Place and Response Learning in the Open-field Tower Maze

Summary

The Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) is a maze created to study the behavioral and neural mechanisms of spatial learning (e.g., place- or response-learning) in rats. This maze is especially useful for experimenters who want to use a non-stressful maze paradigm to investigate spatial learning in their research.

Abstract

This protocol describes how the Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) paradigm is used to study spatial learning in rodents. This maze is especially useful for examining how rats learn to use a place- or response-learning to successfully navigate in an open-field arena. Additionally, this protocol describes how the OFTM differs from other behavioral maze paradigms that are commonly used to study spatial learning in rodents. The OFTM described in this article was adapted from the one previously described by Cole, Clipperton, and Walt (2007). Specifically, the OFTM was created to test spatial learning in rodents without the experimenter having to consider how “stress” might play a role as a confounding variable. Experiments have shown that stress-alone can significantly affect cognitive function¹. The representative results section contains data from an experiment that used the OFTM to examine the effects of estradiol treatment on place- and response-learning in adult female Sprague Dawley rats². Future studies will be designed to examine the role of the hippocampus and striatum in place- and response-learning in the OFTM.

Introduction

The open-field tower maze (OFTM) can be used to examine the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of spatial learning in rodents. Importantly, the OFTM allows researchers to study both “place-based” and “response-based” learning types. During place-learning an animal navigates through a maze using the spatial cues in the surrounding environment (e.g., a food reward is located next to a tall beacon). During response-learning the animal makes a specific turn response regardless of its position relative to spatial cues (e.g., make a left or right turn to find a food reward). It has been previously reported t....

Protocol

This protocol is approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Christopher Newport University.

1. Construction of the OFTM Apparatus

1. Construct the boundary wall (40 cm high and 183 cm diameter) from three pieces of white laminate. Construct the circular maze floor (183 cm diameter) from black laminate and glue it to a plastic table top. Secure the boundary wall to the edge of the table with screws and glue.
2. Decorate the interior surface of the boundary wall: Leave one quarter solid white; Paint one quarter solid black; Paint one quarter with black stripes; Paint one quarter with black circles.
3. Build four “food to....

Results

The representative results described here have been previously published in the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Elsevier². In this experiment the OFTM was used to test the effects of chronic and cycling estradiol treatments on place- and response-learning in female Sprague-Dawley rats (250 – 300 g; N = 48). There were two important reasons why the OFTM was used to conduct this experiment. First, estradiol has been shown to induce differential effects on place- and response-learning⁷. Second, .......

Discussion

Numerous paradigms can be used to investigate learning and memory in rodents, and each has important steps that experimenters should follow. In the OFTM, it is important that maze conditions (e.g., position of maze, intra- and extra-maze cues, dim lighting and background noise level, daily time of training) are kept constant throughout the duration of the experiment. It is also necessary to minimize stress in rat subjects to ensure continuous performance in the OFTM. Stress can be kept to a minimum in female rat.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
OFTM construction supplies
Safety Glasses, Clear, Uncoated	Grainger	4EY97	Used for general eye protection during maze construction
Masking Tape, Beige, 18 mm x 55 m	Grainger	15F739	General supply
Wiss All-purpose Scissor	Home Depot	37103278647	General supply
Lancaster 6 foot Round Folding table - Heavy Duty white granite plastic - 29"	www.webstaurantstore.com	384YCZ72RND	Used as base of the maze
Laminate Countertop sheet in White Matte Finish (48 x 96 x 0.039)	Home Depot	1573603504896	Used as walls for the maze
Laminate Countertop sheet in Black Matte Finish (48 x 96 x 0.039)	Home Depot	1595603504896	Used as floor of the maze
Adhesive, Spray, 24 oz, 17.6 oz Net. 3M	Grainger	3MA16	Used to adhere the laminate floor to the table top and pieces of laminate to each other
16.6 oz #90 hi-strength S	Lowe's	193252	Used to adhere the laminate floor to the table top
Superflex RTV, Silicone Adhesive Sealant, Loctile	VWR	300040-068	Used to seal around the baze (between the floor and walls of the maze)
Industrial Sealant; 10.1 oz	Grainger	4UH06	Used to seal around the baze (between the floor and walls of the maze)
Painter's Masking Tape; Shurtape; 2 in x 60 yd	Grainger	6FET7	Used to mark out visual patterns on maze walls
Mini/Trim paint tray	ACE Hardware	1365105	Used to hold paint
Foam mini roller 4" 6 pk	ACE Hardware	1494871	Used for painting patterns
Val Sample Set Nbase paint	ACE Hardware	1505031	Used as paint for pattern on the walls of the maze
HP Paint Black	Walmart	72450405005	Used to paint pattern on the walls of the maze
Brush	Walmart	81773801110	Used to paint pattern on the walls of the maze
Duct Tape, 2 in x 60 yd, 10.5 mil. Black	Grainger	15F767	Used to wrap the exterior of the maze
4x4 8 ft PT pine Vinyl-CTD Post W/Cap	Home Depot	40933070541	Used to build towers for the maze
20 gram Pro Super Glue	Lowe's	125870	Used to glue tower tops, towers to the floor of the maze and food cups to the tower tops
Bead Containers 9 - 1/2	Michaels	652695766978	Used as food cups on top of towers
Spray Paint, Black, 12 oz	Grainger	6KP22	Used to paint food cups & covers
Room prepration
Conair SU1W Sound Machine; 10 Sounds	Home Depot	204493600	Used for background noise
Lamp	Walmart	5027698392	Used for dim lighting of maze room
ES 14 W DayLight Spiral Bulb 4 pk	Home Depot	762148208433	Used for dim lighting of maze room
Shower Curtain	Walmart	3429910901	Used for separation between the maze and the experimenter
Curtain Rod	Bed Bath & Beyond	76598645104	Used for separation between the maze and the experimenter
Froot Loops Cereal	Walmart	3800039122	Used as reward
Recording equipment
Media Recorder 3:4 video	Noldus	NMR4-0200	Used to record training trials
Monochrome GigE Camera	Noldus	XCFW-BG62	Used to record training trials
Precision M4800 Laptop	Dell	N/A	Used to run video software