A novel experimental paradigm for studying cognitive functions related to delayed response tasks in mice

Rodents are the animals most commonly employed to model human cognitive functions, but serious problems arise from the non-selective use of behavioral paradigms that measure different processes in rodents than those found in humans. To avoid problems stemming from the use of different paradigms on humans and mice, a new experimental paradigm for mice was developed to study the cognitive functions involved in delayed response tasks. The experiments were conducted in an olfactory tubing maze using three successive delayed response tasks: an alternation task, a non-alternation task, and a reversal task. Mice had to discover the rule by themselves by choosing one of two identical odor cues presented simultaneously at the left and right sides of a testing chamber. The success criterion was set at 10, 8, 6, or 4 consecutive correct responses, with a maximum of 80 trials per task, as used in primates. In the delayed alternation task with the criterion of 10 or 8 consecutive successful trials, the rule was discovered but required many more than 80 trials for most of the mice. With a criterion of 6 or 4, the mice were successful but twice as many trials were necessary to reach the criterion of 6 as opposed to 4. In the delayed non-alternation and reversal tasks, more than 80 trials were needed to figure out the new rule with the criterion of 10 or 8. All mice were successful with the criterion of 6 or 4. The results indicated that no matter what criterion was used, mice were able to discover the two rules on the three consecutive delayed response tasks, but they did so with more or less ease. This novel paradigm for mice should be useful in experiments on pharmacological treatments or for testing transgenic or gene-targeting mice to gain insight into the brain structures involved in this type of task.