title: A novel spatial Delayed Non-Match to Sample (DNMS) task in the Göttingen minipig.
abstract: The pig (Sus scrofus) is a valuable animal for modeling human brain diseases. When evaluating animal models of many human brain disorders cognitive testing is crucial, but the pig's ability to learn the typical types of tasks used in neuropsychological testing of other species is largely unknown. The present study is the first study to evaluate the pig's ability to learn the Delayed Non-Match to Sample (DNMS) task. The pigs were trained in a maze on a spatial version of the DNMS task. Initially, the pigs were trained with a 60s delay interval between sample and test phases, and we found that the pigs required an average of 144 trials to reach criterion for learning the task, which is similar to macaque monkeys. We also found that pigs, in contrast to rats, do not have a natural tendency to alternate in their choices in the task. To evaluate the sensitivity to reduced memory function longer delay intervals (300 s and 900 s) and a scopolamine challenge were introduced. In our test condition we found a significant effect of longer delay intervals (F(2,21)=34.43, P<0.0001) and of scopolamine (F(1,14)=14.28, P=0.002) on the number of correct choices in the task. We conclude that the Göttingen minipig can solve the spatial DNMS task and that the task is sensitive to both increasing delay intervals and to scopolamine.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen E, Denmark. rune.nielsen@rh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Thomas Rune
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Birgitte Rahbek
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kornum
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moustgaard
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gade
authors.forename: Nanna Marie
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Gitte Moos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Knudsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D012601:Scopolamine