Previous Training in the Water Maze: Differential Effects in NMRI and C57BL Mice

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 197 - 203
• Main Authors: Vicens, P, Bernal, M.C, Carrasco, M.C, Redolat, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Elsevier Inc 15.08.1999; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Age Factors; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; C57BL; Escape Reaction - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Maze Learning - physiology; Methods; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; NMRI; Practice (Psychology); Previous training; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Space life sciences; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial learning; Species Specificity; Swimming - physiology; Water maze; Previous training; NMRI; Mice; C57BL; Spatial learning; Water maze; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Acquisition process; Mouse; Early experience; Animal; Rodentia; Perception; Space perception; Intraspecific comparison; Perceptive learning; Strain
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9384(99)00059-1

It has been shown that acquisition rates in the water maze vary across strains of mice, although the differential effects of previous experience in this spatial task have been scarcely evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of training in the water maze at an early age (2 months) in two strains of mice (NMRI and C57BL) using a longitudinal study. Mice with or without previous training were tested when they were 6 months, and retested when 10 months old. The results showed that trained NMRI mice performed better than all the other groups, both at test and retest, indicating that previous training had more beneficial effects in NMRI than in C57BL mice. These results demonstrate that the effects of an early training in the water maze may be influenced by the characteristics of the strain of mice. It could have implications in longitudinal studies evaluating effects of pharmacological or behavioral manipulations.