Improved alternative electro-stimulus Y-maze for evaluating the spatial memory of rats / 浙江大学学报·医学版

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish an effective model for evaluating the spatial memory of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The adjacent left or right arm in Y-maze was defined as an initial arm or an objective one alternatively, and electro-stimulus to vola was used as a reinforcement. Meanwhile, the reliability of the model was validated by measuring the memory deficits induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg) or bilaterally intrahippocampal (i.h.) microinjection of MK-801(0.2 microg/site).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The normal, sham-operated or saline-treated rats learned the left-right alternative memory model rapidly while injection of either scopolamine or MK-801 caused spatial memory deficits in Y-maze, including deficits in working and reference memory. Moreover,there was no appreciable difference in electricity intensity between the treated group and the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The alternative Y-maze with electro-stimulus is a comparatively objective model which can evaluate the spatial memory in rats effectively.T</p>