Novel application of a Radial Water Tread maze can distinguish cognitive deficits in mice with traumatic brain injury

作者：Cline Marcella M; Yumul Josh C; Hysa Lisa; Murra Dalia; Garvin Gregory G; Cook David G; Ladiges Warren C; Minoshimaa Satoshi; Cross Donna J^*

来源：Brain Research, 2017, 1657: 140-147.

DOI：10.1016/j.brainres.2016.11.027

• Traumatic brain injury
• Cognitive testing
• Behavioral testing
• Water maze
• Controlled-cortical impact

Introduction: The use of forced-swim, rat-validated cognition tests in mouse models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) raises methodological concerns; such models are vulnerable to a number of confounding factors including impaired motor function and stress-induced non-compliance (failure to swim). This study evaluated the ability of a Radial Water Tread (RWT) maze, designed specifically for mice, that requires no swimming to distinguish mice with controlled cortical impact (CCI) induced TBI and Sham controls.
Methods: Ten-week-old, male C57BL6/J mice were randomly assigned to receive either Sham (n = 14) or CCI surgeries (n = 15). Mice were tested for sensorimotor deficits via Gridwalk test and Noldus CatWalk gait analysis at I and 32 days post-injury. Mice received RWT testing at either 11 days (early time point) or 35 days (late time point) post-injury.
Results: Compared to Sham-treated animals, CCI-induced TBI resulted in significant impairment in RWT maze performance. Additionally, CCI injured mice displayed significant deficits on the Gridwalk test at both I day and 32 days post-injury, and impairment in the CatWalk task at 1 day, but not 32 days, compared to Shams.
Conclusions: The Radial Water Tread maze capitalizes on the natural tendency of mice to avoid open areas in favor of hugging the edges of an apparatus (thigmotaxis), and replaces a forced-swim model with water shallow enough that the animal is not required to swim, but aversive enough to motivate escape. Our findings indicate the RWT task is a sensitive species-appropriate behavioral test for evaluating spatial memory impairment in a mouse model of TBI.

• 出版日期2017-2-15