Persistent spatial working memory deficits in rats with bilateral cortical microgyria
2008

Memory Problems in Rats with Brain Abnormalities

Sample size: 18 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): R Holly Fitch, Heather Breslawski, Glenn D Rosen, James J Chrobak

Primary Institution: University of Connecticut

Hypothesis

Do rats with induced cortical microgyria exhibit deficits in spatial working memory?

Conclusion

Rats with induced microgyria showed persistent deficits in spatial working memory compared to sham-treated rats.

Supporting Evidence

  • MG rats made significantly more errors than shams during initial testing.
  • Memory deficits in MG rats were evident even after 60 days of testing.
  • Both groups showed learning, but MG rats performed less effectively.

Takeaway

Rats with brain damage from microgyria have trouble remembering where to find things, even after a lot of practice.

Methodology

The study used a delayed match-to-sample radial water maze task to assess working memory performance in rats with microgyria and sham controls.

Limitations

The study only included male rats, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Participant Demographics

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1744-9081-4-45

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