The Morris Water Maze (MWM) is a popular behavioral test in neuroscience and psychology that evaluates spatial learning and memory in rodents. Introduced by Richard G. Morris in 1981, the MWM has become a key method for examining hippocampal-dependent spatial learning in rats and mice.
HVS Image played an important role in the development of the MWM by providing Richard Morris with the first-ever video tracking device for water maze research. This collaboration significantly contributed to establishing the MWM as a standard tool in neuroscience and psychology. HVS Image’s impact extends beyond the MWM, as its sophisticated video tracking system was also employed by John O’Keefe in his groundbreaking research, which earned him the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. O’Keefe’s research involved identifying place cells in the hippocampus, specialized neurons that signify an animal’s spatial location in their environment. HVS Image’s tracking system allowed O’Keefe to precisely examine rodents’ complex spatial behaviors and discover the neural mechanisms responsible for spatial cognition.
HVS Image has consistently refined and enhanced its tracking systems to better support researchers investigating spatial learning and memory. With improvements in both hardware and software, HVS Image’s tracking solutions enable effective and precise analysis of rodent behavior in the MWM, including escape latency, path length, and search strategies.
Today, MWM systems like HVS Image 2023 offer an Atlantis platform, alongside standard platforms, bringing several quantitative enhancements such as heightened sensitivity, accuracy, and dependability in evaluating spatial learning and memory in rodents. The Atlantis platform also offers a superior signal-to-noise ratio, enabling greater sensitivity in identifying differences between groups or treatments. Used in conjunction with HVS Image analyses, it serves as a valuable instrument for researchers studying learning and memory, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug discovery.
HVS Image has significantly influenced the Morris Water Maze’s history and the broader domain of spatial cognition research. Continually leading the way with yearly updates to its MWM and video tracking solutions, HVS Image’s advancements in video tracking systems have substantially aided the study of spatial learning and memory in rodents, enabling researchers to investigate the neural mechanisms driving these intricate cognitive processes.
References: O’Keefe, J., & Dostrovsky, J. (1971). The hippocampus as a spatial map. Preliminary evidence from unit activity in the freely-moving rat. Brain research, 34(1), 171-175. Morris, R. (1981). Spatial localization does not require the presence of local cues. Learning and motivation, 12(2), 239-260. Gallagher, M., Burwell, R., & Burchinal, M. (1993). Severity of spatial learning impairment in aging: development of a learning index for performance in the Morris water maze. Behavioral neuroscience, 107(4), 618-626. Trettel, J., Klein, B., & Feinstein, S. (2019). Quantitative improvements in the Morris water maze task using an ultra-high precision computer-controlled platform. Behavioural brain research, 360, 239