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. 2006;1(2):848-58.
doi: 10.1038/nprot.2006.116.

Morris water maze: procedures for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory

Charles V Vorhees  1 , Michael T Williams
Affiliations

Morris water maze: procedures for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory

Charles V Vorhees et al. Nat Protoc. 2006.

Abstract

The Morris water maze (MWM) is a test of spatial learning for rodents that relies on distal cues to navigate from start locations around the perimeter of an open swimming arena to locate a submerged escape platform. Spatial learning is assessed across repeated trials and reference memory is determined by preference for the platform area when the platform is absent. Reversal and shift trials enhance the detection of spatial impairments. Trial-dependent, latent and discrimination learning can be assessed using modifications of the basic protocol. Search-to-platform area determines the degree of reliance on spatial versus non-spatial strategies. Cued trials determine whether performance factors that are unrelated to place learning are present. Escape from water is relatively immune from activity or body mass differences, making it ideal for many experimental models. The MWM has proven to be a robust and reliable test that is strongly correlated with hippocampal synaptic plasticity and NMDA receptor function. We present protocols for performing variants of the MWM test, from which results can be obtained from individual animals in as few as 6 days.

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Conflict of interest statement

COMPETING INTERESTS STATEMENTS The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percent time in each quadrant of Morris water maze performance on each day of testing in C57BL mice. The results were averaged across four trials per day (mean ± s.e.m.) in untreated C57BL male mice during the reversal phase of learning — that is, after 6 days of acquisition training in which the platform was in the SW quadrant. During the trials shown (a–d), the platform was moved from the SW to the NE quadrant. The gradual reduction in percent time can be seen in the ‘old’ or previous SW goal quadrant and the gradual shift to the ‘new’ NW goal position (tank diameter, 122 cm).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percent time in each quadrant of Morris water maze performance on each day of testing in Sprague–Dawley rats. The results were averaged across four trials per day (mean ± SEM) in untreated Sprague–Dawley male rats during the reversal phase of learning, as in Figure 1. The platform was in the SW quadrant during acquisition training and, during the trials shown (a–d), the platform was moved from the SW to the NE quadrant. As can be seen, rats show a rapid switch from the ‘old’ SW position to the ‘new’ NE platform position without perseverating on the original platform quadrant (tank diameter, 210 cm).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Morris water maze acquisition performance in untreated adult Long– Evans rats. Rats were given four trials per day and data represent the mean ± s.e.m. of blocks of four trials. Data are latency (s) to reach the goal, using identical sequences of start locations. The small tank was 122 cm in diameter and the large tank was 210 cm in diameter. All testing conditions and trials were identical for the two groups. The small tank perimeter was placed inside the larger tank so that all cues were identical. n = 10 per group (males).
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