Pre-exposure to context affects learning strategy selection in mice.
The multiple memory systems hypothesis proposes that different types of learning strategies are mediated by distinct neural systems in the brain. Male and female mice were tested on a water plus-maze task that could be solved by either a place or response strategy. One group of mice was pre-exposed to the same context as training and testing (PTC) and the other group was pre-exposed to a different context (PDC). Our results show that the PTC condition biased mice to place strategy use in males, but this bias was dependent on the presence of ovarian hormones in females.
Tunur
Tumay
T
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA.
Dohanich
Gary P
GP
Schrader
Laura A
LA
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003463:Cues; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*
D004958:Estradiol