A rotating holeboard procedure for testing drug effects on spatial learning and memory in mice

A procedure is described herein for evaluating drug effects on acquisition and retention of a spatial learning task in mice. The rotating holeboard apparatus is a rectangular open field containing four open holes arranged in either a four-corner or a row configuration. A mouse is trained to poke its head into a hole and retrieve a food reward from a 'baited' hole which contains a reward on every trial. A massed trials protocol is used where mice are required to learn a reference (trial-independent) memory task in a single session. A retention test is administered 24 h after acquisition. Prominent distal cues are present in the testing room and reliance on proximal visual, olfactory, or tactile cues for locating the baited hole is precluded by rotating the maze on each trial. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.