Place navigation in the Morris water maze under minimum and redundant extra-maze cue conditions
Language English Country United States Media print
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- MeSH
- Association Learning MeSH
- Maze Learning * MeSH
- Discrimination Learning MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Orientation * MeSH
- Cues * MeSH
- Attention * MeSH
- Transfer, Psychology MeSH
- Retention, Psychology MeSH
- Mental Recall * MeSH
- Escape Reaction * MeSH
- Visual Perception MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Complex relational processes underlying place navigation learning were analyzed by minimizing the relational elements available to rats. The animals navigated in a standard water maze in darkness using controlled remote visual cues (back-lit shapes in opaque buckets aimed at the pool to keep the background dark) while being tracked by an infrared camera and computer. Learning was similar with 2 (AB) or 4 (ABCD) cues and as good as in a fully lit room with many cues (asymptotic escape time t = 5-7 s). The ABCD-trained rats were not impaired by removal of any 2 cues (t = 7). For AB-trained rats, adding 2 new cues (ABEF) or replacing AB with EF (EF) caused small (t = 11) or big disruptions (t = 20), respectively. By block 2, both groups (ABEF, EF) returned to asymptotic performance. But testing the ABEF rats on block 2 with only EF indicated that EF was learned (t = 12) but not as well as when only EF was present (t = 5). Thus transfer from a redundant to a minimal cue condition is immediate and easier than vice versa. Theoretical implications are discussed.
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