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CAPÍTULO DE LIBRO

Spatial memory assessment: experimental behavioral tasks in rodents

Libro: Spatial, long-and short-term memory: functions, differences and effects of injury
Editorial: Nova Science Publishers
Fecha de publicación: 2015
Página Inicial - Final: 1 - 30
ISBN: 978-1-63484-148-1
Resumen: Memory is one of the earliest cognitive functions to show decline during aging and some neurodegenerative diseases and this decline has a social and economic impact on individuals, families, the health care system, and society as a whole. Therefore, scientists have been experimenting to find methods to prevent the memory loss associated with neurodegeneration. The main strategy involved in these experiments is the use of animal models to assess hippocampal-based spatial memory. This kind of memory encodes, stores, recognizes and recalls spatial information about the environment and the agent¿s orientation within it and it is essential for independence, safety and a good quality of life. In order to understand the pathophysiology of brain aging and to gain insight into the potential mechanisms underlying spatial memory dysfunctions many rodent behavioral tasks have been specifically designed, including Morris water maze (MWM), radial arm water maze (RAWM), Barnes maze or T-maze. Among them, the most widely employed spatial working memory test is MWM. Theoretically, preclinical rodent cognitive testing would assess identical cognitive domains to those examined through neuropsychological testing in human. However, researchers need to be aware of the advantages as well as of the potential weaknesses of the available behavioral models in terms of their ability to model cognitive changes observed in human.