Home › Cell Biology › T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

DOI: 10.3791/3300-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Set up and operate an automated T-maze apparatus for rodent behavioral testing
  • ✓ Conduct forced alternation and left-right discrimination tasks to assess working and reference memory
  • ✓ Interpret performance metrics and representative results from T-maze protocols in mice
Protocol

This article presents the protocol of T-maze tests using a modified automated apparatus for assessing the learning and memory functions in mice.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~2-3 weeks (includes pre-training and task acquisition phases)
Model organism
Mouse (strain not specified)

Steps

1
Assemble and calibrate T-maze apparatus

Configure the modified automated T-maze apparatus with gates, sensors, and reward delivery systems according to manufacturer specifications. Verify all electronic controls and safety features are functional.

▶ 00:06
2
Implement food deprivation and acclimate mice

Reduce mouse body weight to 85-90% of baseline through controlled food deprivation to motivate reward-seeking behavior. Allow animals to acclimate to the testing room and apparatus environment.

▶ 02:52
3
Conduct pre-training habituation sessions

Train mice to traverse the T-maze, consume rewards, and respond to apparatus cues through gradual exposure and reward reinforcement before initiating cognitive tasks.

▶ 04:47
4
Execute forced alternation working memory task

Run the forced alternation protocol where mice must remember the previous arm choice and alternate to the opposite arm on subsequent trials to assess working memory capacity.

▶ 05:46
5
Perform left-right discrimination reference memory task

Conduct the discrimination task where mice learn to consistently choose one spatial location (left or right arm) across trials to assess reference memory and learning acquisition.

▶ 12:06
6
Analyze and interpret representative results

Review performance metrics including success rates, response latencies, and error types generated by the automated apparatus to evaluate working and reference memory function.

▶ 14:08
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