Spatial Memory

Question 1

What are the three types of MWTs?

Answer 1

1) Landmark-learning task (visible platform) - Dependent on the striatum
2) Place learning task (hidden platform) - Dependent upon the hpc
3) Matching to place (moving platform) - Dependent upon the frontal cortex, hpc, and dentate gyrus. Looking for behavioural flexibility (animal must learn that the platform moves)

Question 2

What happens when rats with hpc lesions were assessed for spatial memory capacities?

Answer 2

• Lesions of the hpc affect place but not cue-based navigation.

Question 3

What did the virtual morris water task study reveal?

Answer 3

• Compared performance across controls, people with tumours, and those with HPC damage. Also had three different age groups as well.
• Results: People with HPC damage spent significantly less time in the correct quadrant
• Young people did significantly better than older people.

Question 4

How does injecting amphetamine into the amygdala of rats immediately after or 2 hours after MWT training impact memory capabilities?

Answer 4

• Immediate injection of amphetamine had the greatest impact on reducing escape latency in retention performance
• Illustrates how there is a brief time shortly after a behavioural experience during which the strength of the memory can be modified.
• Specifically, manipulating the amygdala has the ability to alter plasticity in structures that impact memory performance. The amygdala helps notify other sructures that this is important.

Question 5

T/F: Female rat behaviour is more variable than male rat behaviour.

Answer 5

• FALSE
• Recent meta-analyses have demonstrated that variation in behaviour between male and female rats is fairly similar.

Question 6

How does the chronic stress phenomenon illustrate the natural variations in behaviour that can be observed across random groups of rodents?

Answer 6

• There was a completely random group of rats that underwent stress extinction
• Observed three random groups emerge even though none of the rats were manipulated: rapid extinction, slow extinction, and failure to extinguish
• The groups were significantly different

Question 7

Are non-human animals a homogenous group?

Answer 7

• Short answer is no (we should not expect them to be)
• There are sex differences in terms of behaviour

Question 8

What’s the purpose of the object location memory task?

Answer 8

• The rat needs to be able to pick up on the object that has been moved out of place between the two locations.

Question 9

Who performs better in the object location memory task? How does this reflect on previous research on sex differences in spatial memory.

Answer 9

• Females perform better.
• Historically, males have been portrayed as better at spatial memory and spatial navigation
• This study illustrates that this isn’t necessarily the case, and it is very much dependent upon how you ask the question
• Females are better at landmark-based navigation, as illustrated in this study.

Question 10

What are two important quotes to remember about behavioural neuroscience?

Answer 10

• “If you think about behaviour in an intelligent way you can understand the brain.”
• “Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.”