Gene transcription and translation in the hippocampus is of critical importance in hippocampus-dependent memory formation, including during Morris water maze (MWM) learning. Previous work using gene deletion models has shown that the immediate-early genes (IEGs) c-Fos, Egr-1, and Arc are crucial for such learning. Recently, we reported that induction of IEGs in sparse dentate gyrus neurons requ...

BACKGROUND The handling of experimental animals prior to experimental interventions is often poorly described, even though it may affect the final functional outcome. This study explores how the use of repeated handling of C57BL/6 mice prior to Morris water maze (MWM) tests can affect the performance. METHODS AND MATERIALS The handled animals were subjected to the escalating handling protocol...

Introduction: The cholinergic system plays an important role in learning and memory. Administration of either extracts of Crocus Sativus (Saffron) or its constituent, crocin, reduced ethanol-induced memory impairment. Based on the above findings, we investigated the effect of crocin in antagonizing spatial learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine, a cholinergic receptor antagonist,...

To examine the isolated effects of altered currents in cerebellar Purkinje neurons, the authors used Scn8a-super(flox/flox), Purkinje cell protein-CRE (Pcp-CRE) mice in which Exon 1 of Scn8a is deleted only in Purkinje neurons. Twenty male Purkinje Scn8a knockout (PKJ Scn8a KO) mice and 20 male littermates were tested on the Morris water maze (MWM). Subsequently, half were tested in 500-ms dela...

Introduction: The Alzheimer Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia that leads to memory impairment. As the oxidative stress plays an important role in AD pathogenesis, the current study aimed at examining the protective effects of Cyperus Rotundus as an antioxidant on amyloid β (Aβ) -induced memory impairment.   Methods: Twenty-eight Wistar male rats received intrahipp...

Background: There is evidence that chronic neuroinflammation involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. In this regard, animal models are considered important tools for study associated with these The injection lipopolysaccharide (LPS) most commonly used approach inducing models. However, there limited inconsistent studies regard...

Gabapentin is one of the new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) launched recently. The advantage of new AEDs includes newer mechanism of action, broad spectrum of antiseizure effects, lesser drug interactions and fewer side effects. Gabapentin (GBP) a GABA analogue, is efficacious in several neurological and psychiatric conditions and it is conventionally used in the treatment of partial epilepsies. In...

The Morris water maze (MWM) is regarded as one of the most popular tests for detecting spatial memory in rodents. Long-term potentiation and cGMP synthesis seem to be among crucial factors involved this type learning. Muscarinic (M1, M4, M5 receptors) metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are important targets search antipsychotic drugs with potency treat cognitive disabilities associated dis...

The Morris water maze (MWM) was described 20 years ago as a device to investigate spatial learning and memory in laboratory rats. In the meanwhile, it has become one of the most frequently used laboratory tools in behavioral neuroscience. Many methodological variations of the MWM task have been and are being used by research groups in many different applications. However, researchers have becom...