Spatial learning refers to the process by which an organism memorizes details about its environment to live and find what it needs to survive. As spatial learning is a vital part of development, scientists need to understand how organisms remember certain things and use this to navigate their daily lives. This blog post will focus on how spatial learning is assessed in rodents by using the Barnes Maze protocol.
What is Spatial Learning?
When discussing spatial learning concerning rodents or other animals, it simply describes how an animal learns about its position within its environment to help move around, remember where food or safety is, and additional vital information. This process is critical for the survival of animals that typically hide food for a later time and can be tested through various instruments and procedures, with the Barnes Maze Protocol being one of them.
What is the Barnes Maze Protocol?
Carol Barnes developed the Barnes maze in 1979 to test spatial learning and memory in rats, but it has since been adapted for studying mice1. The test encourages the rodents to hide from bright lights without further stress, such as food deprivation or immersion in water, thus making it a more preferred method than the Morris water maze.
The main setup of the Barnes maze includes a circular table with holes around the edges placed inside a brightly lit chamber. Most holes will have nothing below them, causing the rodent to drop to the chamber base, but one ‘escape hole’ will have a box below it, which is where the rodent should aim to be. After several rounds, the rodent will learn the location of the escape box by using spatial clues and can hide from the chamber’s bright lights.
Key benefits of the Barnes maze include:
- Deprivation is not used
- No added stress on the rodents
- Not physically demanding
The Barnes maze accurately assesses spatial learning as it can measure rodents’ abilities to remember locations by utilizing visual cues. The results of this test can be helpful for scientists researching Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of brain injuries on learning and spatial memory.
San Diego Instruments and Spatial Learning
San Diego Instruments (SDI) designs and manufactures instruments for behavioral neuroscience research in human and animal studies. Our products are used worldwide, and clients benefit from their ease of use, flexibility, and high quality, with the Barnes maze being no exception.
The SDI Barnes maze is available in rat and mouse models and has a table with 20 exploration holes, 20 false escape boxes, and one escape box. It can be manufactured in various colors and is suitable for use with the ANY-maze video tracking system. Other key features of the Barnes maze include:
- Circular platform diameter of 36” for mice and 48” for rats
- Color options: beige, black or white
- Easy to clean
- Made of durable ABS plastic
- One-year warranty
For more information on the SDI Barnes maze or any other behavioral testing systems, contact us today, and we will be happy to assist you with your research.