The touchscreen operant platform for testing working memory and pattern separation in rats and mice.

Authors

Charlotte A Oomen, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Martha Hvoslef-Eide, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Christopher J Heath, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Adam C Mar, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Alexa E Horner, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Synome Ltd., Moneta Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
Timothy J Bussey, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Lisa M Saksida, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK & Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2013

Journal

Nat Protoc

Volume

8

Issue

10

First Page

2006

Last Page

2021

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1038/nprot.2013.124

Abstract

The automated touchscreen operant chamber for rats and mice allows for the assessment of multiple cognitive domains within the same testing environment. This protocol presents the location discrimination (LD) task and the trial-unique delayed nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) task, which both assess memory for location. During these tasks, animals are trained to a predefined criterion during ∼20-40 daily sessions. In LD sessions, touching the same location on the screen is rewarded on consecutive trials, followed by a reversal of location-reward contingencies. TUNL, a working memory task, requires animals to 'nonmatch' to a sample location after a delay. In both the LD and TUNL tasks, spatial similarity can be varied, allowing assessment of pattern separation ability, a function that is thought to be performed by the dentate gyrus (DG). These tasks are therefore particularly useful in animal models of hippocampal, and specifically DG, function, but they additionally permit discernment of changes in pattern separation from those in working memory.