ePoster

A novel touch-panel-based serial reversal learning task for assessing cognitive flexibility in mice

Hiroyuki Okuno, Yusuke Suzuki, Takeru Suzuki, Itaru Imayoshi, Masaki Kakeyama, Yuji Kiyama
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Hiroyuki Okuno, Yusuke Suzuki, Takeru Suzuki, Itaru Imayoshi, Masaki Kakeyama, Yuji Kiyama

Abstract

Cognitive flexibility, the capacity to adjust thoughts and actions in response to sudden changes in environment, situation, or task demands, is essential for a healthy daily life and for understanding maladaptive behaviors. Reversal learning tasks in animal research are commonly employed to evaluate this adaptability. In particular, serial reversal learning paradigms are useful to assess the ability to switch task-solving strategies. However, conventional serial reversal learning tasks in mice, in general, are time-consuming and labor intensive, limiting its broader application. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop an improved serial reversal learning paradigm for mice that enhances learning efficiency. We utilized a touch-panel-based two-choice visual discrimination task, wherein mice were trained to choose one of two visual stimulus patterns to receive a food reward. We discovered that requiring multiple touches for stimulus selection, as opposed to the standard single touch, significantly increased both the efficiency of learning and the levels at which performance plateaued. After optimizing the task parameters, we established a protocol in which mice reached 80% accuracy in the initial acquisition phase with a single stimulus pair within four daily sessions. With the use of three sets of paired stimuli, similar success rates were attained within five sessions, with performance plateauing at nearly 90%. Remarkably, the mice completed ten serial reversals in under 20 weeks, reducing the completion time to half that required by the conventional single-touch protocol. This innovative behavioral paradigm presents a powerful tool for exploring the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility in mice.

Unique ID: fens-24/novel-touch-panel-based-serial-reversal-40867fcb