title: The utilisation of operant delayed matching and non-matching to position for probing cognitive flexibility and working memory in mouse models of Huntington's disease.
abstract: Operant behavioural testing provides a highly sensitive and automated method of exploring the behavioural deficits seen in rodent models of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). The delayed matching to position (DMTP) and delayed non-matching to position (DNMTP) tasks probe spatial learning and working memory and when applied serially they can be used to measure reversal learning, which has been shown to be an early symptom of executive dysfunction in HD.
  
  
  
  The DMTP and DNMTP tasks were conducted in two configurations of operant apparatus; the conventional 9-hole operant apparatus, and a Skinner-like operant apparatus, to compare, contrast and optimise the DMTP and DNMTP operant protocols for use in mice. The optimised tasks were then tested in the Hdh(Q111) mouse model of HD.
  
  
  
  Optimisation of the operant apparatus demonstrated that the mice learned the DMTP and DNMTP tasks more rapidly and effectively in the Skinner-like apparatus configuration in comparison to the conventional 9-hole apparatus configuration. When tested in the Hdh(Q111) mouse model of HD, the DMTP and DNMTP tasks revealed significant deficits in reversal learning.
  
  
  
  We found that mice were capable of performing the DMTP and DNMTP tasks in both apparatus configurations, but in comparison to the 9-hole configuration, the Skinner-like configuration produced more efficient, robust and reliable results.
  
  
  
  The results presented here suggest that DMTP and DNMTP tasks, incorporating a reversal learning manipulation, are valid and robust methods for probing selected cognitive deficits in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases.
authors: The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, South Glamorgan, United Kingdom. Electronic address: YhnellE@cf.ac.uk.
authors: Emma
authors: E
authors: Yhnell
authors: The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, South Glamorgan, United Kingdom.
authors: Stephen B
authors: SB
authors: Dunnett
authors: The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, South Glamorgan, United Kingdom.
authors: Simon P
authors: SP
authors: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D055879:Gene Knock-In Techniques; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012193:Reversal Learning
keywords: 9-Hole box; HD mice; Huntington's disease; Operant tests; Reversal learning; Short-term memory