The effect of β-amyloid injection on different remembered aspects of the Morris Water Maze in rats

Abstract

This experiment sought to further examine the specific memory deficits of Alzheimer\u27s disease, a disease commonly associated with memory loss. Lab rats were injected with β-amyloid, a protein known to have degenerative effects on structures within the brain that mimics Alzheimer\u27s disease, and were then required to locate a platform in a water maze task. Four rats were trained using the traditional water maze task and were then tested when the start location was manipulated or the global cues surrounding the maze were manipulated. The rats\u27 times and distances taken to locate the platform in the tests were compared to those in training. There was no significant difference between the times and distances for both manipulation tasks compared to the training. However, when the data of three out of the four rats were examined, the manipulation of global versus local cue produced a significant deficit. These data demonstrate that the rats\u27 ability to use global cues may be distorted when Alzheimer\u27s disease is mimicked