 blind alleys. See figure 1 for the ground design of the Hampton Court maze.

Training Protocol

Pistell, P. J., & Ingram, D. K. utilized multiple types of protocols to assess learning and memory:

1. Massed Training Protocol (Single Day Training):

• Structure: Mice undergo all training trials within a single day.​

• Intertrial Interval (ITI): Short intervals between consecutive trials.​

• Objective: To assess the effects of intensive training on learning and memory within a compressed timeframe.​

2. Distributed Training Protocol (Multiple Days):

• Structure: Training trials are spread over several days or weeks.​

• Intertrial Interval (ITI): Longer intervals between trials, allowing for rest and consolidation of learning.​

• Objective: To evaluate the impact of spaced training sessions on learning efficacy and memory retention.​

3. Varying Intertrial Interval (ITI) Protocol:

• Structure: Training sessions with varying lengths of rest periods between trials.​

• Objective: To determine how different ITI lengths influence learning rates and memory consolidation.​

4. Retention Testing:

• Structure: After the completion of training sessions, mice are tested following a retention interval to assess memory retention.​

• Objective: To evaluate the durability of learned behaviors over time.​

Key Findings:

• Mice demonstrated reliable performance across various protocols, indicating the maze’s effectiveness in assessing learning and memory.​

• Distributed training protocols with longer ITIs generally resulted in better learning and memory retention compared to massed training.​

• The water-escape motivation paradigm effectively leveraged the mice’s natural inclination to seek a dry, safe environment, enhancing task engagement.

Summary and Key Points

The stone T maze provides a novel approach to evaluating learning and memory in mice by leveraging their natural escape motivations. The study’s findings indicate that mice can reliably perform tasks in this maze, suggesting its effectiveness in assessing cognitive functions without the confounds associated with traditional reward-based tasks

References

Pistell, P. J., & Ingram, D. K. (2009). Development of a water-escape motivated version of the Stone T-maze for mice. Neuroscience, 166(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.12.029