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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 17, 2026

The Attentional Set Shifting Task: A Measure of Cognitive Flexibility in Mice
09:15

The Attentional Set Shifting Task: A Measure of Cognitive Flexibility in Mice

Published on: February 4, 2015

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Training Mice to Perform Attentional Set-Shifting Under Head Restraint.

Katarina Kalajzic1, John J Stout2, Alexander C Mitchell2

  • 1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.

Bio-Protocol
|September 15, 2025
PubMed
Summary

This study presents a novel head-restrained rodent model for measuring cognitive flexibility using an attentional set-shifting paradigm. This method allows for simultaneous behavioral and neural activity analysis, advancing research into neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Cognitive flexibility, the ability to adapt behavior to changing rules, is crucial for goal-directed actions.
  • Attentional set-shifting paradigms, like the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, assess this ability but are challenging to translate to rodents.
  • Disruptions in cognitive flexibility are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a head-restrained attentional set-shifting paradigm in mice.
  • To enable simultaneous behavioral and neural recordings for studying cognitive flexibility mechanisms.
  • To provide a translational tool for investigating cognitive deficits in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Main Methods:

Keywords:
AttentionalCognitive flexibilityExecutive functionHead restraintSet-shifting

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2026

The Attentional Set Shifting Task: A Measure of Cognitive Flexibility in Mice
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An Operant Intra-/Extra-dimensional Set-shift Task for Mice
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  • A head-restrained paradigm was designed for water-restricted mice, utilizing odor or whisker vibration cues.
  • Mice learned to associate cues with directional lick responses for water rewards, adapting to periodically switching stimulus-response-outcome rules.
  • The paradigm was integrated with 2-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, and electrophysiology for concurrent neural and behavioral measurements.

    • Main Results:

    • The head-restrained setup successfully allowed mice to perform the attentional set-shifting task, demonstrating cognitive flexibility.
    • The paradigm facilitated precise control over stimuli, responses, and outcomes, enabling detailed behavioral analysis.
    • Integration with neural recording techniques allowed for the examination of neural correlates of cognitive flexibility.

    Conclusions:

    • This head-restrained attentional set-shifting paradigm offers a robust and versatile method for studying cognitive flexibility in rodents.
    • It serves as a valuable tool for investigating the neural circuitry underlying cognitive flexibility and its dysfunction in neuropsychiatric conditions.
    • The paradigm's compatibility with advanced neurophysiological techniques opens new avenues for translational research in brain disorders.