ABSTRACT
A common procedure for recording Morris maze performance is to trace the animal's path on a template of the maze. This procedure is used in a computer-based recording system. A maze template is placed on a digitizing tablet, an electronic cursor with pen attachment is used to trace the animal's path, and the data are sent to a computer where a program called Spatial Maze obtains the following measurements: total time in seconds, total distance traveled in inches, average speed, absolute and percent time in each quadrant, absolute and percent time in each annulus, the XY coordinate information needed to reconstruct the complete path of the animal, swimming angles, and the number of rears while on the platform. These measurements are then sent to Excel for statistical and graphic analyses.
