Rodent Behavioral Learning and Memory Models
From Mechanisms of Memory by J. David Sweatt, Ph.D.
TRAINING
CONTEXTUALTEST
CUED TEST
Cue-plus-contextual Fear Conditioning
A.
TRAINING CONTEXTUALTEST
Context Alone Conditioning
Context Discrimination
TRAINING
TEST
Context 1
Context 2
Context 1
B.
C.
Variations of Fear Conditioning
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 70
25
50
75
100
Time (min)
Fre
ezin
g (%
) 0 1 2 3 4 5 60
25
50
75
100
Time (min)
Fre
ezi
ng
(%)
0 1 2 3 4 50
25
50
75
100
Time (min)
Fre
ezi
ng
(%)
Training
Cued
Contextual
Cued-Plus-Contextual Fear Conditioning
Contextual Fear Conditioning In Rats
Passive Avoidance Paradigm
Step-Through Passive Avoidance
Step-DownPassive Avoidance
Train
Test: measure time to step through
Train
Test: measure time to step down
Active Avoidance Paradigm
Shuttle BoxActive Avoidance
Train Test: Can the animal avoid the shock?
Passive Avoidance
Start
Finish
Lashley Maze4 Arm Radial (Plus) Maze
“Y” Maze“T” MazeTriangle Maze
8 Arm Radial Maze
Types of Rodent Mazes
The Morris Water Maze
Camera
Distal Visual Cues
Platform
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Blocks of 4 trials
Esc
ape
Lat
ency
(se
c)
Hidden Platform
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Blocks of 4 trials
Esc
ape
Lat
ency
(se
c)
Visible Platform
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
129/SvImJ
Pla
tfor
m C
ross
ings
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
1
Qu
adra
nt
Sea
rch
Tim
e (%
) Opposite
Right Trained
Left
Probe Test
Experimental Results: Morris Water Maze
VehicleSubject #66Path Length = 1154.2 cm
Subject #57Path Length = 1278.2 cm
30 mg/kg SL327
Path Tracking in the Probe Test
The Barnes Maze
Spatial Cues
Escape Chamber
Search strategy A
Search strategy B
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
LiCl NaClgr
ams
blue
berr
y ba
r
Conditioned Taste Aversion
DAY 1
DAY 2
1st Exposure to Food Item
2nd Exposure to Food Item
Injection of LiCl or NaCl
Grams Ingested on 2nd Exposure(LiCl treated group compared to NaCl treated
control)
A B
Neophobia
DAY 1
DAY 2
1st Exposure to Food Item
A
Grams Ingested(1st exposure compared to second exposure)
B
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1st intake 2nd intakegr
ams
blue
berr
y ba
r
2nd Exposure to Food Item
• A makes B happen • Measure
• Activating B should cause C • Mimic
• Blocking B should block A causing C • Block
• None (A makes C happen)• Determine
Prediction Experiment
Hypothesis: A→B→C
Four Types of Experiments
Contextual conditioning and CRE-mediated Gene Expression in Mice transgenic for CRE-LAC Z
Hippocampal Protein Kinase Activation in Fear Conditioning
0 2 4 6 8 100.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Time (min)C
ente
r/to
tal d
ista
nce
A
0 2 4 6 8 100
100
200
300
400
Time (min)
Tota
l dis
tanc
e (
cm)
B
0 2 4 6 8 100
10
20
30
Time (min)
Ve
rtica
l act
ivity
C
Open Field Behavior
Center/Total Distance
Total Distance Vertical Activity
0 1 2 30
50
100
150
Trial
Tim
e (s
ec)
Rotating Rod Behavior
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Aco
ustic
sta
rtle
refle
x to
120
dB n
oise
74 78 82 86 900
25
50
75
dB
% I
nhib
ition
A B
Acoustic Startle and Pre-Pulse Inhibition Tests
Shock Threshold
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
-/- n=6+/+ n=6
Flinching Jumping Vocalizing
Stim
ulus
Int
ensi
ty (
mA
)
Hot Plate Test
0
10
20
+/+ n=26-/- n=20
Hin
d P
aw L
ick
Late
ncy
(s)
Nociception Behavior
Corneal Air PuffElicits Eyeblink Response
Corneal Air PuffGiven with Tone
Tone Given AloneElicits Eyeblink Response
Eye-Blink Conditioning in Rabbits
“of Mice and Rats”