McGauran, Anne-Marie T. and O'Mara, Shane and Commins, Sean (2005) Vestibular influence on water maze retention: transient whole body rotations improve the accuracy of the cue-based retention strategy. Behavioural Brain Research, 158 (1). pp. 183-187. ISSN 0166-4328

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Abstract

Spatial learning in the water maze is thought to rely both on distal cues and vestibular information [Aggleton JP, Vann SD, Oswald CJP, Good M. Identifying cortical inputs to the rat hippocampus that subserves allocentric spatial processes: a simple problem with a complex answer. Hippocampus 2000;10:466–74; Pearce JM. Animal learning and cognition: an introduction. UK: Psychology Press; 1997]. Experiment 1 demonstrates that while water maze retention relies primarily on cue-platform based associations, this strategy is not precise, as animals tend to focus at the side of the pool. In experiment 2, we demonstrate that vestibular rotation eliminates this inaccuracy. These experiments highlight the importance of both cue and vestibular information for accurate retention of the water maze.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Retention; Vestibular rotation; Spatial memory; Water maze; Distal cues;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	10704
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2004.08.013
Depositing User:	Dr. Sean Commins
Date Deposited:	09 Apr 2019 14:38
Journal or Publication Title:	Behavioural Brain Research
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	https://www.sciencedirect.com
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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