This week started off slow because we were
getting prepared to start the Templetons on another experiment called the
Radial Arm Maze. Anytime we start an experiment in a new environment (outside
of their home cages) we have to acclimate the rats so that they are used to
their surroundings.
The radial arm maze is a 16-arm maze that has
12 out of the 16 arms baited with froot loops. This maze tests two types of
memories: working and reference. The purpose is to have the rat remember which
arms it is supposed to enter with the froot loops and to not go back into an
arm it has already been in. The rats get a reward if they go down the baited
arms (a froot loop) and also the quicker they complete the maze the quicker
they can go back to their home cage. The time is capped at 10 minutes, so if a
rat does not enter all the baited arms they do not get those froot loops. The
process for this and working/reference memory will be described in more detail
in next week's blog.
For acclimation, the rats needed to get used
to the environment and understand that the purpose of being put in this maze was
to get froot loops. In order to acclimate them, we put a black bucket in the
center of the maze. In the bucket is 12 pieces of froot loops. The rat is then
placed in the bucket and taken out once it has eaten all the froot loops or
once 10 minutes has passed. This helps the rat understand that when they are
put in this environment they are supposed to be looking for the froot loops.
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| Radial arm maze |
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