Direct measurement of spontaneous strategy selection in a virtual morris water maze shows females choose an allocentric strategy at least as often as males do.

2012 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin J. H. van Gerven ◽  
Andrea N. Schneider ◽  
Daniel M. Wuitchik ◽  
Ronald W. Skelton
Keyword(s):  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Direct Measurement ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Strategy Selection ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze

scholarly journals Sex differences in virtual navigation influenced by visual factors and individual differences

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lace Padilla
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Standard Design ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze

The Morris water maze is a task adapted from the animal spatial cognition literature and has been studied in the context of sex differences in humans, particularly because of the standard design, which manipulates proximal (close) and distal (far) cues. However, there are mixed findings with respect to the interaction of cues and sex differences in virtual Morris water maze tasks, which may be attributed to variations in the scale of the space and previously unmeasured individual differences. We explore the question of scale and context by presenting participants with an outdoor virtual Morris water maze that is four times the size of the mazes previously tested. We also measured lifetime mobility and mental rotation skills. Results of this study suggest that for the small-scale environment, males and females performed similarly when asked to navigate with only proximal cues. However, males outperformed females when only distal cues were visible. In the large-scale environment, males outperformed females in both cue conditions. Additionally, greater mental rotation skills predicted better navigation performance with proximal cues only. Finally, we found that highly mobile females and males perform equally well when navigating with proximal cues.

scholarly journals Curcumin improves hippocampal function in healthy older adults: a three month randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Scholey ◽  
Katherine Cox ◽  
Andrew Pipingas ◽  
David White
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Pattern Separation ◽  
Hippocampal Function ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze

AbstractThe flavonoid curcumin is believed to be responsible for the purported health benefits of turmeric. Like other flavonoids, curcumin affects several systemic and central processes involved in neurocognitive aging. We have previously shown that one month administration of a highly bioavailable curcumin extract (Longvida™) improved working memory and reduced fatigue and workload stress in an older, cognitively intact cohort(1). This study focused on the effects of the same extract, focusing on memory tasks subserved by the hippocampus, one of two areas of the adult brain believed to be capable of adult neurogenesis.Eighty healthy older participants (aged 50–80 years, mean = 68.1, ± SD 6.34) took part in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups trial. Volunteers were randomised to receive administration of 400 mg daily Longvida™ (containing 80 mg curcumin) or a matching placebo. Assessment took place at baseline and 4 and 12 weeks thereafter. Outcomes included two tasks evaluating memory processes relevant to hippocampal function. These were i) a human analogue of the widely used rodent Morris Water Maze - the virtual Morris Water Maze (vMWM) and ii) a Mnemonic Similarity task evaluating pattern separation. Measures of mood, cardiovascular function and other blood biomarkers were collected, and a subset of the cohort underwent neuroimaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging.Compared with placebo, there were a number of improvements in the curcumin group. The curcumin group had significantly better performance at 12 weeks on the virtual Morris Water Maze (p = .019). Curcumin was also associated with better performance on a pattern separation task (p = .025). Curcumin was also associated with number of significantly benefits to mood, including, from the Profile of Mood States (POMS), including, at 28 days only, total mood disturbance (p = .006), tension-anxiety (p = .028), confusion-bewilderment (p = .019), anger-Hostility (p = .009). There were also significant benefits to the POMS fatigue scores at both assessments (p ≤ .011). There were no group differences in biomarker levels.These results confirm that Longvida™ curcumin improves aspects of mood and working memory in a healthy older cohort. The pattern of results is consistent with improvements in hippocampal function and may hold promise for alleviating cognitive decline in populations at risk of pathological cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Impairments in precision, rather than spatial strategy, characterize performance on the virtual Morris Water Maze: A case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 ◽  
pp. 90-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Branden S. Kolarik ◽  
Kiarash Shahlaie ◽  
Abdul Hassan ◽  
Alyssa A. Borders ◽  
Kyle C. Kaufman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Spatial Strategy ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze

scholarly journals Human Hippocampal and Parahippocampal Theta during Goal-Directed Spatial Navigation Predicts Performance on a Virtual Morris Water Maze

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (23) ◽  
pp. 5983-5990 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Cornwell ◽  
L. L. Johnson ◽  
T. Holroyd ◽  
F. W. Carver ◽  
C. Grillon
Keyword(s):  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze

Human spatial navigation deficits after traumatic brain injury shown in the arena maze, a virtual Morris water maze

Brain Injury ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald W. Skelton ◽  
Shelley P. Ross ◽  
Ludek Nerad ◽  
Sharon A. Livingstone
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Morris Water Maze ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Virtual Morris Water Maze
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