Development of a Touch-Screen-Based Paradigm for Assessing Working Memory in the Mouse

ABSTRACT

Assessing the working memory of the rodent by using a touch-screen system has several advantages (e.g., allowing highly accurate data collection and flexibility in memory task design). However, there is currently no available testing paradigm utilizing touch-screen systems that can assess working memory in the mouse. In this study, we developed a touch-screen testing paradigm in which mice were trained to choose a location that is matched to a sample location after a time delay. Consistent with previous studies, this study showed that mice could not only learn the rule in the delayed matched to position (DMTP), but also could retain a transitory memory of the sample position during delay. This indicates that a touch-screen system can provide a DMTP testing platform to assess working memory in the mouse.