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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
09:13
A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test
Published on: May 16, 2017
Episodic-like memory in rats: is it based on when or how long ago?
William A Roberts1, Miranda C Feeney, Krista Macpherson
1Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada. roberts@uwo.ca
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 5, 2008
Summary
Rats demonstrate memory for food, but primarily recall how long ago it was found, not the specific time. This suggests rat episodic-like memory differs from human episodic memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Rats exhibit episodic-like memory, recalling what, where, and when food was encountered.
- The ability to recall 'when' an event occurred is crucial for understanding temporal cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether rats' episodic-like memory relies on recalling the specific time of an event or the duration elapsed since the event.
- To differentiate between 'when' and 'how long ago' memory in rats.
Main Methods:
- Three groups of rats were trained to remember food locations on a radial maze.
- Each group was restricted to specific temporal cues: 'when' the food was encountered, 'how long ago' it was found, or a combination of both.
- Performance was assessed based on the rats' ability to recall the food's location using the provided temporal cues.
Main Results:
- Rats could successfully utilize the 'how long ago' cue to remember food locations.
- Rats were unable to effectively use the 'when' cue alone.
- The combined 'when + how long ago' cue's effectiveness was limited, suggesting a reliance on the 'how long ago' component.
Conclusions:
- Rat episodic-like memory appears to be primarily based on the elapsed time since an event, rather than the specific temporal context.
- These findings indicate that episodic-like memory in rats may be qualitatively distinct from human episodic memory, particularly concerning temporal recall.
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