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Hypothermia impairs performance in the Morris water maze
T M Rauch1, D I Welch, L Gallego
1U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA 01760.
Physiology & Behavior
|August 1, 1989
Summary
Hypothermia impairs spatial memory in rats, affecting their performance in the Morris water maze. However, restoring normal body temperature fully recovers their cognitive abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- The Morris water maze is a standard behavioral paradigm for assessing spatial learning and memory in rodents.
- Core body temperature (Tc) is a critical physiological parameter that can influence cognitive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of hypothermia on spatial memory retention in rats using the Morris water maze.
- To determine if recovery from hypothermia leads to the restoration of spatial memory performance.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained on the Morris water maze until asymptotic performance was reached.
- Core body temperature was experimentally lowered to 28°C or 30°C, or maintained at normothermia (37°C).
- Spatial performance was assessed during hypothermia and after rewarming to normothermia.
Main Results:
- Hypothermia significantly impaired all measures of spatial performance in the Morris water maze.
- Artificial rewarming to normothermia resulted in a complete recovery of spatial memory function.
- The degree of impairment correlated with the reduction in core body temperature.
Conclusions:
- Hypothermia poses a significant detriment to spatial memory performance, potentially through an amnesic mechanism.
- Restoring normothermic body temperature is sufficient to reverse the cognitive deficits induced by hypothermia.
- These findings highlight the critical role of stable core body temperature for optimal cognitive function.