Figure 4.

The Object-Location Test. It is used to assesses the ability of rodents for spatial memory and discrimination. The test is based on the spontaneous tendency of rodents to spend more time exploring a novel object than a familiar one, and also to recognize the situation when an object has been relocated. During first-day testing, the animals is habituated in an open field arena. The next day, 4 objects of different shapes are introduced to the arena. In the first trial, the animal is allowed to explore the arena with the 4 objects. Shortly thereafter, the animal again encounters the 4 objects, but 2 of them have switched positions. The trials are recorded using a camera mounted above the arena and the subject isscored for the amount of time spent sniffing the objects. The object-location discrimination index is calculated.