title: Mice discriminate between stationary and moving 2D shapes: application to the object recognition task to increase attention.
abstract: Selective attention can be assessed with the novel object recognition (NOR) test. In the standard version of this test the selection of objects to be used is critical. We created a modified version of NOR, the virtual object recognition test (VORT) in mice, where the 3D objects were replaced with highly discriminated geometrical shapes and presented on two 3.5-inch widescreen displays. No difference in the discrimination index (from 5min to 96h of inter-trial) was found between NOR and VORT. Scopolamine and mecamylamine decreased the discrimination index. Conversely, the discrimination index increased when nicotine was given to mice. No further improvement in the discrimination index was observed when nicotine was injected in mice presented with highly discriminable shapes. To test the possibility that object movements increased mice's attention in the VORT, different movements were applied to the same geometrical shapes previously presented. Mice were able to distinguish among different movements (horizontal, vertical, oblique). Notably, the shapes previously found not distinguishable when stationary were better discriminated when moving. Collectively, these findings indicate that VORT, based on virtual geometric simple shapes, offers the possibility to obtain rapid information on amnesic/pro-amnestic potential of new drugs. The introduction of motion is a strong cue that makes the task more valuable to study attention.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biotecnologie mediche e Medicina traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braida
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donzelli
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martucci
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ponzoni
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pauletti
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langus
authors.forename: Mariaelvina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface
chemical_list: D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D012601:Scopolamine