The Development of Water Maze-Learning Ability in Rats

(2) Effect of Pretraining with the Water Filled Straight Channel

Abstract

To determine whether pretraining with the water-filled straight channel affects learning acquisition, we studied the water filled multiple T-maze learning ability in 8-weeks-old SPF Wistar-Imamichi rats. The performance time for the straight channel was markedly shortened at the 2nd and 3rd trial compared to the time at the 1st trial on the 1st day. But at subsequent trials on days 2 and 3 it was longer than at the 3rd trial on day 1. At the 1st trial on day 1, the performance time of the group unexperienced in the straight channel was more than three times that of the experienced group. In subsequent trials, however, both groups showed similar performance times. More errors were ob-served in the unexperienced group than in the experienced group at the 1st trial on day 1. No difference was found between the two groups in subsequent trials. These results indicate that the learning acquisition was largely influenced by pretraining in the straight channel at the 1st trial on day 1.