Hi Isabella

Through Lumosity (http://www.lumosity.com/) you have the possibility to practice and improve cognitive abilities. I think you might be able to get some ideas here as well regarding practicals.

Best

Darun

There are certain research protocols in Alzheimer's section, you may find references in Medline/ Pubmed. In mice models people use water maize experiment and rota rod experiment. These are used to evaluate extent in loss of Memory after active learning procedure. The experiments do not cause any pain or discomfort to mice; but you should use special treatment or any transgenic variety of mice (APP mice), for which you need protocols. You may contact Jackson research company for transgenic mice used in learning and memory evaluation study.

Perhaps a simple experiment showing habituation using open field. Or you could do a sensitization experiment with a stimulant in open field. Both would be simple protocols, and you can show well established learning effects.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I also found this journal ;

Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education

http://www.funjournal.org/

as well as a special issue of the Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research (see attachment) which recapitulates hands-on activities on learning and memory :

Robert W. Flint, Jr. & Matthew J. Anderson : Editorial Special Issue – Pedagogical Activities for Courses on Learning and Memory

Morris Water maze test is used to study spatial memory function

1. Escape latency to reach the platform.

2. Average distance to reach platform:

3. Total distance swim to find hidden plate form.

4. Percentage of time spent in each quadrant and time spent in plate form area.

5. Mean swimming velocity.

Passive avoidance test

Transfer latency time from light box to dark box

Novel object recognition test

Test is based on preference of new object.

Please go through our paper.

Hydrogen sulfide attenuates neurodegeneration and neurovascular dysfunction induced by intracerebral-administered homocysteine in mice.

Kamat PK, Kalani A, Givvimani S, Sathnur PB, Tyagi SC, Tyagi N.

Neuroscience. 2013 Nov 12;252:302-19. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.07.051. Epub 2013 Jul 31.

Glial activation and post-synaptic neurotoxicity: the key events in Streptozotocin (ICV) induced memory impairment in rats.

Rai S, Kamat PK, Nath C, Shukla R.

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2014 Feb;117:104-17. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.035. Epub 2013 Dec 10.

PMID: 24333387 [PubMed - in process]

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Protective effect of quercetin against intracerebral streptozotocin induced reduction in cerebral blood flow and impairment of memory in mice.

Tota S, Awasthi H, Kamat PK, Nath C, Hanif K.

Behav Brain Res. 2010 May 1;209(1):73-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.01.017. Epub 2010 Jan 22.

PMID: 20096732 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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