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. 2007 Mar 8;14(3):134-44.
doi: 10.1101/lm.473907. Print 2007 Mar.

The influence of visual ability on learning and memory performance in 13 strains of mice

Richard E Brown  1 , Aimée A Wong
Affiliations

The influence of visual ability on learning and memory performance in 13 strains of mice

Richard E Brown et al. Learn Mem. .

Abstract

We calculated visual ability in 13 strains of mice (129SI/Sv1mJ, A/J, AKR/J, BALB/cByJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, CAST/EiJ, DBA/2J, FVB/NJ, MOLF/EiJ, SJL/J, SM/J, and SPRET/EiJ) on visual detection, pattern discrimination, and visual acuity and tested these and other mice of the same strains in a behavioral test battery that evaluated visuo-spatial learning and memory, conditioned odor preference, and motor learning. Strain differences in visual acuity accounted for a significant proportion of the variance between strains in measures of learning and memory in the Morris water maze. Strain differences in motor learning performance were not influenced by visual ability. Conditioned odor preference was enhanced in mice with visual defects. These results indicate that visual ability must be accounted for when testing for strain differences in learning and memory in mice because differences in performance in many tasks may be due to visual deficits rather than differences in higher order cognitive functions. These results have significant implications for the search for the neural and genetic basis of learning and memory in mice.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean (±SEM) body weights (g) for male (A) and female (B) mice of each strain tested. Strains with different letters have significant differences in body weights (P < 0.05).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean latency (sec) to reach the hidden platform in the Morris water maze on each day of acquisition and reversal training for strains of mice with normal vision (A), albinism (B), retinal degeneration (C), and unknown visual abilities (D).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mean swim distance (cm) to reach the hidden platform in the Morris water maze on each day of acquisition and reversal training for strains of mice with normal vision (A), albinism (B), retinal degeneration (C), and unknown visual abilities (D).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Mean (±SEM) percentage of digging in the CS+ in the conditioned odor preference test for each strain tested.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Regression plots showing the correlation of strain means between percentage correct on day 8 of the visual detection task (VD 8) and mean reversal latency (sec, A), mean reversal swim distance (cm, B), number of annulus crossings (C), and mean visible platform latency (sec, D) in the Morris water maze. Visual ability was significantly correlated with all four measures of performance in the water maze (see Table 3).
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