Morris water maze: procedures for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory

Abstract

The Morris water maze (MWM) is a test of spatial learning for rodents that relies on distal cues to navigate from start locations around the perimeter of an open swimming arena to locate a submerged escape platform. Spatial learning is assessed across repeated trials and reference memory is determined by preference for the platform area when the platform is absent. Reversal and shift trials enhance the detection of spatial impairments. Trial-dependent, latent and discrimination learning can be assessed using modifications of the basic protocol. Search-to-platform area determines the degree of reliance on spatial versus non-spatial strategies. Cued trials determine whether performance factors that are unrelated to place learning are present. Escape from water is relatively immune from activity or body mass differences, making it ideal for many experimental models. The MWM has proven to be a robust and reliable test that is strongly correlated with hippocampal synaptic plasticity and NMDA receptor function. We present protocols for performing variants of the MWM test, from which results can be obtained from individual animals in as few as 6 days.

Erythropoietin regulates immune/inflammatory reaction and improves neurological function outcomes in traumatic brain injury

“…To test the cognitive functional outcome, Morris Water Maze (MWM) was performed in another set of animals as previously described (Vorhees & Williams, 2006) from 7 to 11 days after TBI ( n  = 10/group). Briefly, the maze (120 cm diameter, 40 cm high; DMS‐2, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) was filled with water (19–22°C) and nontoxic white paint.…”

High dietary advanced glycation end products are associated with poorer spatial learning and accelerated Aβ deposition in an Alzheimer mouse model

“…Mice were tested during the second and third hours of the night portion of the light cycle. All animals were individually coded, and investigators were blind to group designations throughout testing (Vorhees & Williams, 2006). …”

Acute tau knockdown in the hippocampus of adult mice causes learning and memory deficits

“…Together, these data indicate that AAV‐ShRNATau mice can swim as well as AAV‐ShRNAScrm mice while having a motor deficit in the rotarod. To this end, different muscles and movements are needed to perform these two different tasks; thus, this dissociation is not surprising (Deacon, 2013; Vorhees & Williams, 2006). After behavioral testing, we sacrificed seven mice/group and extracted their hippocampi for further analyses.…”

“…To avoid any retest effects (Vorhees & Williams, 2006), we switched the location of the escape platform to a different quadrant and replaced the extra‐maze cues. Both groups performed similarly in the 5 days of learning as evident by equal latency ( F (1,68)  = 0.370, p  >   .05; Figure 4d) and distance traveled ( F (1,68)  = 0.516, p  >   .05; Figure 4e) to find the escape platform.…”

“…During the rescue experiments, 10 mice/group were retested in the MWM task. The location of the escape platform was switched to a different quadrant, and extra‐maze cues were moved randomly to avoid any retest effects (Vorhees & Williams, 2006). …”