The Elevated Plus Maze Model (EPM) is basically tested for the anti-anxiety activity. Currently, I am working on learning and memory activity in rats by the Barnes Maze and EPM test. Is the EPM reliable for nootropic activity? whether the electrophysiology of hippocampus part of rats brain suitable or not to know the mechanism of action for tested drugs?
You might want to focus on tasks that actually require learning and memory. A quick test that usually works well is the novel object identity preference or novel object location preference tests, because they implicitly test the ability of the rats to remember the explored object identity or location. Other simple but useful tasks would be the delayed-non-match-to-sample working memory tests in the T-maze or the Radial arm maze and simple conditioning tests like fear conditioning or conditioned place preference. Regarding electrophysiology, the simplest and most typical procedure would be to see if the nootropic agents you are interested in would modulate LTP in the hippocampus, either ex-vivo or in vivo, by measuring pEPSPs in the dentate gyrus or CA1 following high frequency stimulation of the afferent pathways to each region (perforant path or Schaffer collateral).
Hi Vineet,
I don't think the EPM is going to be very helpful. Even with anxiety, it can produce confusing results and is subject to being confounded by changes in activity. Kaue had some good suggestions, and I'll add the hole board task. This can be a bit time intensive, but we've had some nice results with it.
Dear Vineet, if you want to study nootropic effects (cognitive enhancement), elevated plus maze is not an adequate test. If you want to study memory consolidation you can use object recognition, Barnes maze, Morris water maze or passive avoidance. If you prefer instead to focus on working memory (that does not require consolidation) you can utilize spontaneous alternation T-maze.
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