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A Test of Memory: The Fish, The Mouse, The Fly And The Human

Cleal, M.; Fontana, B. D.; Ranson, D. C.; McBride, S. D.; Swinny, J. D.; Redhead, E. S.; Parker, M. O.

2020-02-16 animal behavior and cognition
10.1101/2020.02.15.950816 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Simple mazes have provided numerous tasks for assessing working memory. The discrete nature of choices in the T-maze has provided a robust protocol with sensitivity to cognitive deficits, whilst the continuous Y-maze reduces manual handling and pre-trial training. We have combined these attributes to develop a new behavioural task for assessing working memory, the Free-movement pattern (FMP) Y-maze. Using sequentially recorded left and right turns we demonstrate that zebrafish and mice use a single dominant strategy predominantly consisting of alternations between left and right choices trial-to-trial. We further tested this protocol with Drosophila and discovered an alternative invertebrate search strategy. Finally, a virtual human FMP Y-maze confirmed a common strategy among all tested vertebrate species, validating the translational power of the task for human research. The FMP Y-maze combines robust investigation of working memory and high translational power, generating a simple task with far-reaching impact.

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