BMS1052 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Morris Water Navigation Task, Anxiogenic, Frontal Lobe
5 May 2018
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Lecture 8
Learning objectives
• Describe the range of spatial and temporal resolutions at which the nervous system is
studied
• describe the advantages and disadvantages of:
• Common behavioural tests intra- and extracellular recording techniques
Lecture outline
1. Characterising behaviour in controlled environments
2. Characterising function across the whole brain
(lesions, fMRI & EEG)
3. Studying the activity of single neurons
(intracellular and extracellular recordings)
4. Manipulating neural activity (microstimulation and optogenetics)
1.Behavioural testing in normal, diseased and pharmacologically altered animals
Elevated plus maze
- Rodents typically have an aversion to open spaces
- Can quantify time spent in open vs closed arms of maze, and see how administration
of anxiolytic / anxiogenic drugs affect behaviour
Roared task
- Rodent is placed on a rotating drum and must continually walk to avoid falling
- Quantify time when walking stops
The Morris water maze
• Used to study spatial learning and memory
• Rat is placed into pool of water which contains hidden platform. Visual cues around
the room provide navigation cues. Eventually rat finds platform directly.
ADVANTAGES:
▪ Only way to relate neuronal activity or interventions to perception, behaviour and
motor control
▪ Can relate animal and human performance on similar tasks
DISADVANTAGES:
▪ Can be very expensive
▪ Typially at test ay aials
▪ Time consuming
▪ Analysis can be subjective
▪ Requires a lot of laboratory space
2.Characterising function across large regions of the brain (lesions, fMRI & EEG)
1. Lesions
e.g. Phineas cage rod went through his head and removed left frontal lobe
No change to basic senses or motor control, but changes to personality
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Learning objectives: describe the range of spatial and temporal resolutions at which the nervous system is studied, describe the advantages and disadvantages of, common behavioural tests intra- and extracellular recording techniques. Lecture outline: characterising behaviour in controlled environments, characterising function across the whole brain (lesions, fmri & eeg) the, studying activity of single neurons (intracellular and extracellular recordings, manipulating neural activity (microstimulation and optogenetics) 1. behavioural testing in normal, diseased and pharmacologically altered animals. Rodents typically have an aversion to open spaces. Can quantify time spent in open vs closed arms of maze, and see how administration of anxiolytic / anxiogenic drugs affect behaviour. Rodent is placed on a rotating drum and must continually walk to avoid falling. The morris water maze: used to study spatial learning and memory, rat is placed into pool of water which contains hidden platform. Visual cues around the room provide navigation cues.
