A special eight-arm maze device for testing spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews

Abstract

The application discloses a special eight-arm maze device for testing the spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews, which comprises a central platform device, a starting arm device, an experimental arm device and a support plate, and the eight-arm maze device is composed of the central platform device, seven experimental arm devices and one starting arm device which are uniformly arranged in a Chinese character'mi' type around the central platform device, and the experimental arm device and the starting arm device are fixedly connected with the central platform device by screws on both sides of the support plate. In addition, the central platform and the seven experimental arms are designed by splicing a semitransparent material, the visual field of the tree shrews in the maze is expanded, the animals are facilitated to position according to the space reference outside the maze, the tree shrews are more likely to receive and refer to environmental information, and efficient learning of the tree shrews is facilitated; the side plate of the starting arm is designed to be opaque, the interference of environmental and artificial factors on the tree shrews during the rest period of the tree shrews in the starting arm after the experiment is reduced, and the safety of the tree shrews is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to experimental animal tree shrew spatial learning and memory ability determination, specifically to a special eight-arm maze device for testing tree shrew spatial learning and memory ability. BACKGROUND

[0002] The eight-arm maze is a maze model for studying animal spatial memory, and is an important means for quantitatively determining changes in animal behavior, mainly used for research on animal learning, memory, spatial cognition, foraging strategy and the like. It is composed of an octagonal central platform and eight arms connected in a cross shape around the central platform. Some of the arms are selected for the experiment, and food is placed at the end of the arm as a reward. Animals in a hungry state will be driven by food to explore the arms of the maze, and after a certain period of training, the animals can remember the specific spatial position of the food arm in the maze and preferentially search for the food arm. According to the foraging strategy of the animals, this method can simultaneously determine the working memory and reference memory of the animals.

[0003] In practical applications, the eight-arm maze experiment paradigm of rats and mice is relatively mature, however, rats and mice have a long genetic distance from primates in evolution, and are nocturnal animals, so the use of them for related behavior experiments has limited value for human research. Tree shrews, as a new type of model animal, have the advantages of closer genetic relationship to primates, diurnal activity, excellent vision, and are potential ideal model animals for studying spatial cognition and memory. However, there is currently no precedent for using tree shrews for eight-arm maze experiments. The main reason is that there are large differences in behavior and temperament between tree shrews and rats. In order to explore the eight-arm maze experiment paradigm of tree shrews, an eight-arm maze device suitable for tree shrew experiments needs to be developed to adapt to the behavior and habits of tree shrews.

[0004] In view of the current demand for the development of new experimental animal models for eight-arm maze spatial learning and memory, and in view of the difficulties of short domestication time, timidity, susceptibility to shock and difficulty in establishing a spatial learning and memory model of artificially bred tree shrews, the present application provides an eight-arm maze device for testing the spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides an eight-arm maze device for testing the spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews, which solves the problem of difficulty in accurately measuring the spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews due to their preference for jumping, fast movement speed and high stress during the traditional eight-arm maze process.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the application provides the following technical scheme: a kind of tree shrew spatial learning and memory ability test special eight-arm maze device, it is characterized in that the eight-arm maze device includes central platform device, starting arm device, experimental arm device, support plate, the eight-arm maze device is formed by the central platform device and the 7 experimental arm devices and 1 starting arm device of the uniform arrangement of the central platform device around in the shape of rice, the experimental arm device and the starting arm device are fixedly connected by the central platform device with the both sides of support plate and screw;

[0007] The central platform device includes a central platform bottom plate and a central platform top cover, the central platform top cover is provided with a convex structure, and the convex structure is fixedly connected with the central platform bottom plate V-shaped side plate; the central platform top cover is transparent design.

[0008] The starting arm device and the experimental arm device are composed of a bottom plate, an arm side plate and a push-pull top plate, the push-pull top plate and the arm side plate are designed as a pull slot, the upper 2 / 3 of the experimental arm side plate is transparent design, the lower 1 / 3 is opaque design, and the push-pull top plate is transparent design.

[0009] Further, the central platform top cover, the push-pull top plate and the end bottom of the experimental arm bottom plate are all provided with air holes.

[0010] Further, the side plate of the starting arm device is opaque design.

[0011] Further, the starting arm device and the experimental arm device are detachable.

[0012] Further, a food bowl is placed at the end of the experimental arm device for placing food.

[0013] The application provides a tree shrew spatial learning and memory ability test special eight-arm maze device, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] (1) The upper 2 / 3 of the arm side plate of the 7 experimental arms is transparent design, the lower 1 / 3 is opaque, the central platform top cover and the push-pull top plate are both transparent design, and the whole eight-arm maze device is semi-transparent design, which can expand the visual field of tree shrew in the maze and facilitate the animal to position according to the space reference outside the maze.

[0015] (2) Air holes are opened at the end bottom of the bottom plate of the 7 experimental arms in the maze, food is placed outside the air holes during the experiment, so that the smell of food is evenly distributed in the whole space of the maze, and the smell interference of the food arm is eliminated.

[0016] (3) One arm is fixed as the starting arm, and remains unchanged in the subsequent experiment, which can greatly reduce the frequency of grabbing tree shrew by experimenters and reduce the stress, and the remaining 7 experimental arms are completely the same in structure.

[0017] (4) The opaque design of the side plate of the starting arm reduces the interference of the environment and human factors on the tree shrews during their resting period in the starting arm after the experiment, and improves the safety of the animals.

[0018] (5) The top of the starting arm device and the experimental arm device is provided with a push-pull top plate, which facilitates the experimenter to guide the tree shrews into the starting arm and clean the maze. The central platform top cover and the push-pull top plate are provided with a plurality of air holes for the tree shrews to breathe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the eight-arm maze device for tree shrews.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a top view of the eight-arm maze device for tree shrews.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic view of the starting arm plug-in gate of the eight-arm maze device for tree shrews.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a structure diagram of the starting arm and experimental arm top plate pull slot of the eight-arm maze device for tree shrews.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a convex structure diagram of the central platform top cover of the eight-arm maze device for tree shrews.

[0024] 100 - central platform device; 200 - starting arm device; 300 - experimental arm device; 400 - support plate; 500 - food bowl; 110 - central platform bottom plate; 120 - central platform top cover; 130 - central platform V-shaped side plate; 210 - starting arm bottom plate; 220 - starting arm side plate; 230 - push-pull top plate; 240 - gate; 250 - convex structure; 310 - experimental arm bottom plate; 320 - experimental arm side plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-5 The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] As Figures 1-5As shown, the eight-arm maze device is divided into a central platform device 100 and eight arm devices arranged in a rice-shaped pattern around the central platform device, which can be disassembled. Seven of the eight arm devices are experimental arm devices 300, which are constructed identically. The remaining one arm device is fixed as a starting arm device 200. The experimental arm devices 300 and the starting arm device 200 are fixedly connected to the central platform device 100 by left and right side plates of a support plate 400 via screws. The eight arm devices can be disassembled from the support plate 400. In addition, a gate 240 is installed between the starting arm device 200 and the central platform device 100, which can be manually opened or closed. A food bowl 500 is placed at the end of each of the seven experimental arm devices 300 for the tree shrews to forage.

[0027] The central platform device 100 includes a central platform bottom plate 110 and a central platform top cover 120. The central platform top cover 120 is provided with a convex structure 250, which is fixedly connected to the central platform V-shaped side plate 130 at an angle. The central platform top cover 120 is transparent.

[0028] The eight arm devices are each composed of a bottom plate, an arm side plate, and a push-pull top plate 230. The push-pull top plate 230 and the arm side plate are designed with a pull slot, which improves the convenience of experimenters in guiding the tree shrews to return to the starting arm, supplementing food, and cleaning the maze during the early training period. Two-thirds of the upper part of the seven experimental arm side plates 320 are transparent, and the lower one-third is opaque. The push-pull top plate 230 is transparent, and the push-pull top plate 230 of the one starting arm device 200 is also transparent. The end top plate of the starting arm bottom plate 210 is a hollow structure, as shown in Figure 1 The tree shrews enter the eight-arm maze device from the end top plate of the starting arm bottom plate 210. The starting arm side plate 220 is opaque, which reduces the interference of the environment and human factors on the tree shrews during their rest in the starting arm after the experiment, and improves the safety of the animals.

[0029] The end bottom of the seven experimental arm bottom plates 310 is provided with a ventilation hole. The same food as the reward is placed outside the ventilation hole of the seven experimental arms before the experiment, which is used to eliminate the smell interference of the food arms on the tree shrews during the experiment.

[0030] After the start of the experiment, the tree shrews were transferred from the home cage to the end of the opaque starting arm by using a transparent nest box. The tree shrews were guided into the starting arm, given a 1 min cool-down period, and then the starting arm gate was opened. When the tree shrews entered the central platform device, the computer was operated to record their trajectories, and the starting arm gate was closed at the same time. When the tree shrews finished eating all the food in the arm or reached the cutoff time, the experimenter opened the starting arm gate to guide the tree shrews into the starting arm for rest. During the rest period, the experimenter cleaned the maze marks by pushing and pulling the top cover. The whole process needed to be gentle to reduce the influence of human factors on the tree shrews. After each experiment, the tree shrews were rested in the starting arm for 1 min before the next experiment. After all the experiments for one tree shrew were completed on the same day, the tree shrews were transferred from the starting arm to the home cage through the transparent nest box, and the maze was thoroughly cleaned.

[0031] The central platform and the 7 experimental arms were designed with spliced semi-transparent design to expand the tree shrew's field of view in the maze, making it easier for the animals to locate based on spatial reference outside the maze. The central platform and the 8 arms were covered with a transparent top cover, which had long or round holes for ventilation, increasing the ventilation of the maze.

Claims

1. An eight-armed maze device specifically for testing the spatial learning and memory abilities of tree shrews, characterized in that: The eight-arm maze device includes a central platform device, a starting arm device, an experimental arm device, and a support plate. The eight-arm maze device is composed of the central platform device and seven experimental arm devices and one starting arm device arranged in a cross shape around it. The experimental arm devices and the starting arm devices are fixedly connected to the central platform device by the two side plates of the support plate with screws. The central platform device includes a central platform base plate and a central platform top cover. The central platform top cover has a convex structure, which is fixedly connected to the V-shaped side plate of the central platform base plate. The central platform top cover is transparent. Both the starting arm device and the experimental arm device are composed of a base plate, an arm side plate and a push-pull top plate. The push-pull top plate and the arm side plate are connected by a groove design. The upper 2 / 3 of the arm side plate of the experimental arm device is transparent, the lower 1 / 3 of the arm side plate of the experimental arm device is opaque, and the push-pull top plate is transparent. Ventilation holes are provided at the bottom of the ends of the central platform top cover, the push-pull top plate, and the bottom plate of the experimental arm device. The arm side plate of the starting arm device is designed to be opaque.

2. The eight-arm maze device for testing spatial learning and memory ability of tree shrews according to claim 1, wherein: Each experimental arm device has a food bowl placed at its end for holding food.

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